Quebec Premier François Legault said Monday that he’s trying to heal divisions and that’s why he has told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau he doesn’t want the federal Emergencies Act invoked in the province.
Legault told reporters in Longueuil, Que., that the three-week-long convoy situation in Ottawa is concerning, describing the impact of the protests on residents and workers as "unacceptable."
He said that in Quebec, however, police forces have shown they are able to control protests against COVID-19 measures, including a protest in Montreal on Saturday.
Legault says that if the Emergencies Act is applied in Quebec it would put "oil on the fire" at a time when he is trying to unite Quebecers.
VAX PASSPORT LIKELY ON ITS WAY OUT
Legault alsxjmtzywo said that Quebec’s polarizing vaccination passport may soon be a thing of the past as the province’s COVID-19 numbers continue to decline and restrictions are lifted.
If hospitalizations continue to decline and the epidemiological situation continues to improve, the need for proof of vaccination may end, he said.
"We will discuss that tonight, and the plan of [Health Minister] Christian [Dube] is to get rid of the pass as soon as we get the okay from the public health," said Legault.
Quebec eased more restrictions over the weekend and plans to eliminate almost all of them by March 14, and Legault said with the two trends in motion, he is also not concerned that major protests will continue in the province.
"There’s less and less reason to protest because we’re getting back to a normal life more and more," he said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also said that his province will follow the trend in Saskatchewan and Manitoba in removing the vaccine passport.
Legault said that nonetheless, Quebec authorities aren’t ready to fully commit to the idea and will be cautious as they keep an eye on the epidemiological trends.
"I can understand that we want to remove most of the measures, but we have to be careful because of the hospital situation," said Legault.
— With files from The Canadian Press.
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Quebec Premier Francois Legault along with Minister Responsible for the Monteregie Region Simon Jolin-Barrette and Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier. (Christine Long/CTV News)
