Response Monday to the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government decision to pull the plug on a long-planned expansion of Dawson College — an expansion Premier François Legault’s government had initially supported — was swift and angry. Marlene Jennings, president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), called it “simply appalling” and “yet another example of … Read more
QCGN President Marlene Jennings speaks with CTV’s Maya Johnson about the decision by the Quebec government to shelve an expansion project for Dawson College in favour of “prioritizing francophone students.” Watch here
Quebec is putting Dawson College’s expansion plans on hold, despite promising the CEGEP millions for additional classroom space in 2020. An internal memo sent Sunday by Diane Gauvin, Dawson’s director general, says the infrastructure project was quashed following a meeting with Higher Education Minister Danielle McCann. “The government has chosen to prioritize, in [McCann]’s words, ‘francophone’ students,’” Gauvin said. … Read more
Dawson College has “suffered a serious setback” in its expansion plans after a “hastily called” meeting with the province’s higher education minister last week, the Montreal-based institution said in an internal memo. Diane Gauvin, the director-general of the English-language CEGEP, wrote about the meeting in a letter issued Sunday. “The government has chosen to prioritize, … Read more
The Legault government confirms that it has asked Dawson College to “work on alternative options to its expansion project”, despite the millions promised to the CEGEP for additional classrooms. The president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), Marlene Jennings, is asking the Legault government to back down, arguing that the Dawson College expansion project is essential to … Read more
Today’s question on Radio Noon: Is Kent Hughes a Quebecer? Do you feel like one? QCGN President Marlene Jennings challenges Christopher Skeete, the Coalition Avenir Québec’s parliamentary secretary for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers, on whether or not he is defending anglophone Quebecers. Listen here
The Quebec government will not give a penny to expand Dawson College, Prime Minister François Legault said on Tuesday, judging that “it is better to expand the French-speaking colleges before increasing the capacity” of the 8,000 English-language college students. The president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), Marlene Jennings, was indignant at the “simply appalling” … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is utterly dismayed with the Quebec government’s decision to cancel funding for construction a new pavilion at Dawson College. The long-planned and long-delayed proposal to build a new facility to house Dawson College’s seven health-care training programs on the college’s campus was quashed on Friday when administrators received an unexpected … Read more
The English education community is hopping mad that the Coalition Avenir Québec government has named a new assistant deputy minister responsible for the anglophone system without consulting it. It’s the second time in two months the government has ruffled the feathers of the English-speaking community. Earlier in January, the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) denounced the government’s … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) explored Bill 96 from all angles at a webinar on the evening of Jan. 20. The wide-ranging, controversial legislation was first tabled in May 2021. Although it technically died on the order paper when Premier François Legault prorogued the National Assembly in October, the government has asserted its intention … Read more
As opposition and concern grows over Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec, the QCGN continues its series of webinars helping Quebecers understand the implications of language legislation. In this webinar, former senator and journalist André Pratte and independent journalist Christopher Curtis will review the Bill’s progress through the … Read more
In an open letter written by Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) to Premier Legault, QCGN states that the government definition of “English Eligible” is limiting and minority groups, under international norms, should define themselves. The current definition of English Eligible excludes between 300,000 and 500,000 English-speaking Quebecers, making the category far from inclusive and limiting … Read more