There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.

Fadwa Alaoui Is a Canadian citizen living in Brossard. All she wanted to do was take her kids shopping in Burlington.

She didn’t get very far. After four hours of interrogation and after being fingerprinted at the border, she was turned away. Agents were concerned about prayer videos on her phone in Arabicand questioned her about Islam and her opinion of President Trump.

“I don’t understand why they reacted to me like that because I’m Canadian,” she said. “I have a Canadian passport. Why did they let another Canadian go and they didn’t let me enter the United States?”

This is the new reality for many of our fellow citizens.

We don’t have a right to enter the United States and U.S. border authorities don’t have explain themselves, but what all of this underscores is so troubling. The neighborhood is becoming a little less friendly.

Business (sadly) as usual in Quebec City

In the wake of the murders of six Muslim men in a Quebec City mosque and the wake of police reports of a spike in hate crimes, what was the first order of business for the National Assembly?

Identity.

Right back to that ugly divisive issue of symbolism and who belongs. Our politicians should know better. Timing is everything. This was not the week to debate or negotiate religious symbols.

“I think everybody must make compromises and we should adopt a bill on religious neutrality as soon as possible,” said CAQ leader Francois Legault.

Maybe what we need is time out. Quebec will not fall into the abyss.

There is a growing chill here and obviously south of the border. Just ask Fadwa Alaoui 

Everybody look what’s going down.

An aging party with an aging idea

Gotta love this one.

A new report this week paints the Parti Quebecois as an aging social club, a party that is frozen in the past.

The assessment comes from Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, an also-ran in the PQ leadership race. 

Look at the numbers: 68 per cent of PQ members are over the age of 55, only 14 per cent are under 40.

Plamondon said the party’s Charter of Values was a turnoff for most young Quebecers.

All of this comes during a week where the eminence grise of the PQ had some startling words. 

Bernard Landry says perhaps the next PQ date with destiny should be not in the next mandate, not in the one after that, but maybe in the one after that.

So a referendum sometime between 2026 and 2030 assuming the PQ wins the next three elections.

Let’s face it: four out of five Quebecers think you should stick a fork in the whole idea. The PQ holds to the idea out of desperation, spewing alternative facts.

It’s time to raise the white flag. 

As Mr. Plamondon writes, the party reminds him of Groundhog Day. Nothing ever changes.

And you know, I don’t think it ever will. Groundhog Day indeed, where seeing your shadow means another 15 years of referendum angst.

No thanks.