Western Quebec School Board

School boards gearing up for Bill 94 fight

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By Trevor Greenway

While English school boards across the province are celebrating a key victory with Bill 40, another fight is brewing over Bill 94, the province’s extension of Bill 21 that restricts public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job. Bill 94 will extend the law to include all staff and volunteers – including janitors, after-care staffers, volunteers and librarians – from wearing religious symbols at work. 

Bill 21 had a significant impact locally in 2021 after a Chelsea teacher, Fatemeh Anvari, was banned from her Grade 3 classroom for wearing a hijab. The case reignited the debate around Bill 21, and the controversial law is now headed to the Supreme Court of Canada for a constitutional challenge. 

Labadie told the Low Down that the WQSB is hesitant to agree to the bill, as it contains language that could later be used against the school board when Bill 21 heads to the Supreme Court. 

“There’s a lot of language in that bill that if we adopted it as a code of ethics for staff and teachers, it would show that we supported Bill 21, and that we agreed with the policies,” said Labadie. She added that the WQSB lawyers are now parsing through the bill before the board signs off. 

“The last thing we wanted to do was to have this language that was embedded in these blanket laws that we were supposed to adopt as a board to then be used against us.”

Singfield said the extension of Bill 21 is an attack on the school board’s policy on inclusion, equity and diversity. 

“We speak about the importance of honouring the integrity of our diverse population,” Singfield told the Low Down. “We speak about inclusion, we speak about equity and not as things that we check off on boxes on a list, but rather things that we want to cultivate as pillars of our community.”

The legislation would also prohibit Muslim girls from wearing a full-face veil. The bill states that students will be obliged to “have their face uncovered when they are on the premises placed at the disposal of a school, a vocational training centre or adult education centre or a private educational institution.” The bill would also restrict parents from wearing face coverings when picking up their kids from school. 

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 Rest easy, trees

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By Madeline Kerr

Local Journalism Initiative

Students at Wakefield Elementary are on a mission to save the planet, and recently, they’ve scored a major win for the environment.   

On Jan. 27, school principal Julie Greig shared some exciting news with members of The Green Project, a group of students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 who meet weekly to discuss ways to help the environment: The Green Project’s efforts to get one of the school’s outdoor lights turned off at night had been successful. The Low Down was on hand during the announcement and heard the loud roar of the students’ cheers as they heard the news. 

The group’s campaign to get an outdoor light turned off at the school started last year after students were studying the growth of the micro-forest of young, indigenous treesthey had planted next to the building in 2019. Rosemary Millar-Bunch was a Grade 1 student at the time and took part in planting some of the trees with the rest of her class. A few years later, Rosie, as she’s known to her friends, became worried about those trees after she realized that a bright flood light was always shining directly on them at night, meaning that the trees never got to experience darkness. She had learned from her grandmother, Noelle Walsh, that trees need darkness at night the same way humans do: it helps regulate their growth cycles by allowing them to regenerate a key compound known as phytochrome. According to the Astronomical Society of Canada, without darkness, a tree can fail to thrive.  

Rosie decided to do something about it. Last year, when she was in Grade 4, she wrote to her principal explaining her concern and requesting that the light be turned off at night. She was initially told that, for security reasons, it wouldn’t be possible. But Rosie remained determined. This fall, Rosie approached the other members of The Green Project about her concerns and showed them another letter she had drafted, this time citing research she had done online. The rest of the group helped her refine the letter, and everyone signed it. The letter was delivered to principal Greig, adorned with a total of 13 student signatures.

Principal Greig took the letter to the Western Quebec School Board, which agreed that the light could either be redirected away from the trees or turned off entirely. 

In a unanimous vote, the students decided the light should be turned off entirely at night to protect the trees. 

“I am so very proud of the initiative of this group of students,” Greig told the Low Down. “They saw a problem with constant light over the micro-forest, did their research, [and] wrote a professional letter…They have learned how to be advocates for the environment.”

“This is a sign that we can act and do something,” Rosie told the Low Down. “It’s possible that we, young people, can make a real change.” 

The Green Project members now have their sights set on more advocacy work. They want to educate other students about caring for trees on the school property and they also want to put out a wider call to the community to “step up,” as one student put it. 

“Wakefield is a small community, and we are all good friends,” Grade 6 student Alyssa Carle told the Low Down. 

“We have all got to figure out how to work together to make it a better place. The Green Project gives me hope.” The students are also working with Wakefield artist cj fleury to decorate a chair that will be installed in the La Pêche municipal chambers to represent the youth voice on issues relating to the environment. 

La Pêche mayor Guillaume Lamoureux, who visited The Green Project during their weekly meeting on Feb. 3, proposed the idea of the chair based on a similar installation known as the “Chair of the Generations” inside Gatineau City Hall. 

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WQSB schools combatting verbal aggression in class

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by Zenith Wolfe

Local Journalism Initiative

As Canadian school teachers and staff continue to grapple with verbal aggression in classrooms, several Outaouais school boards are taking action with anti-violence weeks and regional committees against classroom incivility.

In 2024, the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ) surveyed over 5,000 Quebec school staff to determine how often they were abused during the 2023-2024 school year. A third of respondents reported at least one instance of physical abuse, while around 40 per cent were subject to verbal or other non-physical abuse, such as shouting, offensive comments or intimidation. Ninety per cent of staff who reported abuse that year said students are the main instigators, the survey says.

George Singfield is director-general of the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB), which oversees 31 schools, adult education centres and vocational training centres across the province. He hesitates to speak about an increase in verbal aggression at his schools, but says he’s witnessed an increase in verbal aggression from all Canadians over his 38-year education career.

“In 1985 when I started as a teacher, did I see students who were verbally aggressive? Absolutely,” he says. “Where I see the difference is that it’s become more of a thing in our society.”

“Schools are a microcosm of society,” he continues. “The message we don’t want to give is that it’s okay to be verbally aggressive.” 

According to a 2024 Brock University study that compared student behaviours from fall 2019 and 2022, school children are also becoming less civil in classrooms. Forty-two per cent of surveyed teachers said they witnessed students interrupting each other, texting during class, arriving late or packing up early. This is up from six per cent before the pandemic. 

The WQSB director general says their schools are taking proactive measures to prevent aggression, such as ongoing anti-bullying campaigns. Singfield also met with Quebec Ministry of Education representatives in mid-February to discuss their upcoming anti-violence week, taking place from March 17 to 21. Singfield could not provide specifics on the event because it’s still under discussion.

WQSB chairwoman Joanne Labadie says these kinds of events help remind parents about their schools’ strict anti-violence policies.

“I think that if you look at our data, our schools are very safe and there are very few incidents. But it’s always something we should keep on our radar to address when they come up,” Labadie says.

Employee assistance and counselling resources are also available to all WQSB staff members who are verbally abused, Singfield says.

“It’s part of their job to deal with all kinds of situations, but staff shouldn’t deal with it alone. The last thing we want to do is leave a staff member feeling isolated,” he says.

The Centre de services scolaire des Draveurs (CSSD) founded a regional committee in fall 2024 to combat uncivil classroom behaviour. Though the WQSB is not a part of this committee, Singfield says he’s informally discussed it with CSSD representatives.

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WQSB cuts $1.1M from budget

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By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The head of the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) says he isn’t worried about the $1.1 million he is being forced to cut from his budget, but he is concerned about how another round of expected cuts this spring will affect students. 

WQSB Executive Director George Singfield told a group of school board commissioners Jan. 28 that while the plan to cut more than half a million dollars in salaries, plus another $500,000 elsewhere won’t affect students this year, he doesn’t see how the school board can cut more without disadvantaging students. 

“We could all make the argument that everything that we’re doing – this meeting – should be impacting students, frankly, indirectly, in a different way than standing in front of a classroom in front of students,” Singfield said during a public school board commissioners meeting Jan. 28. “However, there’s an impact, and so how do we minimize that impact?” 

Singfield continued. “And as we are asked to cut more, that becomes more challenging and difficult, and hopefully it won’t be as bad as some people think it will be, but we turn on the news, whether it’s French media, English media in Quebec, you’re hearing about cuts everywhere. This is not exclusive to education. This is everywhere.”

The WQSB cuts are part of the Quebec Education Ministry’s effort to cut $200 million from its overall budget by March 31, and while Singfield praised his commissioners for finding savings in things like caretaking contracts, salaries and board training, he worries about where to make future cuts. 

His commissioners presented a detailed financial plan during the meeting, where it was revealed that the $1.1 million reduction this year is a “one shot” savings, meaning they can’t cut the same amount from their budget every year. According to commissioners, recurring savings will only amount to approximately $361,000 every year.

“The concern is going to be if the government comes back in April and says, ‘By the way, now here’s round two,’ and then if we come back in September and they say, ‘Here’s round three,’ and then come back again and again. I hope that doesn’t happen, but I would be very, very surprised if we don’t see more cuts coming.”

Part of the challenge, according to Singfield and his commissioners, is that the province’s mandate to slash budgets came with the caveat that the cuts couldn’t affect students. And if you look at the list of cuts, it’s nearly impossible to imagine that these changes do not affect students. 

Half a million in salaries is being cut; a school psychologist won’t be replaced and the school board is losing its important lunch program for low-income students. 

 “We require a lot more help than we used to,” said Lord Aylmer school commissioner Cathy Goldsbrough during the meeting. “We need psychologists, sociologists, we need all kinds of people involved because the schools are raising a lot of the children. It’s not just a family situation in many cases. So we need a huge support network.” She suggested that commissioners each write a letter to the Ministry of Education to show how future cuts would have a “dramatic” impact on students.

“As taxpayers, and everyone here is a taxpayer, these are services that are essential,” she said. “They’re not philosophical.”

WQSB Commissioner chair Joanne Labadie questioned the Quebec government’s priorities, namely in its 2024 fall economic statement, in which politicians announced a $22 billion deficit and an additional $2 billion investment to “address the housing crisis.” She argues that housing, health, and education all fit together. 

“When you increase housing to address the housing crisis, education and healthcare go hand in hand,” said Labadie. “It’s fine to build new homes, but new schools and new education infrastructure and healthcare services come with it.”

Singfield said while the cuts are challenging, they only represent less than one per cent of the school board’s overall budget. 

He said he sees it as an “opportunity” to become a more efficient school board. However, there’s a limit to the services his school board can cut, and they’re close to that limit already. 

CAQ MNA for Gatineau Robert Bussiére did not return the Low Down’s calls for comment. 

WQSB Budget cuts by March 31
  • More than half a million dollars in salary cuts
  • $182,000 reduction in caretaking contract fees
  • $65,000 reduction by cleaning exterior windows every two years instead of annually
  • $200,000 reduction in not hiring four professionals for half a year
  • $30,000 reduction by not replacing a school psychologist who is on extended leave
  • $31,900 reduction in training and travel costs for staff

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Calling all parents! School cuts on the agenda

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By Trevor Greenway

A local school board commissioner is asking for parents’ help to figure out how to cut nearly $1 million from the education budget without affecting students. 

Chelsea Elementary School Board commissioner Caryl Green told the Low Down that staff from the Western Quebec School Board will present their proposed budget cuts at its January board meeting, and she’s calling on parents and the general public to get involved and have a say in the region’s education plans. 

“The WQSB must cut $906,000 for the remainder of the 2024–2025 fiscal year. Staff will present the commissioners with their proposed cuts at our January meeting for discussion and approval,” Green told the Low Down. 

“It is important for parents with children in the WQSB system, and the community at large, to be aware of the consequences that, for example, a complete hiring freeze and no further spending for school expansion projects could have on their children’s education,” she said. “Although the government states that the budget cuts should not have a direct impact on student services, the reality is that they will impact education now and for years to come.”

The cuts are part of wider provincial austerity measures that will see $200 million cut from the education system. Green said the cuts represent 0.6 per cent of the WQSB budget. 

Other schools in the Outaouais – including French school service centres – will also see cuts. The Portages-de-l’Outaouais (CSSPO) board will be forced to reduce its expenses by $2,164,556.08. 

Green also said that, while the details of the cuts are not yet clear, a number of portable buildings that were planned for Chelsea Elementary will no longer happen. 

The upcoming Jan. 28 board meeting is open to the public and is offered both in-person or virtually. Those who wish to attend can show up to 15 Rue Katimavik in Gatineau at 7 p.m. or log on virtually. Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP 24 hours before the meeting via the website at www.westernquebec.ca 

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School board to cut nearly $1M from budget

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By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

A local school board commissioner says that it will be impossible to cut nearly $1 million from its budget without affecting students. 

Chelsea Elementary school board commissioner Caryl Green told the Low Down that the province’s Ministry of Education has ordered the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) to chop $960,000 from its budget by March 31, 2025 – without affecting students. 

“It is concerning, because we have to make cuts with no direct impact on students, but everything we do has an impact on our students,” said Green. “The impacts could touch Indigenous education, support for rural schools and even the extra resources for schools with high socio-economic needs.”

The cuts are part of wider provincial austerity measures that will see $200 million cut from the education system. Green said the cuts represent 0.6 per cent of the WQSB budget. 

Other schools in the Outaouais – including French school service centres – will also see cuts. The Portages-de-l’Outaouais (CSSPO) board will be forced to reduce its expenses by $2,164,556.08. 

Green said commissioners aren’t sure yet where the cuts will come, however she did say that a number of portable buildings that were planned for Chelsea school will no longer happen. Green said the current board hiring freeze won’t help either. 

“This is just for the fiscal year, and then there’ll be a new budget in April from Quebec,” said Green. “But certainly, education has taken a big, big hit.”

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