- BREAKING NEWS - 2026

VISITING THE NEW CONDO...  By Bernard Bujold -  My friends Donald and Mark really love my new city condo (an urban pied-à-terre in Old Montreal). I have to admit I won them over by showing around my workspace, where I’d placed a photo of each prominently on my coffee tables. Ulysse keeps a watchful eye on the photos...  The challenge: how to have two political opponents in the same room! The answer is simple: politics is nothing more than theater. The real reality lies behind the curtain, and in the end, we’re always surprised to find that what we see on stage is an illusion…  Happy Labor Day—2026 edition.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JXx4JKMMHtj1s6w26GX3bgU3f15zihue/view?usp=sharing

SUMMIT MEETING—  By Bernard Bujold -  We are one month away from the provincial elections in Quebec, which will be held on October 5. Who is the favorite to become the next premier? There are three possible candidates: Christine Fréchette, Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon, or Charles Milliard!  According to my friend Mark, Christine could win by default, but Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon’s team is more popular as a political party than the CAQ. Charles Milliard’s Liberal Party has several strong candidates, but it hasn’t managed to take the lead in the race. The next few days of the campaign will be eventful—or at least they should be—otherwise we’ll be headed for an election with a disastrous voter turnout of less than 50%…  This Labor Day long weekend will be an opportunity for the candidates to take stock and draw up their action plans for the coming month. You could call this weekend the candidates’ summit…  Stay tuned!  www.lestudio1.com

A NEW LIFE—  By Bernard Bujold -  It’s done—I finally sold my city condo! Selling real estate is an art, and according to Donald Trump (an expert in the field), this art relies entirely on “good timing” and nothing else… So you have to know how to seize the moment when it comes! According to Donald, cashing in on a real estate investment can take anywhere from two weeks to two years. It all depends on the timing…  In my case, however, I still have to wait a little while longer before leaving the city for good to move to the countryside—even though the condo has been sold. Professional and personal obligations currently require me to maintain quick and easy in-person access to Montreal’s urban environment… To that end, I’ve decided to temporarily rent another condo in the same neighborhood to better prepare for my move toward new adventures and a new life entirely in the countryside.  Have a great fall 2026 and happy voting in the October 5 election!  To be con...

QUEBEC ELECTIONS 2026-  By Bernard Bujold -  Premier Mark Carney is a true champion, and he proved it by winning all three by-elections held on Monday, August 31, in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Mark and I have different visions for how a political election campaign should be organized. Mark is methodical, whereas I, when I was in politics in Brian Mulroney’s cabinet in 1984, was instinctive. In English, this style is called “shooting from the hip.” Donald Trump uses my strategy…  According to Mark, to win an election, you need a precise plan, and he has clearly proven that his formula works. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Mark, and I proudly display on my desk the birthday gift he sent me last June. The question is: will the five leaders in the Quebec election campaign act in Mark’s style or mine… Mark doesn’t want to say who he’d like to see as premier, but we know he doesn’t favor the Parti Québécois! His support—even if it’s discreet and ...

THE CAREER OF PABLO RODRIGUEZ—  By Bernard Bujold -  Life is often full of injustices, and Pablo Rodriguez is a victim of one such injustice. Government authorities—the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec (DGEQ) and the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC)—have just rendered their verdict on the charges against Pablo Rodriguez, and he has done nothing wrong. We can conclude that his political enemies destroyed his career out of sheer malice or greed. It’s sad for Pablo, for whom I would have voted on October 5. In conclusion, Pablo is a good man without malice, and he was unable to stand up to his enemies. Sometimes in life, you have to be a ruthless warrior to survive...  SEE THE REPORT IN LA PRESSE  https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2026-08-25/crise-au-parti-liberal-du-quebec/pas-de-preuve-de-brownies.php

THE WINE RESERVES ARE DRY...  By Bernard Bujold-  I love sharing a glass of wine with friends. I prefer red wine, although in the summer I occasionally switch it up with a white. I was devastated when the SAQ pulled American wines from its shelves on February 4, 2025, because they were my favorites. Luckily, I had a few cases in reserve… My favorites are Coppola and Mondavi. But now my reserves are almost gone, and with the breakdown of negotiations between Mark and Donald, I’m going to run out completely… Yet Mark and Donald had promised me they’d come to an agreement! Now the two are blaming each other for the failure of the negotiations…  I’m going to have to reach out to Giorgia Meloni and invite her to the cottage so she can bring me a case or two of her excellent LIANO Cabernet Sauvignon…  www.lestudio1.com

ACADIAN NATIONAL DAY - 2026 -EDITION - By Bernard Bujold -  Happy National Day to the Acadians, of whom I am one. The history of the Acadians resembles that of the Americans! Both peoples had to face England... In both cases, England wanted to occupy the territory. The big difference is the reaction! The Americans raised an army, took up arms against British soldiers, and waged war. The Acadians, being more peaceful, did not form an army or take up arms; instead, they chose to flee or be deported. War is always tragic, but it’s less terrible than deportation. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), it is estimated that approximately 25,000 Americans died fighting on the side of the American Revolutionary forces. During the deportation of the Acadians, which began in 1755 and continued until 1763, it is estimated that 5,000 people died. These tragic deaths occurred primarily due to the catastrophic conditions of the deportation. At the time of the deportation in 1755, the...

A QUEBEC BOOK IN 2026—  By Bernard Bujold - Ever since my childhood in the Gaspé Peninsula, I’ve been an avid reader.  For Quebec Book Day on August 12, 2026, I suggest a detective novel. An author I’ve known well since her very beginnings: Louise Penny, who lives in the Eastern Townships, and her latest mystery: "The Black Wolf". Louise is a shy person, and I remember her first book fair in Montreal in 2005, when her booth was completely empty. By 2026, she had become a world-renowned and respected author. Personally, I’ve read Louise’s entire Armand Gamache series—19 books in total—but I haven’t seen her in person for about ten years. I have to say that her friendship with Hillary Clinton hasn’t exactly helped our relationship, since I’m a fan of Donald Trump...  Enjoy the read.  https://www.renaud-bray.com/Livres_Produit.aspx?id=4471555&def=Loup+noir%28Le%29%2CPENNY%2C+LOUISE%2C9782898113451

THE PASSION OF THE DREAM By Bernard Bujold - If there’s one phenomenon I’ve never been able to explain to myself—only observe—it’s the positive energy that another person’s presence can radiate toward me. At my advanced age, I’ve given up any romantic ambitions and enjoy my solitude, but occasionally I can’t resist the feeling of attraction toward another person—usually a woman who’s often far too young for an old man like me. Of course, I never let that attraction go beyond a fleeting thought, but the positive energy it brings always gives me a new lease on life.  When I was younger, I would have believed in the goddess of love, but with the wisdom that comes with age, I know now that love is ultimately a fleeting feeling that’s best not to try to capture, because love is, in the end, a dream and a mirage—and that is the very beauty of love: the dream and the mirage…  Have a great summer 2026!  www.lestudio1.com

LIFE'S VALUES…  By Bernard Bujold -  During a walk around the lake, I was thinking about my life’s values. In my view, three fundamental values determine who my friends are and who I want to have in my life:  1. Loyalty;  2. The courage to stand by one’s opinions (standing up for oneself in front of others);  3. Mutual understanding and support for one another.  Of course, these are my own personal guiding principles, and if there were a fourth value, it would be to live and let live—without trying to impose my ideas on others or letting myself be swayed by the ideas of others. This brings us back somewhat to the second value: standing up for oneself.  Have a great August 2026.  www.lestudio1.com

A MINORITY GOVERNMENT IN QUEBEC IN 2026 - By Bernard Bujold - It is becoming increasingly clear that Quebec’s next government will be a minority government and that the leading political party will have to form a coalition with one of the two other parties close behind it in order to govern Quebec. If the Liberal Party comes in first, a coalition with the CAQ would be the natural choice, but we can also ​predict that if Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon comes in first, he would have to wait until a second term for his referendum initiative (in 20​30), since neither the Liberal Party nor the CAQ will ever agree to support the Parti Québécois on a referendum motion.  Personally, I promised ​a former fellow journalist, Philippe Schnobb, that I would vote for him, but I made it clear to him that my vote was for him as an individual and not for the Parti Québécois. In fact, everyone who knows me knows that I’m a fan of Mark Carney and that I was also a big fan of Pablo Rodriguez…  To be ...