In the playoffs, any means is good for motivation.

We often see clubs counting the remaining victories to lift the Stanley Cup after a game, a tradition that has taken root in many NHL dressing rooms.

Such is the case in Colorado this year.

The Avalanche have decided to adopt the tradition, and they’re doing it in a big way.

Every time the team wins a game, a fleur-de-lis is installed on the arm of a jersey found in the locker room…

And it’s a nice touch, because the fleur-de-lis represents the Quebec Nordiques.

Clearly, the organization’s history has never been forgotten there:

It’s special… And it’s sure to please Nordiques fans.

Especially since there are a few Quebecers playing in the Avalanche’s burgundy uniform!

The players in Colorado want to go all-in this season, as you can see in the photo above.

That said, the guys look motivated because for the past three games, the Avalanche seem to be unstoppable on the ice.

The Avalanche’s big guns have woken up at the right time, and yesterday it was Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin who led the charge in the club’s 5-1 victory.

It’s also easy to root for the Denver team because you know its history… And it would be cool, at the end of the playoffs, to see 16 fleurs-de-lis on the sweater used by the Avalanche.

It would be different, anyway.

In a gust

– With the dismissal of Dave Hakstol, Martin St-Louis is the 7th longest-serving coach with his club.

–

– Voilà!

– It’s got to be special.

– Whew. It’s going to be tough…

– It’s part of the game.

– Let’s see!

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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The head of Santé Québec will be Geneviève Biron, who led private provider Biron Health Group from 2014 to 2021, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced Monday afternoon.

Biron’s announcement as president marks the official launch of Santé Québec, which was established following the adoption of Bill 15 by the National Assembly in December to overhaul the health network. The agency will be responsible for co-ordinating network operations.

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Dubé also announced Monday that Frédéric Abergel, head of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, will serve as executive vice-president of operations and transformation for the agency.

“A complementary duo with an external person but also an internal person,” Dubé said at an afternoon news conference in reference to both appointments.

Biron is the founder and current president of Propulia Capital, an “international investment platform,” according to its website. She has also been a member of Hydro-Québec’s board of directors since 2021.

“She’s a Quebec entrepreneur whose family founded one of our most beautiful Quebec jewels, who decided to throw herself into this big challenge with the main motivation of improving access to health and social services for the population,” Dubé said.

The government announced Biron will take measures to avoid potential conflicts of interest related to her professional activities and those of her family members.

“Biron will distance herself from decisions about her investments that could affect the health sector in Quebec,” the government statement read. “Furthermore, she will put in place an ethical screen, commonly called a Chinese wall, between herself and the members of her family. This screen provides that no exchange is possible regarding any file related to the field of health in which her family or her husband could be involved on a professional level and that could have a link with Santé Québec or the institutions or organizations that Santé Québec manages.”

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The Santé Québec board will ensure the law is respected, the statement said.

Responding to questions from journalists alongside Dubé and Abergel, Biron said she has no qualms about coming into the new position from the private sector, particularly because she said she dedicated her career to providing excellent customer service.

Biron thanked the government for its confidence, calling her appointment a privilege.

“Our health system is facing numerous challenges,” Biron said, “including problems with access, long wait times, staff shortages (and) the aging of the population. I recognize that a lot of things have already been done over the past few years; there have been actions we can be proud of, and on which we can build.”

Biron said her main focus will be improving access to services, adding that Santé Québec will make the health-care system “more human and more performant.”

“I arrive here today with a different view of our health system. I want to contribute to an innovative approach and a vision,” she said. “I think we’re all aware things have to change.”

Asked about specific objectives, Biron said she and Abergel will visit establishments over the next few weeks and months to meet with staff on the ground to identify main issues, then announce clear objectives. The pair will also build the rest of the Santé Québec team.

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Abergel agreed that the main goal will be improving access to health care, which he said involves three things: better co-ordination within the network, better world practices and innovation.

“My role will be to see how we can work better together to better serve Quebecers,” he said. “It’s by working together that we’ll be able to succeed together.”

Dubé described Abergel as an experienced manager familiar with the issues across the health and social services network.

“He will be dedicated to a better management of operations and to accelerate … the digital transformation,” Dubé said.

Biron will receive a base annual salary of $567,000 that will be bumped by 15 per cent (up to $652,050) for the first two years of her mandate. She will also enjoy a $610 monthly car allowance “in lieu of any reimbursement of any travel expenses incurred within a 16 km radius from (her) usual place of work.”

The new CEO will be entitled to a monthly allowance of $1,573 if “the distance between (their) place of work and their home requires they incur housing costs.”

The new agency chief will also be allowed to claim expenses of up to $4,830 a year and will enjoy six weeks of vacation.

News of the salary in January drew the ire of unions, who described it as excessive.

On Monday, Quebec opposition parties, union leaders and health-care groups expressed renewed concern over the creation of Santé Québec as well as Dubé’s decision to appoint someone from the private health sector to oversee it.

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Montreal, Canada / Zurich, Switzerland, April 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hitachi Energy today announced an ambitious upgrade and modernization of its power transformer factory in Varennes, and other facilities in Montreal, to address fast-growing customer demand for sustainable energy in North America. More than $100 million (approx. $140 million CAD) in projects around Montreal will include funding from the Government of Quebec through Investissement Quebec.

This investment is in line with Hitachi Energy’s recent announcement to ramp up its global transformer manufacturing capacity to support the long-term plans and electrification efforts.

The Varennes facility is Hitachi Energy’s premier manufacturing location for large power transformers in North America, supporting national and regional power grids, and serving utility-scale renewable energy projects. The establishment of a new on-site transformer testing facility in Varennes is a critical element of the company’s efforts to meet growing demand in the province for sustainable energy solutions.

The additional 130,000 square foot (approx. 12,000 square meter) facility will support the certification of power transformers manufactured in Varennes, serving as an essential part of the final acceptance process for customers. The testing facility is expected to be completed before the end of 2027. This initiative aligns with Quebec's broader strategy to meet its ambitious energy goals, including the need for more than 150 terawatt-hours (TWh) of additional energy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 - around twice what Quebec consumes today.

“Globally, demand for transformers and electrical equipment continues to grow at an unprecedented scale. At Hitachi Energy we are continuously developing our global footprint and capacity to address our customers’ mid- and long-term needs. In addition to our global investments, the support of the Quebec Government will help to address North America’s rising demand for transformers to support fast-growing sectors like renewable energy, data centers, and industrial electrification, as Quebec strengthens its role as a key player in the energy transition,” said Bruno Melles, Business Unit Transformers, Managing Director at Hitachi Energy.

The Varennes factory designs and engineers a vast range of superior-quality transformers, including large power step-up transformers, auto-transformers with very high voltage, shunt reactors, and transformers for static compensators and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems. The location’s manufacturing capacity ranges from 100 to 1,200 megavolt-ampere (MVA) and their operating voltage reaches as high as 800-kilovolt (kV), which is among the highest in the world.

Transformers play a key role across the power value chain, enabling efficient transmission and distribution of electricity. They are a key component for applications such as integrating renewables, grid interconnections, powering data centers and electrifying transportation, facilitating the decarbonization of energy systems.

The company’s manufacturing facility in Varennes has been in operation since 1971 and is one of the leading manufacturing locations of power grid equipment in the greater Montreal area. The facility covers over 300,000 square feet (almost 30,000 square meters) and employs around 330 people.

Hitachi Energy Canada employs more than 550 engineers and highly skilled manufacturing employees at its three facilities located in Varennes, Montreal, and Quebec City, and has more than 1,000 employees across Canada.

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About Hitachi Energy Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible, and secure whilst balancing social, environmental, and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. We integrate more than 150 GW of HVDC links into the power system, helping our customers enable more wind and solar. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ more than 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD. https://www.hitachienergy.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.