Montreal meeting between prime minister and Quebec premier snowed out

MONTREAL – A snowstorm forced the cancellation of a meeting scheduled today in Montreal between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault.

The leaders were supposed to discuss issues on which the two diverge, such as health transfers and immigration.

A Trudeau spokesperson says the two men would instead speak over the phone and an in-person meeting would occur at a later date.

Legault and other premiers have been calling for a substantial increase in federal transfers for health care, and Ottawa has suggested it would do so only under certain conditions, including that provinces and territories share health data.

On immigration, Trudeau told The Canadian Press this week that Quebec has the capacity to welcome up to 112,000 immigrants per year, while Legault has maintained that 50,000 is the most the province can accept.

Trudeau later clarified that he had not wanted to propose an annual immigration figure to the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2022.