Fréchette to meet Montreal mayor amid fallout over baby in homeless camp

Martinez Ferrada described the infant’s presence in the camp as a wake-up call and has said she’ll take action if the province won’t.

The news has also prompted Fréchette’s opponents to criticize her government’s record and to weigh in on how to address homelessness. All five leaders spoke Friday in Quebec City at a meeting organized by Quebec’s union of municipalities, where they pitched their plans to reduce the number of people who are unhoused and addressed other issues facing cities, such as infrastructure and public transit funding.

Liberal Leader Charles Milliard said that he would invest an additional $60 million per year in an effort to reduce homelessness to zero.

Both Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois have said they would name a homelessness superminister if elected, with PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon promising to take on the role himself.

St-Pierre Plamondon said Friday that a government led by him would invest $1 billion in the fight against homelessness, with a focus on social and supportive housing and homelessness prevention.

“When we look at what countries that have succeeded have done, they gave a vision, they mobilized all the actors, they based their social intervention on housing,” he said.

Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal had proposed the superminister post back in August. She said the minister would have significant power, a large budget, and would work closely with herself as premier.

Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime has proposed hiring 100 more doctors to work in the community, as well as more social workers and more stable funding for community organizations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2026.

— With files from Thomas Laberge and Patrice Bergeron in Quebec City

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Fréchette to meet Montreal mayor amid fallout over baby in homeless camp

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