Godspeed Victoriaville

by titocurtis

Depending on the neighbourhood, the tallest buildings in Victoriaville all have either a steeple or a smokestack. Photo Chris Curtis

Perhaps best known for producing the finest poutine in Quebec, Victoriaville will be the site of the latest standoff between Jean Charest’s Liberals and students protesting tuition hikes.

Fearing another riotous clash between protesters and police in Montreal, the Liberals announced they would be moving their general council meeting to the rural Quebec town last Sunday. Despite the last minute gambit, Quebec’s three major student unions will be busing hundreds (if not thousands) of protesters to Victoriaville to continue their campaign against the five-year, $1,600 tuition increase.

I hopped in the Echo car today to see how the good people of Victoriaville are faring before the circus comes to town. Some parts of the city are like a ghost town: the local CEGEP cancelled its classes, police are getting ready to close Highway 117 on the edge of town and a bunch of business owners are getting ready to close shop for the weekend.

Although people don’t seem that worried, you’d think the Hells Angels are about to rip through town. Victoriaville’s fire department issued business owners a warning to hide their chairs, tables, potted plants or anything else that could be picked up and thrown. The SQ is working with Transport Quebec workers to build a barrier around the Victorin hotel, where the Liberals will hold their council meeting.

A Transport Quebec worker chains a fence to a concrete cinder block outside the Hotel Victorin.

The Victorin Hotel, site of tomorrow’s protest/Liberal meeting.

Radio Canada crew

I’m working on a feature about Victoriaville for Openfile Montreal. It’ll be published tomorrow so do me a favour and check it out. I could use the internet traffic.