- BREAKING NEWS - 2026

MARK’S LITTLE MOMENT OF HAPPINESS...  By Bernard Bujold -  Montreal’s elite gathered at the Belvédère in the Old Port of Montreal for a dinner hosted on Thursday evening (October 29, 2026) by Mark Carney as part of the Canada-Europe Summit (EU-Canada Summit). Among the guests were several current and former Quebec politicians, including Charles Milliard, Christine Fréchette, Jean Charest, Lucien Bouchard, and even the mayor of Montreal. Business leaders such as Alain Bouchard and Pierre Karl Péladeau were also in attendance. Only Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon was absent from the gathering, which brought together more than 150 guests. A humorous note to start the meal: no shrimp cocktail, but smoked trout…  Faced with Paul’s absence, my friend Mark probably had Félix Leclerc’s song “Le P’tit Bonheur” on his mind: “…  No matter how much I begged him, coaxed him, or made a scene  Showed him the huge hole he left in the depths of my heart  He always walked away w...

COFFEE WITH MARK...  By Bernard Bujold -  The Canada-European Union Summit is officially taking place in Montreal this Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30, but even though the event is dominating media coverage—due to the refusal to grant Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon the right to speak—the location of the discussions as well as the venue for the dinner are being kept completely secret and have not been disclosed to the media. My friend Mark may be visiting Montreal, but there’s no way his local friends will be able to go say hello to him at the Summit and grab a coffee... Only a few official photographers and cameramen (press pools accredited on a very limited basis) are expected to be allowed a brief, few-seconds-long visit for a group photo or the opening remarks before being escorted back outside. The meal itself and the political discussions taking place there are held behind completely closed doors, far from cameras and notepads. Invitation cards and travel instru...

​FALL SHOPPING -  By Bernard Bujold -  I took advantage of my stay in town to do some fall shopping at the public markets. I love seasonal vegetables, and I really like the ATWATER Market near the canal. I stocked up on vegetables, but also picked up a few cuts of meat for my three faithful companions, who aren’t too fond of vegetables... Also, while I was there, I picked up a few pumpkins to decorate for Halloween this Saturday, October 31.  Have a great fall 2026!  https://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/fr/marches/marche-atwater?gad_campaignid=20363482494&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADNR06I4gy31CC021taqjoi5tRe7C&gclid=CjwKCAjwuobXBhBXEiwAYUaIlZLITrVlJXwBbF9J-WjSwldATr8crDs0Xsv2-NPJ-SiwKW0eD9z07RoCOjkQAvD_BwE

MARK & PAUL...  By Bernard Bujold - Columnist and former politician Jean-François Lisée has written an interesting political analysis of Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon’s new government. He urges the new PQ members of the National Assembly, as well as their leader, to show humility if they want to succeed! I fully agree with his analysis, and I cited the example of Mark Carney to him. Mark Carney is always humble and never pretentious. His competence and his “impassive” banker’s demeanor shield him from any arrogance he might otherwise display. Few politicians can resist the temptation of arrogance. Justin Trudeau was deeply pretentious, just like most other heads of state around the world…  Humility is the essential quality for success in politics, as indeed in all fields…  READ JEAN-FRANÇOIS LISÉE’S ARTICLE  https://jflisee.org/mes-avertissements-aux-nouveaux-elus/? fbclid=IwY2xjawVNmZtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMUpGSVBwQzJJSThqdXNIVDZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg...

  PAUL SAINT-PIERRE PLAMONDON’S CABINET -  By Bernard Bujold -  Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and his 22 ministers were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon, October 21, 2026, at the National Assembly in Quebec City. The cabinet has been downsized, which means greater and more numerous responsibilities for each minister. It remains to be seen whether the ministers will be able to carry out their initiatives and, in a sense, this will serve as a test to determine whether it is possible to lead a government with a smaller cabinet and less bureaucracy. The risk of fatigue amongst the political staff will be very high, which generally leads to the failure of government initiatives.  To be continued  SEE THE LIST OF MINISTERS https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2026/10/21/voici-la-liste-des-ministres-du-gouvernement-st-pierre-plamondon

BRINKS IS IN TOWN - By Bernard Bujold—  Ever since the city condo was sold at the end of August, I’ve been getting constant calls from financial brokers who want to invest the proceeds from the sale...  I really wonder how the brokers found out about the condo sale, since I’m usually so discreet! I hate indiscretions and never accept indiscreet people as friends…  There’s probably an app online for tracking real estate sales. In any case, I no longer answer solicitation calls from financial brokers, and the proceeds from the sale were moved out of town immediately after the transaction…  The treasure is safe, far away from predators, and my three faithful companions are keeping the curious, especially the brokers, at bay…  Have a great fall 2026!  WATCH THE VIDEO AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PBaokq9UXE1Cy9R7c8rTQ8cCrf2lsD-u/view?usp=sharing

MARK CARNEY IS A HAPPY MAN...  By Bernard Bujold -  My friend Mark Carney has once again won his bet, and the residents of Alberta voted against holding a referendum to secede from Canada. The result is unequivocal: 75,8% against the referendum and 24,2% in favor… When the wind is at your back, life is good, and Mark is currently riding a tailwind that’s propelling him full speed toward success in his projects. In the space of a few months, he has become the most popular leader not only in Canada but on the entire planet!  Mark Carney officially became Prime Minister of Canada on March 14, 2025.  To be continued.  www.lestudio1.com

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND LOVE - By Bernard Bujold -  I took advantage of the weekend (while Paris was burning…) to read Guillermo Da Empoli’s latest book: LES FONDATEURS. I had first discovered this author through his book on Putin: THE MAGICIAN OF THE KREMLIN. I identified myself with the mage, a public relations expert. In 2022,  Da Empoli wrote THE HOUR OF THE PREDATORS, a novel about the growing alliance between modern-day politicians and artificial intelligence leaders, as well as the dominance of certain world political leaders through AI. In the new book LES FONDATEURS, the leaders of artificial intelligence have surpassed politicians, and it is now they who dominate both the politicians and their respective countries. Wars are merely tools used by AI leaders to better dominate the world’s politicians. Following the novel’s line of reasoning, one might conclude that the events of the weekend in France were orchestrated by the leaders of artificial intelligence to be...

L'ACTUALITÉ MAGAZINE CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.  By Bernard Bujold -  The news magazine L'Actualité has just published a special issue marking the magazine’s 50th anniversary. Although available online, the print edition is a keepsake worth adding to your bookshelf. The co-founder, editor-in-chief, and publisher of L’Actualité from 1976 to 2000 is a friend of mine who also lives in the same condo building as I do… He says he’s very proud of the 50th-anniversary special issue! Personally, I loved the interview he gave to his former magazine, in which we learn a great deal about the evolution of journalism in Quebec. It is clear that in 2026, with the Internet, "L'Actualité" no longer has the influence the magazine enjoyed during Jean Paré’s heyday, but the publication has kept pace with the times and has held its own very well at the top as a major media outlet in Quebec. The commemorative print issue is definitely a collector’s item.  Best wishes to L’Actual...

THE TALENT OF JEAN-LUC MONGRAIN By Bernard Bujold - Jean-Luc Mongrain and I were friends, but Jean-Luc had many friends. I was just one among many! However, there were three direct connections between our lives: he had been my condo neighbor when he lived in Old Montreal; we had shared the same religious influences during our youth—he had studied to become a priest, and I had grown up in my village’s rectory, where my aunt was the priest’s housekeeper; and I was the one who called him to ask if he’d be willing to have lunch with Pierre Péladeau to join, as an executive, the TQS television network that Quebecor had purchased in August 1997. Pierre Péladeau had met Jean-Luc through his two weekly newspapers in Sherbrooke. The two became friends from that time on, even though Jean-Luc had sold the weeklies to Paul Desmarais…  The group of founders, including Jean-Luc Mongrain, sold the weekly La Nouvelle de Sherbrooke in 1986. The buyer was Groupe Trans-Canada, a subsidiary of Power C...

THANKSGIVING DAY 2026 - By Bernard Bujold-  Thanksgiving Day in Quebec is an official holiday celebrated annually on the second Monday in October (OCTOBER 12, 2026), but it has a more low-key significance and is less commercial in nature there than elsewhere in North America because of the holiday’s English origins…  In Canada, the holiday originated in Nova Scotia in 1578 to give thanks to God for the success of the expeditions led by the English explorer Martin Frobisher.  In the United States, the holiday is celebrated later, on the fourth Thursday of November, while American Thanksgiving commemorates the survival of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Mayflower in 1621 in Plymouth. Founded by the Mayflower settlers (the “Pilgrims”), Plymouth, situated 60 km south of Boston, is one of the oldest municipalities in the United States.  Happy Thanksgiving 2026! www.lestudio1.com