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If you got funding from one of Canada's COVID-19 benefits, including CERB, and later found out you were ineligible, you may have to pay back the government. But how?

We asked Josée Cabral, a Quebec-based tax expert at H&R Block, to explain everything you need to know about repaying CERB.

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A new poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) shared with MTL Blog shows that while people are generally more optimistic about the state of the pandemic in Quebec, there's a divide in attitudes between francophones and non-francophones.

The poll, which included input from 1,532 Canadians between February 25 and 27, captured a "spike in optimism in Eastern Canada and especially in Quebec," according to ACS President Jack Jedwab.

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Chloé Pronovost-Morgan, a medical student at Montreal's McGill University, thinks the government should do more to tackle period poverty in Canada — so, for now, she's doing it herself by giving free period products to those in need. 

She co-founded Monthly Dignity, a non-profit organization that distributes pads, tampons and menstrual cups to the city's homeless population, as well as to students.

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As we prepare to enter a new lockdown period in Quebec that will see non-essential businesses close from December 25 to January 11 (inclusive), we also prepare for a Christmas like no other. 

This means that in addition to the usual Christmas closures — which can be hard enough to keep track of — there are additional shutdowns due to COVID-19.  

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In a press conference on December 15, Premier François Legault introduced even tighter restrictions in Quebec to slow the spread of COVID-19 around the holidays. 

Most of the new measures will be in place from December 17 to January 11 — a period Legault referred to as a "holiday pause." 

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With a high number of COVID-19 cases and some Quebec hospitals reaching their limits, Premier François Legault announced that new measures will take effect from December 17 to January 11 — a period he called a "holiday pause."

While this means mandatory work-from-home and the closure of non-essential businesses, he also announced some positive news for people living alone in the province. 

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If you've been keeping up with feminine hygiene news, you'll know Scotland recently became the first country to make period products free to anyone who needs them.

In April 2019, British Columbia became the first province in Canada to require its schools to offer free tampons and pads to students. 

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December is generally a month spent with loved ones, wrapping up the past year while setting intentions for the new one. But with holiday gatherings cancelled in Quebec red zones, it's bound to be different this time around.

Since 2020 was a rollercoaster shitshow — complete with a global pandemic, devastating wildfires, mass protests and murder hornets — it's safe to assume the world is ready to throw this year into the trash where it belongs.

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Earlier this week, the provincial government announced its holiday plan, outlining exactly if and how Quebecers can celebrate this year given that, you know, we're in the middle of a pandemic. 

The plan covers schools, workplaces and private gatherings and details specific days allotted by the government when Quebecers are permitted to gather with loved ones.

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The fact is, it's going to be -40 C in Montreal soon no matter how much you cry about it. And arguably, one of the worst parts of winter is getting smacked with a huge Hydro-Québec bill just because you wanted to stay warm in your own house. 

If you've ever wondered how you can save money on your Hydro bill this winter, MTL Blog has got you covered because we spoke to the experts. 

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If you haven't gotten into astrology yet, now's the time.

With Montreal in an extended COVID-19 lockdown for the next two weeks, as novel coronavirus cases continue to climb in Quebec, we could use a little guidance — courtesy of the planets and stars — to tell us what the rest of November will bring.

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