Statement of Support for Democratically Elected School Boards

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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