Mtl QC – Your Morning Digest

Good morning!

It’s a Monday that arrives with its share of heavy stories — and a few uplifting ones too. While the coffee finishes brewing, here’s a quick look at what’s happening here at home and a little beyond. Five minutes, promise.

🔴 Top Story

Wrong‑way collision on Route 136

A driver heading the wrong way crashed into an STM bus on Route 136. Both drivers were taken to hospital. The one piece of good news: no passengers were on board at the time. An investigation is underway to understand what happened.

⚡ Quick Hits

🚗 Fatal crash in the Laurentians A man in his sixties died in a head‑on collision in Mont‑Laurier. His passenger remains in critical condition.

🎤 CAQ leadership race Bernard Drainville officially jumped into the race to lead the Coalition Avenir Québec, presenting himself as a “candidate for change.”

🗳️ New faces for the Conservatives Éric Duhaime introduced 10 new candidates for the Conservative Party of Québec, taking a jab at PQ leader Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon by calling him “out of touch.”

🎶 Canadians shine at the Grammys Justin Bieber returned to the stage after four years to perform “Yukon.” Joni Mitchell made a rare appearance and won the Grammy for Best Historical Album. Montreal producer Cirkut picked up two awards, including Producer of the Year. And Justin Gray became the first Canadian to win Best Immersive Audio Album.

🏡 Closer to Home

🪖 Lieutenant by day, nurse practitioner by night Peter Maklan splits his time between two uniforms: one at the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he works as a specialized nurse practitioner in intensive care, and one as a lieutenant in the Canadian Armed Forces. He trains medical technicians and could be deployed on humanitarian missions. His role is part of a growing nurse‑practitioner program in Québec covering five specialties: primary care, mental health, pediatrics, adult care, and neonatology.

🪧 Protest outside the U.S. consulate Demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Montreal — and elsewhere in the city — to denounce American immigration policies and what they see as Canada’s complicity.

💙 Spotlight

Peter Maklan — caring for lives in intensive care and preparing for humanitarian missions — a striking example of dedication in service of others.

🌤️ Before You Go

A day that starts with some heavy news, but also with people who build, who heal, who create. Take care of yourself today — and of others too.

See you tomorrow morning. ☕

EXCERPT: A driver heading the wrong way collided with an STM bus on Route 136. Both drivers were hospitalized, but no passengers were on board.