Anglos head into meeting with Weil in fighting form
‘Not seen as legitimate’ tops list of grievances from community groups
QUEBEC With English-speaking Quebecers bluntly saying they feel like a “square peg in a round hole,” a cabinet minister says a plan to deal with the community ’s frustration and angst will go beyond symbolism and offer concrete ideas to ensure its vitality.
On the eve of a Montreal forum gathering minority groups from across the province, Kathleen Weil said she is anxious to complete what has been a “passionate and productive” discussion about the future of the English-speaking community kicked off two months ago.
And it turns out when someone says they are listening as Weil did when she became minister responsible for the community, English speakers — from Montreal or scattered in pockets from the Gaspé to Val d’Or — have plenty to say.
According to a summary of feedback from the online consultation process and various town halls Weil and her staff have participated in, members of the Englishspeaking community are feeling hurt, neglected and think they are “at best an afterthought” in the eyes of the government.
“Not seen as legitimate by the government of Quebec,” the document obtained by the Montreal Gazette says off the top, relating one commonly expressed view. “Not visible, below the surface,” reads another conclusion.
“In policy terms, English speakers feel like the proverbial square peg in a round hole,” the document says. “While structures for government-community engagement exist in important areas such as education and health and social services, there are areas of frustration.”
The list of grievances — based on 16 hours of online consultations and feedback from 65 community groups and institutions — is extensive, including:
“The understanding about English ■ speakers hasn’t kept up with the times ... the notion of a wealthy, privileged minority is no longer applicable.”
Policies and programs are ■ devised with the majority in mind or with an urban understanding of the world, while many English speakers are scattered and isolated in rural areas and eastern Quebec with little chance of gaining access.
Despite years of promises, the ■ number of English-speaking Quebecers in the Quebec public service has not changed in five years. It stands at about one per cent. There are even fewer allophones.
The community is concerned ■ about youth retention and brain drain, certainly in Montreal, but also in the Out aouai sand A bi ti biTém is ca min que regions where Ontario remains a powerful magnet on the doorstep.
French second-language training ■ programs are “urgently required” for the unemployed and underemployed youths and adults and even community groups themselves as they try to find their way through the maze of government bureaucracy.
The same beefs exist on gaining ■ access to education courses in technical and vocational training. Many English-speaking youths are marginalized.
Overall, English speakers sometimes ■ can’t take advantage of government programs because strict norms require a minimum number of participants, but in some areas communities don’t form a critical mass.
There have been delays in the ■ adoption of health and social service access plans as well as the nominations of people to manage them. There were complaints the government was slow to name an assistant deputy minister for the English sector. One, William Floch, was named in November.
There is no structured, sustainable ■ dialogue between community networks and government bodies and institutions.
Better support is needed for ■
English-speaking Quebecers living in poverty.
To veterans of government minority relations in Quebec, the list will sound familiar.
Such complaints have been floating around for many years.
But at a news conference Thursday on another issue, Weil argued that getting the message from front-line actors has been useful for her and the new Englishspeaking secretariat gradually taking shape in the government machine.
She said that after the forum, being held at Concordia University Friday, the government will proceed rapidly with drafting an action plan that will include measures stretching over a number of years. The plan is to be presented before the spring recess of the National Assembly in June.
“We’re not talking symbolism,” Weil said. “We’re talking real actions that will ensure the vitality of the communities. And I say communities because they are really all over Quebec.”
Her message reflects Premier Philippe Couillard’s own recent attempts to reach out to minorities, starting with a series of interviews with English media and leading to the creation of the secretariat and appointment of Weil.
Some observers have linked his outreach to recent efforts by the opposition Coalition Avenir Québec to woo English-speaking Quebecers as the clock ticks toward the Oct. 1 general election.
Couillard will not be attending the forum, but has recorded a video message for participants.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for one of the largest Englishspeaking organizations, the Quebec Community Groups Network, welcomed news of the forum and the promises, but said successive government have failed to really act.
“We are counting on minister Weil to come up with an action plan that will make a real difference for English-speaking Quebecers — and one that will last beyond the next election, no matter the result,” said QCGN communications director Rita Legault.