by Tod Maffin
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On Thursday, Quebec’s new premier skipped saying grace at Canada’s biggest family dinner, and a lawyer wants a judge to make him say it.
Picture Canada as one very long dinner. The house went up in 1867, and so did the house rules. One of them, section 128 of the Constitution, says that before anyone takes a seat in a legislature, they must say a short grace, in the form of a promise to be faithful to the monarch. That monarch right now is King Charles.
Grudges Served Cold
Quebec has a long history with the monarchy, and none of it is good.
Britain defeated France in North America in the 1700s and took over Quebec. French-speaking Quebecers then became a minority under a foreign crown, and that stung.
In 1982, when Canada rewrote its constitution, it did it without Quebec’s consent. The monarch of the day — Queen Elizabeth — signed it and, well, there’s a reason Quebec licence plates say “Je me souviens”: I remember.
T O D B I T
“Je me souviens” was coined in 1883 by Eugène-Étienne Taché, the architect of Quebec’s legislature building. He never clearly explained what it meant.
That’s partly why Quebec provincial representatives have said two “graces”: one to the monarch, and one to the people of Quebec. It’s that first one that is causing the trouble.
Four years ago, 14 newly elected members said the Quebec one and skipped the King’s. The Speaker ruled that because they didn’t do what the Constitution says they must, they could not take their seats.
So the government — led by a party called the CAQ — passed what was essentially a rogue amendment to the constitution saying the oath to the monarch was optional. That bill passed unanimously.
And you might be thinking — wait, can provinces just “nope” out of the national constitution?!
Lawyer at the Door
Enter lawyer, stage left. This past August, Lawrence David, a constitutional lawyer and law professor, took it to the provincial Superior Court, arguing that changing that part of the Constitution takes agreement from the House of Commons and the Senate (both of which are federal) and every provincial legislature.
He asked for an emergency injunction that would freeze that amendment, meaning it would be back the way it was (say nice things about the King).
But he went further. He argued that because some of those legislators didn’t take the King’s Oath, any law that was passed by those members wouldn’t be valid.
Quebec’s justice minister at the time said they’d defend the changes.
An Empty Chair
But it gets complicated. The governing party that made those changes — the CAQ — just went through the Quebec election. They got shut out. They got ZERO seats. Literally, not a single candidate of theirs was elected.
The Parti Québécois, which is a separatist party, won a minority government, and Thursday, the leader of that party, as expected, skipped the King’s oath when being sworn in as Premier.
More than that, he said he’ll cut funding to the Lieutenant Governor’s office. That office represents the King in Quebec. And more than even that, the Lieutenant Governor wouldn’t even be allowed to attend the opening session.
T O D B I T
One day after Manon Jeannotte was named Quebec’s first Indigenous lieutenant governor, the National Assembly (what Quebec calls its provincial legislature) unanimously voted to abolish her office.
The injunction hearing will be in the next few weeks, before the Legislature resumes its work.
In the meantime, the dinner will go on. Some people will say grace, and some will refuse.
And now everyone’s just waiting for dad to say what happens next.
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Test Your Knowledge!
Quebec's Charter of the French Language, commonly called Bill 101, became the focus of a major Supreme Court of Canada dispute over commercial signs. What did the Court rule in 1988?
- All commercial signs in Quebec had to be in English only.
- Quebec could prohibit all spoken English in public.
- Requiring French-only commercial signs violated freedom of expression under the Canadian Charter.
- Provincial language laws were automatically invalid throughout Canada.
- Every shop had to display its prices in French, English, and Beaver Pelts.
The Weekly Poll
Should representatives from Quebec have to take the King's Oath?
Want to see last week’s results? I post them Mondays or Tuesdays on my social media channels.
Drawing Conclusions
Many Alberta voters confused over nine question separatist ballot questions
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) and Metro Detroit flew a banner reading "Detroit and Canada are bridged in friendship,” over the Detroit River on Thanksgiving as an expression of gratitude for their neighbours in Windsor, ON.
Bystanders, including an off-duty firefighter, saved the life of a window washer who came into contact with a power line in Courtenay, BC.
Montreal,QC was ranked 12th out of 200 on the “Friendliest Cities Index”.
A farmer from Shawville, QC, has been racking in prizes for his giant pumpkins, all of which have weighed over 1,500 pounds.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
A program that tagged and tracked monarch butterflies to study are sharing that some of them made it to Mexico for the winter.
The Minister of Fisheries announced that the Government of Canada is proposing to add or reclassify 15 aquatic species populations under the Species at Risk Act .
Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, who began his 6-month stay aboard the International Space Station on October 1, described seeing the Northern Lights from space as “mind-blowing.”
The First Peoples 🪶
Candice St-Aubin, the interim commissioner of Indigenous languages, will serve in the role for another month as the Canadian Heritage department continues to search for a permanent replacement.
Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba is grappling with an educational assistant shortage, with at least 40 more needed in the area.
The Assembly of First Nations prepared a draft position paper asking Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s premiers to develop a new First Nations-controlled sovereign wealth fund.
The National Diagnostic Imaging Clinic , Canada’s only fully Indigenous owned Imaging Clinic has obtained a second MRI machine.
Canadian Content 🍁
Winnipeg singer-songwriter producer Boy Golden released a new song, “Pity,” to announce the 17-track deluxe edition of his breakthrough album, Best of Our Possible Lives.
Comedian and keynote speaker Jen Grant has released a hilarious new album Jen Ex-Files.
Salma Hussain’s coming-of-age novel It’s Not Over Yet follows teenage film buff Wali Khan in the weeks before a life-altering brain surgery.
Wild Things 🐻❄️
Victoria, BC resident Ning Cao and her bird, Burbur, get a lot of attention on their daily walks, as Burbur enjoys the views from inside her animal-friendly clear backpack.
The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) is helping Calgary seniors care for their pets through a free one-day Senior Pet Wellness Clinic for eligible seniors aged 65 and older.
The Quebec Court of Appeal is hearing arguments on whether the right to have pets should be protected by law.
Politics 🧑⚖️
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation from a classroom at his alma mater on Thanksgiving; during the speech, he reached out to Albertans ahead of their separation referendum.
The Ontario government will make daylight saving time permanent in northwestern parts of the province.
The federal government announced plans to spend $430 million over the next five years to help unions train a new generation of skilled trades workers.
The federal government is set to announce $100-million towards developing offshore wind energy in Nova Scotia.
The federal government is spending nearly $270 million to help New Brunswick modernize two energy facilities.
Entertainment🎭
Mattel has announced they will be releasing a limited edition Céline Dion Barbie doll.
The town of Indian Head, SK, will serve as the backdrop for the upcoming TV series “Copperhill Road”.
Bruno Mars is lending his famous voice to Vancouver’s SkyTrain; passengers will hear a pre-recorded announcement from Mars on the days of his five BC Place Stadium concerts.
Sports 🏒
Hamilton’s PWHL team has unveiled the jerseys for their inaugural season.
Toronto Tempo guard Kiki Rice, who ranks fourth among rookies for scoring, has been added to the 2026 WNBA All-Rookie team.
Taylor Ruck of Kelowna,BC, won gold for 200m backstroke at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.
Made in Canada
London Drugs is a Western Canadian pharmacy and retail chain founded in 1945 by Sam Bass.
His first store opened at 800 Main Street in Vancouver. He named it after London, England, the home of Canada’s monarch, King George VI.
Bass sold the company to the American firm Daylin in 1968, but in 1976, the H.Y. Louie Group, led by Tong Louie, acquired it, and the Louie family still owns it.
The company is headquartered in Richmond, B.C. As of February 2026, it has 78 stores: 50 in British Columbia, 21 in Alberta, 5 in Saskatchewan and 2 in Manitoba. Pharmacy remains the core business, but the stores also sell electronics, housewares, cosmetics and groceries.
This is not sponsored. This brand learned we profiled them the same time you did.
Also see Tod and Jocelyn’s Buy Canada projects: Main Street Canada and Unplug America
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