recruitment

Montreal Police Seek Greater Diversity in Recruitment Effort

Local Journalism Initiative / Nouvelles Parc-Extension News / February 21, 2025 / Dimitris Ilias-LJI journalist In a recent development that has resonated within the community of Park-Extension, Diversity, LJI reporter, Montreal police, recruitment

Dimitris Ilias
LJI Journalist

The Montreal Police Service (SPVM) has launched a recruitment initiative aimed at increasing diversity within its ranks, a move that could have particular significance for neighborhoods like Parc-Extension, where multicultural representation in law enforcement has long been a subject of discussion.
The provincial program, AEC Diversité policière et profil social, is designed to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds and those with expertise in social sciences. The initiative targets two main groups: individuals from underrepresented communities who hold a college diploma (DEC) or a bachelor’s degree, and graduates in social sciences whose knowledge could contribute to more community-focused policing.
Successful applicants will undergo a 30-week training program in policing techniques, followed by 15 weeks of patrol and law enforcement training at the École nationale de police du Québec (ENPQ). Upon completion, they will be eligible to join the SPVM, which offers more than 150 different career paths within law enforcement.
The effort reflects a broader trend within police forces across Canada to improve relations with ethnically diverse communities by hiring officers who can better understand cultural nuances, language barriers, and social challenges. In neighborhoods such as Parc-Extension, where many residents are immigrants or first-generation Canadians, interactions with police have often been marked by concerns over racial profiling and a lack of representation.
Community advocates have previously called for more officers with backgrounds that reflect the populations they serve, arguing that a more diverse force can improve trust and cooperation between law enforcement and the public. The SPVM has acknowledged these concerns in the past and has introduced various measures aimed at strengthening ties with different communities.
With applications now open, the program presents an opportunity for those interested in law enforcement to step into a career that could help shape the future of policing in Montreal. Whether the initiative will lead to meaningful change in community relations remains to be seen, but the SPVM’s latest recruitment drive signals an acknowledgment of the importance of diversity in policing.

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Strike by CSN-affiliated daycare educators

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 29, 2025 / CPE, CSN, daycare, gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie, recruitment, stike

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – On January 23, at least 150 of the 300 daycare educators in the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands, affiliated with the CSN union, demonstrated in the streets of Gaspé, to activate the renewal of the collective labour agreement, which expired on March 31, 2023.

As a result, parents who have children attending one of the 12 early childhood centres (CPE) in the region had to find alternative childcare for the day.

This is the first day of strike action out of five adopted last fall. “It’s satisfying to see so many educators mobilized. This proves to us that almost all early childhood educators need better working conditions, better support for children in difficulty, and better pedagogical support. They need better working conditions in general,” states the president of the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Central Council of the CSN, Serge Saint-Pierre.

CPEs are struggling to recruit workers, as is the case for the new 71-place facility in Chandler, which is only operating at 25% of its capacity due to the inability to recruit enough staff.

“We see that in large centres, educators are leaving to go work at places like Walmart or Costco, where they are paid more and the workload is much less,” explains Mr. Saint-Pierre.

“If we want economic development, if we want regional development, one of the problems we see is the lack of places in early childhood. The government can resolve this issue and make it a priority. That’s what it said it would do a few years ago. We’re still waiting for the results,” says Mr. Saint-Pierre.

The educators also visited the office of Gaspé Member of the National Assembly Stéphane Sainte-Croix to present their demands.

“We need early childhood centres. The network isn’t sick, but we’re having trouble retaining workers and attracting them to fill vacant positions. It’s having an impact on the region’s economy to accommodate the children of parents looking for work. Workers aren’t returning to the workforce because there aren’t any daycare spaces,” explained Mr. Saint-Pierre.

At the negotiating table, some sector-specific issues have been resolved, but no salary offers have been made by the employer.

Meanwhile, other CPE workers’ unions have settled with the Quebec government. “It’s a matter for the negotiating committee. Why did Quebec settle with the small CPE unions and not make a final offer with the CSN? We have the impression that they want to drag out the negotiations,” believes Gaétan Leblanc, regional vice-president of the CSN’s Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux.

The union still has four more strike days that can be used as needed.

The workers are demanding a lighter workload, better pay to ensure attraction and retention, regional disparity bonuses for employees in certain remote regions and measures to improve the quality of services to children. These include clear and respected ratios between the number of educators and children, as well as better support for children with special needs.

In Quebec, 13,000 educators affiliated with the CSN were on strike on January 23.

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