Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama is taking her talent to new frontiers—literally. The actress has just announced her exciting role in the popular American science fiction series, “Star Trek: Discovery.” And if you’re a fan of Somkele’s performances, be sure to catch her in the series.
Somkele will be portraying The Progenitor in this groundbreaking series, marking a huge milestone in her career Taking to Instagram to share the news, she wrote,
“Guess who and guess where…it’s yours truly on the set of @startrekonpplus as ‘The Progenitor.’” She also shared an interesting fact about her journey: “I auditioned for this show for a good minute. I finally got a cool role, but then I contracted COVID-19 and had to pull out. However, I received another audition for The Progenitor, which ended up being the crowning moment of the episode, season, and show finale.”
This casting is an incredible win for Somkele, who continues to rise in the industry, building on her previous success in the award-winning film “93 Days,” where she portrayed a doctor fighting to control the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria. Her performance earned her well-deserved accolades, including the AMVCA Trailblazer Award.
Fans of Somkele will also remember her as the witty Yemisi Disu in the blockbuster hits “The Wedding Party” (2016) and its 2017 sequel. With each role, Somkele proves she’s not only versatile but also unstoppable.
See some behind the scenes photos of Somkele on the set of “Star Trek: Discovery”
With autumn in full swing, it’s the perfect time to refresh your home and embrace the season’s cozy charm. Picture golden leaves outside your windows,…
Joe Biden has had a rough go of things. He leaves the presidency with the worst end-of-first-term approval rating of any president since Jimmy Carter; 55.8 percent of Americans disapprove of his job performance and only 37.1 percent approve, as of Friday. Biden’s legacy will take years to sort out, and I certainly think he […]
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/quebec-flag-fluttering-in-the-wind-in-front-of-a-blue-glass-building.jpg?id=61195362&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=132%2C0%2C132%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>If you live in Quebec and work full-time or part-time, you're probably already familiar with the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-stat-holidays-2025-calendar" target="_blank">usual statutory holidays</a> — New Year's Day, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Christmas and so on. But the province's labour laws actually go further than just the basic statutory calendar.</p><p>Thanks to Quebec's <a href="http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/n-1.1" target="_blank">Act respecting labour standards</a>, enforced by the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (<a href="https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en" target="_blank">CNESST</a>), employees have the legal right to take time off for a wide range of life events, including family emergencies, caregiving, a miscarriage, even getting married or attending a sibling's wedding. Some of these days are paid, others aren't — but either way, your job is protected.</p><p>Many workers don't realize these protections exist, or assume they need to use up vacation days when life happens. In reality, these kinds of absences are already built into Quebec's labour code. The only requirement is that you inform your employer as soon as possible and provide documentation if requested (like a hospital note or wedding invite).</p><p>With that in mind, here are seven lesser-known personal leaves that Quebec workers can legally take — according to Quebec’s official labour standards and the Act Respecting Labour Standards.</p><h3>Getting married or attending a family wedding</h3><br/><p>If you get married or enter a civil union, you're entitled to one paid day off. If you're attending your child's, sibling's, or parent’s wedding or civil union, you can take one unpaid day off.</p><p>In any case, you must inform your employer at least one week in advance, and the day of absence cannot be postponed to a date after the marriage or civil union.</p><h3>Birth or adoption</h3><br/><p>You're entitled to five days off when your child is born or adopted. The first two days are paid, and the leave must be used within 15 days of the event. This applies to both <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-family-allowance-july-2025" target="_blank">biological and adoptive parents</a>.</p><p>However, if a parent is already on maternity or paternity leave, they are not entitled to these five days.</p><h3>Family or caregiver leave</h3><br/><p>Every Quebec worker is entitled to 10 days per year to care for a family member or someone they support. You can take these in full or half days. The first two days must be paid if you've been with your employer for three months or more.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/fr/definition/parent-0" target="_blank">CNESST</a>, these must be related to the care, health or education of one's child, the child of one's spouse, or the health of a parent or a person for whom one acts as a caregiver.</p><h3>Miscarriage or abortion</h3><br/><p>If it occurs before the 20th week of a pregnancy, you can take up to three weeks unpaid with proper documentation. After 20 weeks, you're eligible for up to 20 weeks of unpaid parental leave. If your partner was pregnant, you can also take five days off, two of which are paid.</p><h3>Death of a loved one</h3><br/><p>If your spouse, child, sibling, or parent passes away, you're allowed five days off, two of which must be paid. For other close relatives like grandparents, the law grants one unpaid day.</p><h3>Suicide of a close family member</h3><br/><p>You can take up to 104 weeks of unpaid leave if your spouse, child, or parent dies by suicide. This protection ensures job security during a long recovery period.</p><h3>Jury duty or being called to testify in court</h3><br/><p>If you're summoned to serve as a juror or to testify as a witness, your employer legally has to let you go — it's considered a civic duty in Quebec. While they're not required to pay you for the time you're away (unless it's written into a collective agreement), your job is protected and they can't fire or discipline you for missing work.</p><p>You may also be eligible for compensation from the government to help cover things like meals, lodging, or childcare while you're in court. </p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
