MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry

CVR’s Breakfast Club receives the gift of a new fridge

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Breakfast Club at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR) regularly serves 140 students a day, and that number is expected to climb by next year.

Faced with the increasing demand, the group of students in the Work Oriented Training Program (WOTP) who manage the club realized that another fridge was necessary. Lorelei Muller, the school’s community development agent, reached out to the Breakfast Club of Canada (BCC), which agreed to provide a new fridge and to cover a significant portion of the associated costs.

Serendipitously, the Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi Huntingdon reached out to the Ormstown-based high school soon after to offer support for the Breakfast Club. The organization agreed to donate $500, while Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette chipped in an additional $500 to cover the remaining cost.

The new fridge was unveiled on April 28. Principal Lynn Harkness thanked all those involved in the initiative as well as the students who work to ensure the school community starts each day with a healthy breakfast.

Amanda Imbriglio, a program coordinator for BCC, was pleased to help. “We support schools with food deliveries or with financial support,” she explained, noting that her organization works with the Complices Alimentaires to provide breakfast foods at CVR.

“It’s full service,” Imbriglio added, noting that BCC not only provides food and equipment, but aprons and other sanitary and hygiene items along with all the necessary permits and training.

Volunteer WOTP students have been involved with the breakfast program for around 10 years. Student William Bryson said the new fridge will make things easier as the current fridges are often overfilled.

“There will be less stress,” added student Christopher Paulin, who enjoys being part of the program. “It is a good thing CVR is doing,” he added.

CVR’s Breakfast Club receives the gift of a new fridge Read More »

CVR is ahead of the curve with cellphone ban

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

As part of a series of measures to reinforce safe and respectful school environments, Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville announced a complete ban on cellphones on school grounds that will come into effect at the start of the new school year.

Starting in September, the use of cell phones, headphones, and personal mobile devices will be prohibited from the start to the end of the school day, including during breaks and lunch hour. This follows restrictions on cell phones in the classroom that were imposed in January 2024.

Drainville made the announcement during a May 1 press conference, saying the decision stemmed from recommendations included in an interim report by a special commission on the impact of screens and social media.

“We know that cell phones are too often used to mock, provoke, or intimidate others. By banning them from school during the entire school day, we are addressing the root cause of many conflicts and, ultimately, allowing students to socialize better with each other,” he said.

There will be some exceptions to the ban for educational purposes, health reasons, or special needs. Drainville explained that it will be up to each school to decide how best to implement this change, while noting about 400 institutions have already moved to restrict cell phone use on school property across the province.

Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR) is among those schools to have already enacted a cellphone ban on campus. The CVR staff and administration went cellphone-free at the start of the current school year and never looked back.

“Our whole message was to disconnect to reconnect,” said principal Lynn Harkness, who referred to the decision as a “100-per cent-plus success.”

Harkness said the impact is clearly visible. “Kids are talking to each other. Kids are interacting; they are looking at each other,” she explained, noting there are more students enjoying the outdoors or participating in school activities during breaks.

Harkness acknowledged that while some of the challenges with social media and cyber-bullying remain, they are much less present within the school. “The pressure has been lifted,” she said, while admitting she is still pleasantly surprised by how well the students have complied.

“It’s not like we are hiding behind corners to catch people like vigilantes,” Harkness said with a laugh, before suggesting that out of a student population over 700, less than 50 students have had their phones confiscated.

Harkness credits her staff, saying the decision to go cellphone-free came from wanting kids to get back to learning. The province-wide ban just reinforces that CVR was already on the right track.

CVR is ahead of the curve with cellphone ban Read More »

Legault is resolute in support for supply management

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Quebec Premier François Legault met with representatives from the Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA), as well as representatives from Agropur, the Solio Cooperative Group, and the Conseil de la Transformation Alimentaire du Québec during a visit to the Huntingdon riding on April 10.

Legault spoke with the different agricultural organizations about the potential impacts of tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration, and about the eventual renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement.

Following this, the premier toured the family-run Ferme P.Cécyre dairy farm in Sainte-Martine, where he talked with owners Pierre and Philippe Cécyre and their families about the farm and its history, their production, and the use of robotic milking technologies. “They work hard. It is seven days a week,” said Legault, after visiting the dairy barn. “We need to thank our farmers,” he added.

In an exclusive interview with The Gleaner, the premier spoke candidly about the importance of supply management and of defending the interests of farmers in trade negotiations.

Legault acknowledges there were concessions made in 2017 that impacted dairy farmers. “I made a commitment that there would be no de facto concessions on supply management,” he insisted, noting he was pleased to see federal leaders doubling down on this commitment during the election campaign.

“If we want to be able to continue to have small farms across all the regions of Quebec, we must protect supply management,” Legault maintained.

In Quebec, the supply management system regulates production through the allocation of quotas to match market demand. This provides financial stability to farms while ensuring a steady supply of local products, by establishing prices based on production costs and other factors and by controlling imports. Supply management affects the production of milk and dairy products, chicken, turkey, and eggs.

According to the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation, there were more than 5,360 quota-holding producers operating in Quebec under the supply management system in 2023. These farms produced 3.48 billion litres of milk, 409,000 metric tons of chicken and turkey meat, and 178.7 million dozen of eggs.

The province was entirely self-sufficient for chicken meat, fluid milk, and dairy products apart from cream. Quebec farmers produced almost 100 per cent of our turkey consumption and met around 80 per cent of the demand for eggs and cream.

Legault is resolute in support for supply management Read More »

MRCs offer support and services amid trade war

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Area MRCs are on high alert.

The tariffs imposed by the United States as part of a trade war with Canada are impacting the regional economy. The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, and the MRC des Jardins-de-Napierville have all announced concrete actions to support local businesses while minimizing the impact on the economic vitality of the region.

“The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is actively supporting local entrepreneurs,” says prefect Louise Lebrun, who is also the mayor of Sainte-Barbe, noting the MRC is concerned about the consequences of the tariffs and their impact on property owners and workers as well.

The MRC anticipates presenting an economic diversification plan for the Haut-Saint-Laurent region in the coming weeks. Lebrun says the plan will make it possible to identify sectors with optimal potential to revitalize the economy.

The document will also be used by the MRC’s economic development advisors to identify promising diversification activities and niches that could help certain businesses to better cope with the impacts of the tariffs.

“The MRC is the gateway to business services for all entrepreneurs in the Haut-Saint-Laurent,” says the MRC’s director general, Pierre Caza. “We have experts ready to advise businesses in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region. Whether they need representation before political authorities, help creating or strengthening ties with Investissement Québec or other national, regional, or local resources, or information on support programs available at the MRC, we can help them get through this challenging period,” he explains.

A regional monitoring committee

The MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry has formed a strategic monitoring committee in response to the trade war. The initiative aims to support local businesses affected by American tariffs and Canadian counter-tariffs, while serving as a lever to strengthen the region’s economic resilience.

The committee, which currently includes at least 14 members, allows for a rapid response to present-day challenges as well as the ability to better anticipate future economic issues. “The committee is a catalyst. It was born out of an urgent need, but its relevance goes far beyond tariffs,” says Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague mayor Yves Daoust, who chairs the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry’s economic advisory committee.

The recently created monitoring committee met for the first time on April 3. The members will work together to analyze the impacts of tariffs on local businesses, direct entrepreneurs to appropriate assistance programs, encourage regional cooperation to catalyze innovation, and establish a replicable intervention model for addressing other economic issues.

The committee includes representatives from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois, the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry, Commerce International Québec Montérégie-Ouest (CIQMO), the SADC Suroît-Sud, Services Québec, the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Beauharnois-Valleyfield-Haut-Saint-Laurent, CÉGEP de Valleyfield, and the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie. Representatives for both Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette and Beauharnois MNA Claude Reid are also part of this committee, as well as outgoing MP for Salaberry-Suroît, Claude DeBellefeuille.

By summer, the committee plans to develop a regional portrait of the economic impact caused by the tariffs. The members also aim to implement a monitoring and resource sharing system, and to develop regional recommendations to be forwarded to the different levels of government.

A source for support and solutions

Entrepreneurs in the Jardins-de-Napierville region can also turn to their MRC’s economic development team for help.

The MRC is also coordinating a strategic committee to support the regional economy with initiatives tailored to the volatile economic situation. Members include political and economic stakeholders from the region who have come together to help businesses face current and future challenges.

“In the current context, it is essential that businesses in our region feel supported and accompanied in their efforts,” says prefect Yves Boyer. “We are determined to facilitate access to available resources and programs in order to stimulate growth, innovation, and market diversification for businesses in the Jardins-de-Napierville. Together, we can build a strong, resilient and forward-looking regional economy.”

MRCs offer support and services amid trade war Read More »

Legault: No decision yet on Bill 40 ruling

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The provincial government is weighing its options when it comes to Bill 40.

In an exclusive interview with The Gleaner, Premier François Legault confirmed that his government has not yet decided whether to appeal the April 3 judgment by the Quebec Court of Appeal. The judgment upholds a Superior Court ruling that several provisions of the beleaguered bill are unconstitutional.

“No decision has been made,” he stated, while acknowledging the courts had not ruled in the government’s favour. “We believe that English speakers have the right to go to school and to have services in English, but it is not threatening to have service centres instead of school commissioners, especially when the participation rates [in school board elections] are below 20 per cent,” he insisted.

“We are working on analyzing the judgment to see if we would have a chance of winning if we go to an appeal,” Legault said.

The appeals court sided with the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) and the province’s nine school boards – including the New Frontiers School Board (NSFB) – who argued that the legislation strips the English community of its Charter right to manage and control education services.

Legault said that no matter the eventual outcome of the court battle, it will not impact the government’s ability to work constructively with school boards and the English-speaking community.

Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette pointed out that she works with three school service centres in her riding as well as the NFSB. She said her interactions with all four organizations was the same, before noting that she works particularly well with the NFSB due to the board’s vision of the community. “It is something that speaks to me,” she said.

For John Ryan, the chair of the NFSB council of commissioners, this broad sense of community is precisely what they are trying to protect by challenging the legislation’s constitutionality.

“School boards are the voice of the community. There is no one person who can have the impact or the same level of knowledge as the community, and this is always important when it comes to making decision than affect our community,” he said. “It makes a big difference, and this would be lost,” he maintains, in the event elected school commissioners were replaced with a service centre board.

“We have to protect this now. It is stressful and a lot of work, but it is not for today. It is for the tomorrows coming,” said Ryan, suggesting that challenges to English language rights are likely to continue.

Legault: No decision yet on Bill 40 ruling Read More »

The Greens, NDP, and PPC all field local candidates

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Among the other major political parties, the New Democratic Party, the Green Party, and the People’s Party of Canada have all named their candidates in the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon (BSSH) and the Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville ridings.

The NDP nominated first-time candidate Tyler Jones to run in the BSSH riding on January 24. A passionate advocate for workers’ rights and environmental protection, the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield resident is campaigning during evenings and weekends while continuing his work as a courier. He has been busy on the ground, going door-to-door and working the phones, saying he wants to get a feel for every part of the riding.

“My number one priority for my campaign is agriculture,” says Jones, noting he has spoken with many farm families about the current realities facing area producers. Climate change is also high on his list of priorities, as is lowering the cost of living and building affordable homes. While the trade war with the United States is a concern, he prefers to focus on the riding’s constituents and less on what Donald Trump has to say.

Jones says he has a special affinity for the Chateauguay Valley, having lived briefly with his family in Ormstown. He and his wife are big supporters of the buy local movement, and can often be found at local restaurants, markets, and activities.

Hannah Wolker will run for the NDP for a second time in the Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding. The party has only very recently confirmed her nomination. She is a grassroots organizer with deep roots in the riding.

Green Party of Canada

The Green Party has named Kristian Solarik as the candidate for the BSSH riding. He last ran for office in the 2022 provincial election as a candidate with the Green Party of Quebec. He currently serves on the executive committee and the shadow cabinet for the party at the provincial level as the transportation critic. He advocates for forward-thinking policies that prioritize environmental sustainability, accessibility, and innovation.

Originally from Montreal, Solarik has lived in the riding for 15 years with his partner and nine-year-old son. He works as a sales representative for a Quebec-based company that provides rolling stock and safety equipment to businesses throughout the Suroît region. He says his background in transportation and safety have afforded him a practical perspective and solution driven approach to the challenges facing his community.

Solarik maintains his campaign is “rooted in the belief that bold, green leadership can drive meaningful progress for families, businesses, and the environment.”

Martine Desrochers has been confirmed as the Green Party of Canada’s candidate in the Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding.

People’s Party of Canada

The People’s Party of Canada has nominated Martin Lévesque in the BSSH riding. He says he is driven by a deep commitment to defending his community and the fundamental values of freedom, personal responsibility, respect and fairness.

Lévesque says he believes that “Canada can regain its prosperity and give power back to the people, if we have the courage of our convictions.”

Nicolas Guérin will run in the neighbouring Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding for the PPC. An electrical engineer and family man, he says he champions reforms rooted in freedom, responsibility, fairness, and respect. “Citizens need to take charge of their country to stop the plundering of our wealth and secure our children’s future,” he says, while arguing that all citizens must unite against globalism.

Raised in Quebec with Scottish, French, and Indigenous (Pekuakamiulnu) roots, Guérin served three years in the Canadian Armed Forces. While working full-time as an engineer, he also runs a farm where he produces pasture-raised eggs with his family, including his three children.

Guerin says he prioritizes policies that would “pause immigration, deport illegals and criminals, and prioritize jobs and housing for Canadians.” He also believes the Canadian Multiculturalism Act should be repealed, and rejects equity, diversity, and inclusion as well as gender-based ideology. He believes Canada should work with Donald Trump to “free the economy,” and aims to protect national sovereignty by leaving the United Nations and strengthening national security.

The Greens, NDP, and PPC all field local candidates Read More »

The Conservative Party unveils its local candidates

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Conservative Party of Canada has declared that Priska St-Pierre and David De Repentigny will represent the party as candidates for the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon riding and the Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding in the upcoming federal election on April 28.

St-Pierre is a businesswoman, and a national trainer in a patient support program in the field of coverage for specialized medications. She has lived with her partner and two chocolate Labrador dogs in Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka for the past twelve years. She is a mother of three children, and grandmother of eight grandchildren.

“I am honoured to have been chosen as the party’s official candidate,” says St-Pierre, who is vying to represent the constituents of Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon. “I am convinced that Canada must be governed differently, and with a serious and thoughtful approach,” she adds, noting it is time to put the government in order.

Napierville resident David De Repentigny is running to represent the neighbouring riding of Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville for the Conservative Party.

De Repentigny has worked with the Canada Border Services Agency for nearly twenty years, where he notes his work in various departments, including management, health and safety, union management, and employee assistance led to the installation of defibrillators at border crossing points. He is also a member of the Napierville Fire Department.

“Whether through blood drives, food bank collections, or other community events, I have always made sure to involve my children in these volunteer efforts, instilling in them the essential values of solidarity and civic engagement,” says De Repentigny, who intends to prioritize responsible budget management, economic stability, and security.

Recently, De Repentigny stepped away from the campaign for a day to walk in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chateauguay, which was presided over by his daughter Olivia who was named queen by the Chateauguay and Valley Irish Heritage Association.

“I want to make politics more accessible, but more importantly, I want to take real action for our families, our seniors, and our children, ensuring we leave them a land and a country in better shape than it is today,” says De Repentigny of his decision to run in this election.

The Conservative Party unveils its local candidates Read More »

Experienced candidates to stump for the Bloc Québécois

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Claude DeBellefeuille launched her seventh election campaign on April 3 in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield with her eyes set on a fifth term in Ottawa – this time representing the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon (BSSH) riding. 

DeBellefeuille said she was motivated by the positive energy in the crowd of over 150 supporters as she took to the stage at the Microbrasserie du Vieux Canal, referring to this election as one of the most significant in her 19-year career as a politician. She thanked her team, her family, including her father, René, who looked on proudly, her supporters, and the 150 volunteers working on her campaign. 

A social worker by training, DeBellefeuille has worked as the director general for the Centre d’Action Bénévole de Valleyfield, and with the Centre Intégré de Santé et Services Sociaux de la Montérégie Ouest (CISSSMO). She was first elected to parliament as an MP between 2006 and 2011, where she held various responsibilities within the Bloc Québécois as deputy critic for agriculture and agri-food, as critic for natural resources, and culture and heritage critic. She was appointed as the party’s deputy whip in 2008, and chief whip in 2010.

DeBellefeuille reprised her role as whip after she was re-elected in 2019 and in 2021. After stepping down from the position in December 2024, she most recently took on the role of public security and civil protection critic within her party.

Since announcing her candidacy, DeBellefeuille has spoken out in support of protecting supply management and agriculture in trade agreements, promising this would be the subject of the first bill proposed by the Bloc Québécois as soon as parliament reconvenes following the election in June. “During international negotiations, all countries can protect a certain number of products, and we must ensure that our dairy, eggs, and poultry are not affected,” she insists, noting there are more than 1,000 farms and over 2,000 agricultural producers in the BSSH riding. “It is a pillar of the Quebec agricultural model, and we must not give anything up,” she says, referring to anticipated trade negotiations with the U.S. administration.

DeBellefeuille has also promised to defend and protect the economic interests of small and medium-sized businesses in the riding in the context of the trade war with the United States. “In the coming weeks, I will be criss-crossing the constituency to remind people that it is inconceivable to abandon Quebec’s specific economic interests in the context of negotiations with our American neighbors,” she says, noting entrepreneurs are already feeling the impact of tariffs.

The experienced candidate has been meeting with entrepreneurs, most recently during the annual general assembly for the Association des Gens d’Affaires d’Ormstown et des Environs on April 1, to gain a better understanding of the impacts being experienced on the ground. She is also working with the different economic development departments at local MRCs and is part of a monitoring committee initiated by Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

“Since the election of Donald Trump, the world we live in has changed. In the face of the tariff threats and the difficult negotiations to come, the danger is that Canada’s economic interests will be prioritized over Quebec economic sectors,” she explains, noting “It is the Bloc Québécois that defends our workers, our businesses, our farmers, and our seniors.”

Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville

Patrick O’Hara opened his campaign headquarters on March 29 in Chateauguay, where he is running for the second time representing the Bloc Québécois.

O’Hara was born in British Columbia and was adopted by a family of farmers who eventually settled on Montreal’s North Shore. It was a passion for hockey that first led O’Hara to discover Chateauguay. It was here that he opened his first business before joining the La Cage aux Sports group, where he worked as a shareholder-operator in Saint-Constant for several years. Eventually he joined the Chateauguay-based distributor Entreprises Robert Thibert as vice-president of business development, marketing, and public relations for North America.

O’Hara has also played an important role in the community, serving on the board of directors for the Fondation Gisèle Faubert in Mercier, the Centre Horizon in Léry, and the Fondation Anna-Laberge in Chateauguay.

In 2021, O’Hara lost the election to Liberal incumbent Brenda Shanahan by 12 votes following a judicial recount. He says he is returning with the same determination to become an MP “who is close to the people of this constituency that I love so much.”

Experienced candidates to stump for the Bloc Québécois Read More »

Two engineers run for the Liberals 

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Liberal candidate Nathalie Provost launched her campaign to represent the Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding on March 29, while inaugurating her campaign offices in Chateauguay in the presence of volunteers and supporters.

An engineer and gun control advocate, Provost was among the survivors of the 1989 École Polytechnique shootings who founded the PolySeSouvient advocacy group. Her work as an activist for gun control and the prevention of violence against women and children led her to serve as vice-chair of the Canadian Firearms Registry from 2017 to 2019. She now holds senior management positions in the civil service of the Quebec government, where she is currently on leave from her position with the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte Contre les Changements Climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs.

The mother of four young adults, Provost has maintained close ties with the Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding both professionally and through family connections. She says the riding is similar to her hometown in the Berthier-Maskinongé region, which is also very agricultural. “It is the same environment in which I was born,” she says, noting she is very comfortable in both the rural and urban worlds.

Provost is also very aware that her riding runs along the border and that security and trade issues are very important. “I worked with my counterparts in my past job with New York State representatives and I know we can work together and that the quality of our relationship with our neighbors. Even if it’s very, very strange at the higher levels right now, we have to work on the ground,” she says.

She adds that she is pushing the Liberal Party to talk about the issues facing the farming community. “We are talking about industrialization, we are talking about productivity, but we are not really talking about agriculture,” she points out.

Provost insists that if elected, she will make sure the voices of those from the southern part of the region, including the municipalities that until very recently were counted as part of the former Salaberry-Suroît riding, will be heard in Ottawa. She says it will be important despite the vast territory covered by the riding. “With the pandemic, we learned to work with distance,” she explains, noting that accessibility is a priority for her campaign.

Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon

A soon-to-be engineer has thrown his hat in the ring for the Liberal party in the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon riding. Miguel Perras is a third-year mechanical engineering student at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, where he is involved in the university debate club and parliamentary simulations.

The 21-year-old says that while his candidacy may be somewhat unconventional, he is driven by a “strong desire to represent my region and defend the issues that affect our daily lives.”

Perras grew up on a small family farm where he says he learned the value of hard work, resilience, and commitment. He says that having worked on both the factory floor and in engineering offices within the metallurgy industry, he has seen the impacts of the economic conditions created by current trade relations.

He joined the Liberal party, but suggests he believes many of the issues facing the region transcend party lines. Perras admits that while he had always planned on becoming more directly involved with politics, he did not think the day would come so soon.

Two engineers run for the Liberals  Read More »

Bill 40: Vindication for NFSB after appeals court sides with school boards

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

John Ryan, the chair of the New Frontiers School Board Council of Commissioners, says a recent decision by the Quebec Court of Appeal on Bill 40 is reason to celebrate.

In a ruling issued on April 3, the appeals court upheld a previous Superior Court judgement that found many provisions of Bill 40, which aimed to amend the Education Act regarding school organization and governance, are unconstitutional.

The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), along with the nine school boards including the NFSB, challenged the legislation after it was introduced in 2020. The bill brought profound changes to the way primary and secondary schools are governed in the province, largely by transforming school boards into service centres. QESBA argued that the bill infringed on Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which gives linguistic minority communities the right to manage and control education services.

QESBA president Joe Ortona says the association is thrilled that the rights of the English-speaking community have once again been recognized. “We truly hope that the government will decide not to take this crystal-clear decision of the Quebec Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa,” he adds.

The ruling, which was issued by judges Robert M. Mainville, Christine Baudouin, and Judith Harvie, essentially upholds the findings of constitutional invalidity included in the 2023 ruling issued by Superior Court judge Sylvain Lussier.

The case focused on the scope of the rights guaranteed by Section 23 of the charter, and who can exercise these rights. The Court of Appeal agreed that Bill 40 severely limits the abilities of the English-speaking community to choose representatives and to determine how government funding is used. The ruling also broadens the definition of rights holders to include “all individuals comprising the linguistic minority,” after the government argued that only parents of students enrolled in English-language institutions held these rights.

“It is as big, if not bigger than the Lussier judgement we received,” says Ryan, who refers to the ruling as a vindication. “It is a very strong judgement,” he adds, noting that both sides are now reviewing the 86-page document. “We have to dissect it, understand it, internalize it, and then look at our relationship with the government as school boards and how we can work together,” he explains.

“We were told one of the reasons that it worked well was the tremendous amount of work put into the original case,” Ryan says. “The work was very strong, and it was a well-argued case,” he adds, before noting that while they were confident in their arguments, the outcome could have gone the other way.

“It shows the value of citizenship, the value of participating in a democracy, and standing up for things when they are not going right,” says Ryan. “It reinforces the value of truth,” he continues, “and we need that today for obvious reasons.”

Bill 40: Vindication for NFSB after appeals court sides with school boards Read More »

Upcoming election call will usher in new riding boundaries

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

An election call in Canada is expected to be announced in the coming days, once Mark Carney is sworn in as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and as prime minister.

The election will usher in many changes for the country. At the local level, candidates in the current Salaberry-Suroît riding will find themselves running to represent the constituents of Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon (BSSH). The Chateauguay-Lacolle riding will also change names, becoming Chateauguay-Les-Jardins-de-Napierville.

The new riding boundaries, which were announced following the 2022 redistribution of federal electoral districts, will see the Haut-Saint-Laurent split in two – where the Town of Huntingdon, as well as the municipalities of Elgin, Hinchinbrooke, Ormstown, Saint-Anicet, Sainte-Barbe, and the township municipalities of Dundee and Godmanchester, as well as Akwesasne, will be part of the BSSH riding.

The Chateauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding will include all the municipalities in the MRC des Jardins-de-Napierville, including Hemmingford Village and Hemmingford Township, as well as the municipalities of Franklin, Howick, and Saint-Chrysostome, and the parish municipality of Très-Saint-Sacrement.

Salaberry-Suroît MP and Bloc Québécois candidate Claude DeBellefeuille has already announced she will seek a fifth term in the next election. She says that while it is not ideal for an MRC to be divided between two federal ridings, the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent was one of only a handful of MRCs that had not been split in some way prior to this election. “When there is a redistribution every ten years, and the demographic growth is happening outside of the Haut-Saint-Laurent, at a certain point the electoral commission has to create a boundary somewhere,” she explains.

DeBellefeuille says she would not be surprised, given the demographic growth predicted in Vaudreuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois and Soulanges, if the Haut-Saint-Laurent were to be reunited in ten years following the next redistribution process, but towards the Chateauguay-Les-Jardins-de-Napierville riding.

The new BSSH riding will be the second most populous in Quebec after the new Vaudreuil riding. DeBellefeuille says she is more concerned about the upcoming election than the change in boundaries. “A quick election call is in everyone’s interest,” she insists, suggesting the government is not being taken seriously by the United States because parliament is not sitting.

“If we want to do our job properly, it is absolutely essential that the election be called quickly so a legitimate and democratically elected government is in place,” DeBellefeuille says, while pointing out that the U.S. administration is seeding uncertainty, which is not good for Quebecers. She says the next few weeks will be very interesting.

Tyler Jones, the newly acclaimed candidate in the BSSH riding for the federal New Democratic Party, agrees. “Everything is up in the air right now,” says the first-time candidate, who is growing his team of volunteers while introducing himself to the many communities in the riding.

Jones knows the Chateauguay Valley well, and says he is disappointed that the Haut-Saint-Laurent was separated between the two ridings. He says he would work to ensure common ground is found between the two ridings and that the area is properly represented as a whole, despite the boundary line.

He says he is also concerned about the upcoming election with so little time to prepare. “It is just a question of connecting with voters, and getting out and hearing their concerns and frustrations,” he adds, while acknowledging there is a lot of territory to cover and a lot of different issues at hand.

The official candidates for the federal Liberal and Conservative parties in the BSSH riding were not named as of press time. Kristian Solarik will run once again for the Green Party of Canada, while Martin Lévesque will run for the People’s Party of Canada.

None of the main federal parties have announced the names of their candidates in the Chateauguay-Jardins-de-Napierville riding.

Upcoming election call will usher in new riding boundaries Read More »

Cedar Rooms at regional schools share awareness of Indigenous culture

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Callan Forrester – LJI reporter

Recently, the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) launched an initiative as part of its commitment to reconciliation towards the Indigenous students at its schools. Both Howard S. Billings and Chateauguay Valley Regional (CVR) high schools have opened a Cedar Room as a part of this: a space where students can learn about and celebrate Indigenous culture.

Isabelle Arsenault is an Indigenous (Inuk from Iqaluit) teacher at CVR and is the leader of its Cedar Room. She explains that the goal of the space is “to provide academic and social emotional support to our Indigenous community and to educate and to provide cultural information to the whole school community.” Arsenault also asked fellow CVR teacher Brittany Marlin to help with the Cedar Room, since it does require quite a bit of time, energy, and paperwork.

Though the Cedar Room is a place where Indigenous students can feel represented, it welcomes all CVR students. “It’s just a small step for our school that is working towards reconciliation, and I think it’s important that it’s open to both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous students so that everyone is getting the same information … working together is very important,” Marlin says.

The Cedar Room hosts a variety of activities, but it is also a cultural centre where students can go to relax and have tea. Arsenault explains that they have done activities like beading (including making beaded ornaments), making monthly bannock (a traditional Indigenous bread), having tea gatherings, and collaborating with Billings to organize an outing for Indigenous students to participate in an event organized by Native Montreal. Last May, they also had a ceremony for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Marlin shares that this year they hope to continue these activities and potentially invite a guest speaker to the school.

Arsenault says that it is important to have a space like this at CVR because it “brings awareness to Indigenous culture and to have a safe space for everyone to learn together.” Marlin emphasizes that education is often the cure for prejudice, saying that “People are more comfortable and open-minded to things that they understand, and if they can gain some kind of understanding, appreciation, or feel some kind of connection from coming to the room, then people feel more protective and open-minded.”

Though this initiative is fairly new, they have already done a lot of great work and have plans to keep growing and sharing Indigenous culture with the CVR community.

Cedar Rooms at regional schools share awareness of Indigenous culture Read More »

Three snow days in two weeks at New Frontiers School Board

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The New Frontiers School Board director general, Mike Helm, says he can’t remember a time when schools were closed two days in a row because of a snowstorm.

Few will forget the ice storm of 1998 and the resulting school closures, but that was different. What fell between February 13 and 16 was just snow, but there was a lot of it, and when mixed with high winds, it quickly became dangerous.

The NFSB called three snow days in the aftermath of the back-to-back storms, which means three conditional pedagogical days scheduled for March 21, April 11, and May 20 will now become regular school days.

Students at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School missed an additional day on January 27 due to plumbing equipment failure, which, Helm admits, has made for a challenging start to the term.

“There will be some juggling with teachers, but for the most part things are OK within the system for having missed this many days,” Helm says. “Our staff are working with their curriculum throughout the course of the year, and built into that curriculum is opportunity for remediation and enrichment time. They may end up having to change some of those things right now.”

There were only three conditional ped days in the school calendar, which have now been used. Helm admits that if the schools are forced to close again for weather or other circumstances, “then every day becomes more challenging from this point on.”

Helm says interruptions caused by snow or freezing rain are sometimes called in advance, as was the case on February 16 when parents were informed the night before that schools would be closed. This happens when the NFSB has reliable information guaranteeing difficult conditions in the morning.

In cases such as February 17, the NFSB waited until the morning before cancelling classes, and this was done in communication with the transport companies.

“Severe winds and blowing snow had created white ice. There were road closures on our main highways, and in some of our rural areas we would not have been able to get to the student to bring them in,” he says, noting the transporters were uncomfortable with the conditions.

Helm says that in the aftermath of the storms, maintenance workers were asked to verify the rooftops of the different buildings and to check for drifting snow against structures to ensure there were no emergency situations. The greenhouse at Howard S. Billings High School in Chateauguay collapsed, but no other damage was reported.

Three snow days in two weeks at New Frontiers School Board Read More »

JAG speaks out against homophobia and transphobia

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Callan Forrester – LJI reporter

On January 30, members of the Corporation de Développement Communautaire (CDC) de la Montérégie got together for the second edition of the Journée Arc-en-ciel, which has the goal of combatting homophobia, transphobia, and violence against the LBGTQIA+ community in the region and raising the general public’s awareness of these experiences.

For this year’s Journée Arc-en-ciel, Simon Proulx, the director of the CDC des Maskoutains, moderated a press conference that featured speakers from different organizations to talk about issues the queer community is facing. He set the tone of the conference by saying, “We’re here to talk about a worrying reality: the rise in homophobic and transphobic violence. Through this Journée Arc-en-ciel, we are reaffirming our commitment to a more inclusive and safe world for all people in the LGBT community.”

The day also included a virtual training session, which was introduced by Joanne Nystrom from Troc Montérégie. Over 200 organizations took part in this mobilization against hate.

Jessica Grenon and Dominique Théberge of JAG, and James Galantino of the Conseil Québécois LGBT spoke extremely candidly about the current realities for queer people. JAG is an organization that provides education and support about emotional, sexual, and gender diversity. It is the only such resource for many young queer people of the Montérégie. Grenon explained that from 2023 to 2024, there was a 69-per cent increase in hate crimes towards queer folks. On top of that, the data from 2017 to 2024 shows that now, one in five people are uncomfortable with a child being raised by two mothers, compared to one in 14 eight years ago.

They also explained that organizations like JAG are being turned away from schools because there is fear of how the students or parents will react. “I have colleagues who have had to be escorted to and from the bathroom, or even escorted out after a class period, because the students’ attitudes and comments suggested that their safety was in danger,” Grenon shared. She added that there have been weekly acts of violence towards members of the organization. “I’ve been at JAG for 10 years now and I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Our tolerance threshold for violence has reached levels that are completely disproportionate,” she said.

Galantino expanded on these concerns and the severity of their impact. “After food, safety is the second most basic need on Maslow’s pyramid … You need to understand that members of our community are scared.” He also reminded people that politics at the municipal level have the most direct impact on a citizen’s day-to-day life. He explained the Inclusive Municipalities project, which is a certification made possible by the Bureau de Lutte Contre l’Homophobie et la Transphobie. “The goal is also to offer a website, an updated map of all the municipalities in the Montérégie region, which shows commitments and municipalities that offer a climate of benevolence for their entire population,” he said. This is to help queer people know where they may be more safe.

Mélanie Villeneuve, mayor of Otterburn Park, also spoke to the importance of allyship at the municipal level. “Through our policies, through the actions we take on a daily basis, in our planning, etc., we can play the role of being benevolent. We can play the role of being good employers to ultimately promote openness and inclusiveness,” she said. Her goal is to “make living environments that are inclusive, that are welcoming, and that promote inclusiveness, openness, and caring.”

Right now, JAG is begging for people to be loud and proud allies to the queer community. “More than ever, we need allies – people who will act as amplifiers of the voices of people of sexual and gender diversity, and who will stand up for them. The danger of the rise of hate speech and hate behavior is very real and has catastrophic impacts,” Grenon said. Villeneuve added that “There’s work to be done, work that had to be done before, work that has to be done today, and work that will have to be done again tomorrow.”

The commitment to helping the queer community has to happen at all levels. It is important that members of the Haut Saint Laurent are also active in this work. Remi Pelletier from the CDC Haut-Saint-Laurent said, “Community organizations cannot meet the challenge of countering transphobia and homophobia alone. It is together, with the support of our partners and the public, that we can create safe and inclusive environments. The Journée Arc-en-ciel demonstrated that local solidarity can have a profound impact.”

JAG speaks out against homophobia and transphobia Read More »

One councillor is elected at NFSB

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The New Frontiers School Board was among the five English-language school boards to hold elections across the province on November 3.

Anne-Marie Yelle was elected as the commissioner of ward number 6, which includes the territories of Beauharnois, Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois, and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The ten other positions, including nine commissioners and the chair, were all elected by acclamation.

All members of the council of commissioners will be sworn in during a special meeting on Tuesday, November 19, at Howard S. Billings Regional High School in Chateauguay. The council now includes John Ryan, who will serve a second term as chair, as well as Raymond Ledoux, Karin Van Droffelaar, Lina Chouinard, Kenneth Crockett, Cristian Espinosa-Fuentes, Dianne Eastwood, Peter Stuckey, Barbara Ednie, and Connor Stacey.

One councillor is elected at NFSB Read More »

Mosquitos are thriving,and so are mosquito-borne viruses

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

A wet August followed by a warmer-than-usual September has become a perfect combination for an extended mosquito season.

Besides being a nuisance, mosquitos can transmit dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) and the California serogroup virus, as well as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), which has surfaced locally this summer in horses despite generally being considered quite rare.

Chantal Vallée, a senior advisor with the communications and public affairs department at the Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de la Montérégie-Centre, confirms there have been no human cases of EEE reported in the Montérégie to date. She notes, however, that an increase in WNV infections has been detected in the region.

WNV has been endemic or regularly occurring in Quebec since 2002. It is a mandatory reportable disease in Quebec, and the number of cases identified each year are recorded by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. The number of WNV infections tends to increase cyclically every four to five years, and the province is anticipating cases may continue to rise this fall.

As of September 26, there have been 61 cases confirmed across the province, and of those, 26 were diagnosed in the Montérégie. Only 20 cases of WNV were reported in Quebec in 2023, including six in the Montérégie.

Vallée says the Direction de Santé Publique de la Montérégie (DSPM) issued a call for vigilance in August to alert health-care professionals throughout the region to the potential risks posed by these infections.

“In the presence of symptoms affecting the nervous system, health-care professionals are being encouraged to look for these infections by performing the appropriate tests,” says Vallée.

The DSPM also encourages the adoption of preventive measures, especially for people at greater risk of serious illness, including individuals over 50-years-old, and those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer.

Vallée confirms it is important people protect themselves against mosquito bites as long as mosquitos are active this fall.

Mosquitos are thriving,and so are mosquito-borne viruses Read More »

Nomination period for school board elections is now open

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Elections are set to take place this November at the nine English school boards across Quebec.

Notice was officially given on August 22 by the New Frontiers School Board that all eleven positions, including the chairperson and ten commissioners, will be up for election. Nomination papers for those interested in representing an electoral ward must be filed in person at the board office in Chateauguay by 5 p.m. on September 29. Should two or more candidates present themselves for one position, an election will take place on November 3.

“This is about making sure that the voices from the community are being heard, and this comes through the electoral process,” says NFSB director general Mike Helm. He says this public representation is especially important because it allows the board “to respond to the different needs in terms of ensuring the teaching and learning that is going on within our buildings.”

John Ryan, the current chair of the NFSB council of commissioners, says these elections are “probably more important now than ever, because we are under threat to lose this right to represent our community in the way we have over many, many years.”

Ryan has already announced his candidacy for re-election. He says it will be extremely important for eligible residents to vote if an election takes place. “We are the only elected voice for the English community at the provincial level,” he adds. “If we don’t stand up and defend what we have, we are going to lose it.”

All parents of students who were or are currently enrolled in an NFSB school should automatically be eligible to vote. Returning officer Louisa Benvenuti says it is important for recent graduates to check their status. She says several 18-year-olds recently noted that although they graduated from an English school, they had been automatically excluded from the list.

Those who do not have children or whose children do not attend an NFSB school are by default not included on the electoral list. Those in this situation who would like to vote in school board elections must complete a notice of change form, which is available on the NFSB’s elections page on their website (nfsb.qc.ca/elections)

Nomination period for school board elections is now open Read More »

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