News

Updates On Two Of Our Breaking Stories: Montreal And Royals

Here is an update on two of our “breaking news” stories.

Image: Jeangagnon
Montreal students have been protesting for weeks and they have promised to continue until they get what they want. Image: Jeangagnon

Montreal protests—TKN published this story last week about university students protesting in Montreal.

The students had started out protesting a tuition hike. However, the protests have grown and broadened to be about more than tuition.

The students are now concerned about their right to protest. That’s because after the student protests became more violent, the Quebec government introduced Bill 78 that said the students had to let the police know what route the protests would be taking. Protests that deviated from the route would be declared illegal and would be broken up.

In Montreal on Tuesday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, and many of them deliberately took a route that wasn’t pre-approved.

They were marking the 100th-day anniversary of the start of the protests.

People are taking sides over the issue. Some people say the students should have the right to protest where and when they want to. Others say Quebec’s tuition is still one of the lowest in Canada, and the protests are preventing other students from attending school.

The protesters have vowed to continue to demonstrate into the summer, when Montreal typically plays host to many tourists attending summer festivals.

Quebec’s Education Minister, Michelle Courchesne, said she hopes to meet with the student leaders to discuss the situation and try to resolve it. 

Image: Ibagli
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited Canada this week as part of their preparation for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Image: Ibagli

The Royal Visit—Two weeks ago, TKN published this story about the Royal couple: Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visiting Canada.

They are taking a four-day tour of the country to commemorate the Queen’s (Charles’s mother) Diamond Jubilee.

The couple landed in New Brunswick last Sunday, where they inspected and visited with some members of the military.

They flew to Toronto on Monday, where they watched the Victoria Day fireworks display at Ashbridge’s Bay. On Tuesday they handed out Diamond Jubilee medals and Prince Charles toured Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone. They also met with Paralympic athletes and First Nations representatives.

The couple tours Regina, Sask. on Wednesday, heading back to England the same evening.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Jonathan Tilly

Writing/Discussion Prompt
Do you support the Quebec government’s passing of Bill 78? Why or why not?

or

The Royals came to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. As a Canadian, do you feel a connection to the Queen, the Royals, and/or England? Why do you feel this way?

Reading Prompt: Extending Understanding
TKN only publishes one story each day. So when there was news happening about more than one major story, we chose to highlight them both. Are there any ways in which these stories are similar, or are they completely different? Would you have grouped these stories together? Why or why not?

Primary
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own
knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).

Junior & Intermediate
Extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and
insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).

Grammar Feature: Antecedents
Writers often use pronouns instead of repeating nouns. For example, to avoid repetition, a writer may choose to write, “The dog (noun) is really curious. He (pronoun) always sneaks into places.”

When a writer uses a noun and a pronoun in the same sentence, the noun is called the antecedent. In the example below from today’s story, the plural noun “students” is the antecedent and they is the pronoun.

“Some people say the students should have the right to protest where and when they want to.”

Underline the antecedents and circle the pronouns in the sentences below.

1. Everything that Georgia reads really gets her excited.
2. I can’t go anywhere with Beth, she always complains.
3. Rebecca and Lauren are friendly when they want to be.
4. Andrew is one of the best players in his league.
5. Of all the albums Julie bought, she likes the Four Tops the best!

TRICKY.
Meredith told Mark that she wants him to bring an extra treat for her.