Gilles Duceppe's campaign team left some reporters and Bloc Québécois supporters a little hot under the collar — literally — during a short stop in Trois-Rivieres on Monday.

Using a typical campaign "trick", the Bloc's advance team ensured the space being used for Duceppe's appearance was just a little too small. To a television camera, the tightly packed room looks jammed with lots of Bloc enthusiasts. In reality, there were fewer than 50 people in the room, which the party had discreetly cut in half with a large, multicoloured BQ backdrop.

This left Bloc volunteers, local candidates, and reporters practically cheek to jowl before and during the speeches... not to mention sweltering as the increasingly "close" temperature in the room had several reporters dashing for the door to get a breath of fresh air after the event.

— Tim Duboyce