We the undersigned, believe in the importance of democratically elected school boards in Quebec. Their abolition would be an erosion of local democracy and of local decision-making.
As one of Canada’s official minority-language communities, we understand the critical role our schools play in the vitality of English-speaking communities across Quebec. English schools are at the very foundation of our community’s vitality, transmitting our language, culture, and values to future generations. Particularly in smaller communities, our schools and centers are a cornerstone of the community that act as a hub for a wide range of activities that go far beyond reading, writing and arithmetic. Input from our community through elected school boards is essential to ensure our schools maintain their indispensable role as mainstays that breathe life into our communities.
As an official minority-language community in Canada, we English-speaking Quebecers have the Constitutional right to control and manage our educational institutions. We are particularly concerned about any attempt to weaken this right by abolishing our school boards and school board elections.
We call upon the Government of Québec to maintain school boards governed by commissioners who are democratically elected by the population at large.
Déclaration à l’appui des commissions scolaires démocratiquement élues
Nous soussignés sommes convaincus de l’importance des commissions scolaires démocratiquement élues au Québec. Leur abolition entraînerait une érosion de la démocratie et de la prise de décision à l’échelle locale.
En tant que l’une des communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire du Canada, nous comprenons le rôle essentiel que jouent nos écoles dans la vitalité des communautés d’expression anglaise du Québec. Véritable fondement de la vitalité communautaire, les écoles anglophones transmettent notre langue, notre culture et nos valeurs aux générations futures. Tout particulièrement dans les petites collectivités, nos écoles et nos centres constituent des piliers au cœur de nombreuses activités qui dépassent largement l’apprentissage de la lecture, de l’écriture et de l’arithmétique. L’apport de notre communauté par le biais des commissions scolaires élues est essentiel pour que nos écoles préservent leur rôle indispensable de pierre angulaire qui redonne vie à nos communautés.
En tant que communauté de langue officielle en situation minoritaire du Canada, nous, Québécois d’expression anglaise, avons le droit constitutionnel de contrôler et de gérer nos propres établissements d’enseignement. Nous sommes particulièrement inquiets de toute tentative qui aurait pour effet d’affaiblir ce droit en abolissant nos commissions scolaires et leurs élections.
Nous en appelons au gouvernement du Québec pour qu’il maintienne l’existence des commissions scolaires gouvernées par des commissaires démocratiquement élus par toute la population.
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO A HIGH DEMAND OF REQUESTS TO SIGN THIS STATEMENT WE WILL BE UPDATING TWICE WEEKLY.
Leslie Acs, President, CEDEC
Alix Adrien, Quebec Board of Black Educators
Arthur Ayers, President, Regional Association of West Quebecers
John Aylen, President, Atwater Library and Computer Centre
Clarence Bayne, President Black Community Resource Centre & Black Community Forum of Montreal
Chad Bean, Board, Quebec Community Groups Network
Mary Ellen Beaulieu, Board, Quebec Community Groups Network
Lynden Bechervaise. Community Activist, Goldbloom Award Winner
Tyrone Benskin, Former MP
David Berger, Former MP
Lawrence Bergman, Former MNA D’Arcy-McGee
Michael N. Bergmam, Lawyer
David Birnbaum, MNA for D’Arcy McGee
Casper Bloom, Lawyer
Elsa Bolam, winner Goldbloom Award Winner
Rhonda Boucher, President, English Parents’ Committee Association
Richard Bourhis, Emeritus Professor, Department of Psychology, UQAM
Stella Briand Kennedy, President, CASA
John Buck, Executive Director, CEDEC
Claudio Bussandri, Businessman and philanthropist
Gail Campbell, Community Activist
Hayley Campbell, winner Young Quebecers Leading the Way
Nicole Carignan, Associate Professor, UQAM
Baljit Chadha, Businessman
Geoffrey Chambers, President, Quebec Community Groups Network
Stephen Cummings, Community Activist
Gerald Cutting, President, Townshippers’ Association
Alan DeSousa, Mayor, Borough of Saint-Laurent
Susan Doherty, Author
Michael Farkas, President of Black History Month Round Table
Joan Fraser, Former Senator, Vice-Chair of APPELE-Québec
Laurie French, President, Canadian School Board Association
Anna Gainey, Community Activist
Linton Garner, President, Quebec Federation of Home & School Association
Marc Gold, Senator
Sheila Goldbloom, Community Activist
Jonathan Goldbloom, Community Activist
Anthony Housefather, Member of Parliament
James Hughes, Community Activist
Joan Ivory, Goldbloom Award Winner
Hon. Marlene Jennings, Former MP
Geoffrey Kelley, Former MNA, Chair of Appelle-Québec
Gregory Kelley, MNA for Jacques Cartier
Maureen Kiely, Board Member, Quebec Community Groups Network
Jason W. Kwasnik , Businessman
Phyllis Lambert, Community Activist
Dan Lamoureux, President, Quebec English School Board Association
Clifford Lincoln, Former MP
Eva Ludvig. Board Member, Quebec Community Groups Network
Jennifer Maccarone, MNA Westmount St-Louis
Eric Maldoff, Board Member, Quebec Community Groups Network
Karin Marks, Former Mayor of Westmount
Judy Martin, Goldbloom Award Winner
Olga Melikoff, Community activist, Mother of French Immersion
Elise Moser, Board Member, Quebec Community Groups Network
Andy Nulman, Entrepreneur
Royal Orr, Community Activist
Murielle Parkes, Community activist, Mother of French Immersion
Alex K. Paterson, Lawyer
Louise Penny, Author
Scott Phelan, Community Activist
Dan Philip, Black Coalition of Quebec
Sylvia Piggott, Black Academic Scholarship Fund
Tim Price, Businessman
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, Executive Director, Canadian School Boards Association
Alexander Reford, President, Heritage Lower St. Lawrence
Marwah Rizqy, MNA for Saint-Laurent, Liberal Education critic
Judith Seidman, Senator
Kevin Shaar, Lawyer, Vice-Chair of APPELE-Québec
Christina Smith, Mayor, City of Westmount
Lorna Jean Smith Neveu, President, ECOL
Nicolas Steinmetz, M.D.
Sharleen Sullivan, Board Member, Quebec Community Groups Network
Ron Swan, Executive Director at Centre Famille (FRC)
Irene Tschernomor, CEO, Queen Elizabeth Health Complex
Michael Udy, President, Seniors Action Quebec
Iris Unger, Community Activist, Youth Employment Services
Anne Usher, Community Activist
Father John Walsh, Community Activist, Goldbloom Award Winner
Kathleen Weil, MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Russell Williams, Former MNA for Nelligan
Judy Wong, President, Catholic Action Montreal
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