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What the survey shows. In Quebec, about 27% of people aged 15 and over cared for someone in 2024-2025, or about 2,076,300 people. That is the main finding of the Québec Survey on Caregiver Health and Well-being, conducted among 18,608 people, whose full results the Institut de la statistique du Québec released on November 3, 2026. Most of them (64%) help only one person. About 71% look after at least one person aged 65 or over, and 40% help their father or mother.

A heavy role. About 69% of caregivers say they felt stress linked to this role in the year before the survey. One in four (25%) feels that caregiving has hurt their ability to meet their financial obligations or basic needs. Nearly 44% find it hard to balance the help they give with work, studies or family life. And about 26% had trouble finding help and resources: the rest of this article is for them.

You may be one without knowing it. For the survey, a caregiver supports someone close to them, without pay and not as a volunteer, because of an illness, a disability, a loss of autonomy linked to aging, or an incapacity. Spending at least one hour a week on average is enough. According to the highlights published by the Institut (in French only), only one caregiver in two (46%) sees themselves as one. Yet recognizing yourself in this role makes it easier to find the information and services meant for you.

A free helpline to point you in the right direction. The Government of Quebec gathers the resources on its page on support for caregivers. The easiest place to start is L'Appui's Caregiver Support Helpline, a free, confidential service run by professionals, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 1-855-852-7784. L'Appui also keeps a directory where you can search by postal code for respite, home support, transportation or information resources.

If you are worn out. 811 answers day and night, seven days a week. The Government of Quebec says you can call Info-Social 811 for yourself if you are dealing with exhaustion, isolation, or emotions that are getting hard to manage. To get services for yourself or for the person you help, such as home support, you can also contact the reception, assessment and orientation service of your regional health and social services establishment, free of charge and confidentially. Our guide to mental health in Quebec lists other support lines.

Work and money. If you work in Quebec under Quebec's labour standards, you can take time off to help a sick loved one, and your job is protected. According to the CNESST page on caregivers, you are entitled to the 10 days of leave for family obligations, 2 of which can be paid after 3 months of uninterrupted service if you haven't used them for another reason that year. A longer unpaid absence, up to 16 weeks over 12 months, is possible in the case of a serious illness or serious accident, and more in some cases. If your employer is federally regulated, other rules apply. On the money side, the Government of Quebec page points to Revenu Québec's refundable tax credit for caregivers and to Employment Insurance caregiving benefits, a federal program that also applies in Quebec. Amounts and conditions are on each agency's own pages, and our guide to taxes for newcomers explains how to file your returns.

Good to know for newcomers. According to the Institut, 18% of caregivers were born outside Canada. If you look after a parent who came to join you, a sick spouse or a child with a disability, you are probably a caregiver, even if the word means nothing to you. You don't have to do it all alone: one call to the Caregiver Support Helpline or to 811 is enough to find out which services you are entitled to in your region. Also keep the caregiver certificate in mind: the CNESST says a health or social services professional, such as a physician, a nurse or a social worker, can fill it out so your status is recognized by your employer.

Why now. On November 2, 2026, for radon awareness month, the Quebec government's Ministère de la Santé, de la Prévention et des Aînés reminded residents that it is worth measuring radon at home, in a news release on Québec.ca (in French). According to the ministry, the best time is from November to April. The reason is simple: the test takes several months and should be done while doors and windows stay closed most of the time.

A gas you can't notice. Radon is a natural radioactive gas that comes from the ground. It has no colour, smell or taste: without a device, you have no way of knowing whether it is in your home. It gets in mainly through the foundation, for example through cracks, sumps or crawl spaces, and it builds up in low, poorly ventilated rooms such as the basement. According to the Quebec government's page on residential radon, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and the leading cause in people who don't smoke. In Quebec, more than 1,000 deaths a year are associated with it.

How to test. You use a radon monitor, a small device that gives the concentration in becquerels per cubic metre of air (Bq/m³). Put it in the basement, about one metre from the floor, or on the first floor if nobody uses the basement. A passive monitor stays in place for at least three months, preferably in winter, then you send it to a lab to be read. It costs around $50, including the analysis, and can only be used once. An electronic monitor gives a result faster, but it is generally less accurate: the page recommends measuring for at least one month, and ideally three months in winter.

Where to get a monitor. The Quebec government's page names the Association pulmonaire du Québec, which sells passive monitors approved by Health Canada online, as well as some hardware stores. CAA-Québec Habitation also explains how to get one. Would you rather borrow? The Québec Cancer Foundation lends electronic detectors in seven regions of Quebec, and libraries in some municipalities lend them too.

If the result is high. The Canadian guideline sets 200 Bq/m³ as the concentration not to exceed in a home. Above that, you should fix the problem within one year. Most homes in Quebec stay well below it: the average in basements is around 37 Bq/m³. Several steps help: sealing cracks in the foundation, sealing openings in contact with the ground, covering sumps and venting them outside, and improving ventilation in the basement. If the concentration is very high, you need a contractor certified by the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program, followed by a new measurement to check the result. If you smoke, quitting is still the fastest way to lower your risk.

Good to know for newcomers. Don't rely on your neighbour's test: the concentration can vary a lot from one house to the next, and even between apartments in the same building. If you rent, a monitor borrowed from the library lets you measure your own unit. The official pages we consulted don't say what a tenant can require of a landlord if the result is high; for your rights in general, see our guide on tenant rights in Quebec. If you are buying a home, note that the page recommends measuring again after major work, such as new insulation; our guide explains how to buy a home in Quebec.

The news. Fangfang Chen, founder of VieauQc, is one of the finalists for the 2026 Solange-Chalvin award. She is nominated in the “Adult who has followed or is following a French-language learning path in Quebec” category, alongside Victor Ramon Fupuy Chiong, of Montreal, and Maria del Pilar Pérez Estrada, of Montérégie. The official list of finalists is in French.

What the award recognizes. The Solange-Chalvin award highlights teaching staff, adults who have learned or are learning French in Quebec, and the volunteers and partners who support them. It has four categories and five awards. It is organized by Quebec's immigration, francization and integration ministry (MIFI) and Culture pour tous.

Her path. Born in China, Fangfang Chen began learning French when she arrived in Quebec in 2023. In the fall of 2025, a few weeks after her son was born, she started a certificate in professional French communication at McGill University. She lives in Brossard and studies in Montreal; between the commute, short nights and family responsibilities, she never missed a class, according to her official profile.

What French changed. Today she can complete administrative procedures, speak with health professionals, go grocery shopping and chat with her neighbours in French. Using her web development skills, she also created a free website to help newcomers understand procedures, Quebec culture and the resources available to learn French: VieauQc.

The ceremony. The winners will be announced during Quebec's intercultural encounters week, which runs from November 2 to 8, 2026 (in French). The official week page says the event takes place in Montreal on Friday, November 6. In her announcement, the founder says the ceremony will be held at Centre PHI.

Why it matters. The award does not only reward a French level: it highlights how the language becomes a tool to study, work and build connections. For someone arriving in Quebec, francization is often the first step toward autonomy. Our guide to free French classes explains how to register for government courses.

Good to know for newcomers. Fangfang Chen's path shows that French can also be learned outside the classroom: at work, while raising a child, or by talking with neighbours. To practise this month, our article on Quebec's intercultural week lists activities across the province. And if you are looking for a way to meet people, our guide to volunteering in Quebec is a good place to start.