Quebec Bars Fight Back Against Extortion Wave

0:00It's April 20, Canada news today starts now, AI-powered and ready. Quebec's bar owners are sounding the alarm on a nasty wave of extortion that slamming their spots for months now. The group representing bars, breweries, and taverns, known as CPBBQ, is pushing the government hard. They want a planned cut to video lottery commissions delayed, plus a new committee linking owners with cops to fight back. They kicked off in Montreal, then hit the south shore, long eel, levol, and the north shore, and now it's everywhere. Criminals are firing shots at buildings, tossing Molotov cocktails, and shaking down owners for protection cash. According to the group's president, Renaud Poulen, this mess is only ramping up, not cooling off. Owners are scared silent, so exact victim counts stay fuzzy, but the hits are real. Many are shelling out big for extra security, and some bars are straight up shuddering doors to stay safe. The industry feels the squeeze across the board.

1:02Poulen points to the early 2000s, when a setup called the Nocturne Project, let bar folks team up safely with police and shut down a similar extortion surge. That worked back then, and they want it revived now. Delaying that lottery cut could free up thousands of dollars per spot to fund defenses, buying time while the committee rebuilds trust, and cracks the case wide open. Quebec's nightlife hangs in the balance.