MRC Beauharnois-Salaberry

Government anti-bullying activities will take over area classes for a week

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Quebec government is working to address the problem of bullying in schools. Education Minister Bernard Drainville has announced the first week of a plan to prevent violence and intimidation in schools will take place from March 17 to 21, in schools throughout the province.

As part of the Plan de Prévention de la Violence et de l’Intimidation à l’École (Plan to Prevent Violence and Intimidation in Schools), the week will include a series of activities aimed at students, staff, and parents. The theme for the week will focus on “Strengthening Respect and Good Citizenship in our Schools.”

“In all classes in Quebec, pupils will simultaneously put down their pencils and start a discussion with their teachers on how to prevent episodes of violence and intimidation that they have experienced (or are still experiencing) and to reinforce good citizenship and respect at school,” said Drainville, in a statement issued by the Ministère de l’Education.

The week will start with a province-wide moment of reflection and guided discussion following the broadcast of a video featuring Drainville, who will address students and staff in elementary cycle two and three classrooms as well as all secondary classes. Preschoolers and elementary cycle one students will also be expected to take part in the discussion, using a simplified activity adapted to their level.

Adult general education centres, vocational centres, and private educational institutions are also invited to participate in the initiative.

The government is providing a variety of activities for the remainder of the week as well, including classroom workshops, educational podcasts, and information sessions tailored to students in all grade levels, as well as parents and school staff.

“We have been assured that as many materials as possible will be available in English,” confirms the New Frontiers School Board’s assistant director general, Joyce Donohue. She says the NFSB reminded the education ministry that pedagogical materials needed to be provided in English for students and for parents as well.

Donohue says the board is expecting to receive the necessary information for the various activities at some point this week.

The Quebec government has also introduced a model plan for combatting violence and intimidation in schools. Use of the plan is expected to be mandatory in all schools for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

“School is there for our children,” says Drainville, who notes that as a father and as minister of education, he is deeply concerned about the violence and intimidation suffered by Quebec students.

“Respect and good citizenship should not only be taught; they should also be experienced on a daily basis. This responsibility begins at home with the parents and continues at school,” he says, noting all those in the school community are invited to participate in this national week to root out bullying.

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DeBellefeuille sets her sights on a fifth term

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

With all signs pointing toward an election being called once parliament returns from prorogation in late March, the parties are already gearing up for a spring vote.

Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille has already thrown her hat into the ring, announcing on January 7 that she will seek a fifth term representing the region as a member of the Bloc Québécois in Ottawa.

DeBellefeuille’s first term in office stretched from 2006 to 2011. She ran in both the 2011 and 2015 elections, before regaining her seat in the House of Commons from 2019 to the present.

During this last year, DeBellefeuille said she continued to bring people together to find solutions to challenging issues. She specifically mentioned convening the Comité d’Action de Suivi pour la Voie Maritime, which she initiated in 2019, to mitigate the planned closure of the Larocque Bridge at the start of last year.

DeBellefeuille also highlighted efforts to bring the RCMP and border municipalities together over border control issues. The deputy was instrumental in the creation of a single telephone number that citizens could call to reach the RCMP, the circulation of an informative leaflet to border residents, and new aluminium panels to be installed with the phone number to reach the RCMP.

She also noted the Bloc Québécois’ support for seniors, and the party’s hard push to withdraw supply-managed products from trade negotiations with Bill C-282, which passed all stages in the House of Commons before stalling in the Senate.

Salaberry-Suroit MP Claude DeBellefeuille has announced she will run again in the next federal election, which is expected to be called sometime this spring. (PHOTO Facebook MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent)

DeBellefeuille said she is determined to continue this work in her riding. “I’m extremely happy in my role as MP; it’s a position that fills me with happiness,” she stated, noting it is an honour to serve the citizens of Salaberry-Suroît.

“My work in Ottawa isn’t over yet, and I’m determined to keep on making things happen,” she added.

Regarding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation on January 6, DeBellefeuille acknowledged his commitment to the public, before adding she believes he made the right decision to step down.

“Regardless of the leader, regardless of the circumstances, there must be an election in the spring of 2025!” she exclaimed.

Once called, this election will mark DeBellefeuille’s seventh campaign. If re-elected, she will take office for her third consecutive, and fifth term in 18 years.

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New Frontiers to reinstate francization courses

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) is among the school service centres and school boards to receive additional funding to restart francization courses that were shuttered in November after government funds ran dry.

The Quebec government announced in early December that $10 million would be allocated to school service centres and boards across the province based on the needs in different regions.

According to Louisa Benvenuti, the manager of administrative and communication services with the NFSB, the board has been given an allotment for 13 full-time equivalent student places for French-language courses expected to run between January and March. This will allow the NFSB to register approximately 50 part-time students at the NOVA Career Centre in Chateauguay.

Benvenuti says there is a possibility the NFSB will be able to offer another round of courses accommodating around the same number of students from April to June.

The students will be referred to the NFSB by Francisation Quebec, a government-mandated agency established through the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation, et de l’Integration to oversee French language courses offered for free to newcomers to the province.

Francisation Quebec will prioritize students who are currently on waiting lists; however, Benvenuti suggests that past students attending courses through the NFSB may not be referred back to the board.

The Centre de Services Scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands was not included on the list of service centres and school boards to receive additional government funding to restart courses. As a result, the suspended francization courses being run through the Centre de Formation Générale des Adultes des Tisserands will remain closed for now.

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Striking postal workers demonstrate in Valleyfield

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The 85 members of Valleyfield local 460 of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been waving flags and handmade signs during daily demonstrations outside the Canada Post depot on Victoria Street in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.

The local represents Valley postal workers from Hemmingford to Dundee as well as the city of Valleyfield. Its members, along with the 55,000 other postal workers across Canada, walked off the job as part of a nationwide general strike on November 15.

Negotiations with a government-imposed mediator have been taking place since November 19 with both the urban and the rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMC) bargaining units. The CUPW has rejected a proposed 11.5 per cent wage increase over four years, asking instead for 22 per cent over the same period.

Talks between the RSMC union representative and management have focused on issues such as pay stability, validation, hourly rates, and maintaining hours. The urban units have focused on issues such as salary, minimum hours for part-time workers, and weekend delivery demands aimed at competing with “gig-economy” platforms that deliver parcels as cheaply as possible. The union is concerned this could impact full-time carrier routes on weekdays.

Postal workers with Local 460 in Valleyfield have been demonstrating in front of the Canada Post depot on Victoria Street in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield since the general strike was called on November 15. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)

According to daily negotiations updates posted by the CUPW there has been some progress, with sides exchanging proposals; however, a lot of ground remains.

The federal government ended past work stoppages in 2011 and 2018 by legislating postal workers back to their routes. Jonathan Theoret, the president of Local 460, said he hopes the government will let the employees fight this one out. “We had a 98.5 [per cent] strike vote. That’s really strong,” he said, noting this is the first general strike since 2011.

“We have had special legislation every four years for 20 years,” he explained, noting that the workers signed a contract extension without negotiation two years ago during the pandemic. “Now is the time to ask for what we want,” he continued, noting that salary-wise, employees want to return to the same purchasing power they had in 2020.

Theoret said that so far, support from the public seems strong. “I understand that the market has changed in the past six years. I think the public likes Canada Post, and it is here to stay. It is a service we offer to everyone, even in the North,” he commented. “I understand there are financial challenges, but we all have to face this together,” he added, suggesting Canada Post needs to change as well.

No pickup or delivery

The work stoppage has shut down Canada Post operations entirely. The Crown corporation has said that mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered during the strike, and some post offices will be closed. No mail will be accepted, and service guarantees for items already in the network will be affected.

According to Canada Post, items will be delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume on a first-in, first-out basis, though it cautions that processing and delivery may take some time to return to normal.

The uncertainty around Canada Post’s ability to deliver the sizeable backlog of mail in a timely matter once the strike ends has some consumers holding off on purchases. Christina Fasoula, the owner of the Tricot Laines Studio yarn store and gift shop in Huntingdon, relies on Canada Post to receive and ship her products and has already lost sales due to the strike.

“It is not like we are in Montreal where there are other options. There are multiple companies that you can use to ship without Canada Post, but they are in larger towns. For us, it is not an option,” she explained, noting those options can also be expensive.

Fasoula says that while the strike is causing some complications for small businesses, she is hopeful that locals will consider doing their holiday shopping closer to home, where they can skip the stress of waiting for delivery.

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More families turn to food banks in 2024

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Following the release of the annual Bilan Faim report by the Banques Alimentaires du Québec on October 28, the Moisson Sud-Ouest food bank says it continues to see a considerable increase in demand for food aid.

In the last three years, the number of requests for food aid in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, Beauharnois-Salaberry, Vaudreuil-Soulanges, and Roussillon regions has grown by 30,206.

The statistics suggest the number of individuals and families in need is similarly growing across the country. Food Banks Canada says that a six-per cent increase in visits to food banks was registered nationally compared with last year – representing a 90-per cent increase since 2019. Organizations partnering with the network of food banks across Quebec are now responding to 2.9 million food aid requests per month – an increase of 13 per cent over last year’s numbers.

Over 35 per cent of those benefiting from food aid through one of the 80 food pantries and organizations served by Moisson Sud-Ouest are children. In addition to the food aid being distributed to homes with children, over 35,000 snacks are distributed each month. The organization reports that over 1,000 food baskets per month are distributed to employed individuals, and over 10 per cent of those relying on food baskets own their home.

In a press release, Moisson Sud-Ouest points out that the $30 million granted by the government in the last budget allowed the network of food banks to purchase more food to meet the demand. It notes that while the government’s recently released action plan to fight poverty and social exclusion is a step in the right direction, even stronger public policy is needed to fight poverty and hunger before the most vulnerable in society will see any concrete impacts.

“For the first time, the issue of food security has been recognized in the government’s action plan to combat poverty. However, we need to do more to reduce the enormous pressure exerted by the growing need for food aid,” says Yan Ouellette, the director of communications and philanthropy at Moisson Sud-Ouest. He suggests the government must act now to help those facing food insecurity by attacking the root causes of poverty. “We have recognized the state of emergency; now we must act to help the most vulnerable and reverse the trend we are facing,” he notes.

According to the Bilan Faim, 72 per cent of the organizations served by Quebec food banks faced shortages, and 54 per cent were forced to purchase food to meet the demand.

“Our organization is doing all it can to meet the demand, notably by setting up initiatives in collaboration with several partners in the region to increase the volume of foodstuffs we distribute, or by holding recurring fund-raising campaigns, but that’s not enough,” says Moisson Sud-Ouest director Stéphane Spisak. “We will continue to do all we can to support those in need, but alone, we cannot solve the problem at the source.”

The annual Guignolée des medias du Suroît fundraiser for Moisson Sud-Ouest will run from November 22 to December 31.

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Farmers and politicians rally over stalled supply management bill

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Over 200 representatives from the agricultural and agrifood industry demonstrated on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on October 10, to demand that the senate immediately adopt Bill C-282 which protects supply management.

Protesters were joined by elected representatives from all five major political parties, including Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille and several senators, as they rallied in support of the private members’ bill that has now been stalled for over a year.

Martin Caron, the general president of the Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA), called on the members of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to support the bill, which was adopted by a majority of MPs in the House of Commons in June 2023.

Canada has conceded nearly 8.4 per cent of its dairy production and processing during the last three international free-trade agreements it has signed, including the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, and the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.

Caron argues that supply management is just as important for dairy and poultry producers as the government’s risk-management programs are for other production sectors.

“Supply management in Salaberry-Suroît represents over 350 family farms that generate more than 3,100 jobs,” said DeBellefeuille. Across Quebec, around 6,500 supply-managed farms create 116,000 jobs and are responsible for $8.7 billion in GDP and $2.1 billion in tax revenues.

“Supply management brings vitality to our villages,” added DeBellefeuille, who noted the quality products and expertise of the agrifood industry as well as the high environmental standards that ensure the quality of agricultural products. “The fact that two unelected senators are preventing C-282 from being adopted is not only unacceptable, but contrary to democracy!” she exclaimed.

Caron pointed out that Canada will no doubt continue to negotiate trade agreements, suggesting it was important to send a clear signal to trading partners who are similarly protecting their own sensitive sectors, such as sugar and cotton in the United States or rice in Japan.

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Election set for New Frontiers School Board

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Registered voters in the Valleyfield, Beauharnois, and Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois electoral division will be called to the polls on November 3 to elect a representative to join the New Frontiers School Board council of commissioners.

Ten of the eleven available positions, including that of chair, were declared filled by acclamation when the period for submitting nomination papers closed on September 29.

The two candidates running for election in district number 6 are Corrine Kane and Anne-Marie Yelle. Those whose candidacy went uncontested include Raymond Ledoux, Karin Van Droffelaar, Lina Chouinard, Kenneth Crockett, Cristian Espinosa-Fuentes, Dianne Eastwood, Peter Stuckey, Barbara Ednie, Connor Stacey, and John Ryan, who will sit for a second term as chair.

Now that an election has been declared, NFSB director general Mike Helm says it is very important that those on the electoral list take the time to vote. “We really need people to come out,” says Helm, noting that a high voter turnout would benefit the English population.

“The concept of elections is probably more important now than ever, because we are under threat of losing that right to represent our community in the same way we have over many, many years,” says Ryan.

The provincial government attempted to abolish English school boards when it passed Bill 40 in 2020 which converted all French boards to school service centres. A 2023 ruling by the Quebec Superior Court determined that several of the provisions in Bill 40 relating to English school boards are unconstitutional. The government is appealing this decision.

“It is extremely important to vote, because if we don’t stand up and defend what we have, we are going to lose it,” says Ryan. “We have to protect it now, and keep it,” he says of the English-speaking community’s right to maintain elected councils. “Otherwise, there is no going back.”

Election set for New Frontiers School Board Read More »

Job market a challenge for region’s English speakers

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Montérégie-West Community Network (MWCN) hosted the region’s first employment roundtable focused exclusively on the five MRCs that make up the Montérégie on September 26 at the wellness centre in Huntingdon.

Around 25 representatives from local employment-oriented organizations as well as regional development groups participated in the meeting, which included a presentation by the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) on employment statistics in the region.

“We want to talk about the issues and try to find solutions to employability issues within the region,” said Joanne Basilières, the MWCN’s employability and mental health coordinator. She invited PERT to present the findings of its recently released employment profile of English speakers in the Montérégie, and to start a dialogue amongst the group on meeting the challenges facing this community.

Chad Walcott, the director of engagement and communications for PERT, opened his presentation by acknowledging English speakers are facing growing challenges in the labour market, with higher unemployment rates, lower incomes, and persistent barriers to accessing essential French language training. These are the main findings of the report, which also notes a widening gap in the unemployment rate between English and French speakers in Montérégie.

Since the 2016 Census, the unemployment rate for English speakers has increased from 7.5 per cent to 9.1 per cent, while the rate for French speakers has remained steady at 5.8 per cent. The stats are showing a consistent trend, says Walcott. “The gaps are there, and they are persisting,” he said, noting that while some of the data from the 2021 census may have been influenced by the pandemic, the gaps have been present since 2011 and even earlier.

In the Montérégie region, the English-speaking population accounts for 13.3 per cent of the total population, while in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, English speakers make up 30.4 per cent of the population. This is the second highest percentage after Vaudreuil-Soulanges, where 34 per cent of the population identify as English-speaking.

The unemployment rate among French speakers in the Haut-Saint-Laurent sits at 6.8 per cent, while 8.2 per cent of English speakers are unemployed. In Beauharnois-Salaberry, 5.9 per cent of French speakers are unemployed, while 9.1 per cent of those who speak English do not have jobs.

In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, English-speaking visible minorities are at the greatest disadvantage, where 25.8 per cent are unemployed. This figure is twice as high as in every other MRC in the Montérégie. Across the region, the unemployment rate for visible minorities is 10.9 per cent.

Walcott noted that along with a higher unemployment rate, English speakers were also earning less. In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, for example, English speakers earn roughly $3,800 less per year than their French-speaking neighbours, while visible minorities who speak English earn $9,000 less per year.

Walcott explained that even though English speakers are participating in the job market, there is a blockage. “The fit is not there for the job market,” he said, noting that this holds true despite the fact English speakers are generally more educated and are more likely to identify as bilingual.

For example, 80 per cent of English speakers in the Haut-Saint-Laurent have at least a secondary school diploma or equivalency certificate, while 72 per cent of French speakers have attained this level of education. The bilingualism rate for English speakers is 66.7 percent, while 50.9 per cent of French speakers identify as bilingual.

During the discussion that followed Walcott’s presentation, one participant noted that many want to work with the English-speaking population, but the resources are simply not there. “It is easier to hire someone who is handicapped than it is to hire someone who is unilingually English,” she pointed out.

Many suggested more funding for work-integrated learning programs would help English speakers gain professional skills while improving their French-Language skills on the job. Others pointed to a lack of funding for industry-specific language training as an issue, as well as the integration challenges facing English speakers working in French environments.

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