Minister for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers visits the Valley

As part of a province-wide tour to promote a new action plan for community vitality, Ms. Kathleen Weil, the Minister responsible for Access to Information and Reform of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers, spent the day in the Valley on May 14, where she met with over 150 mainly English-speaking citizens from across the Haut-Saint-Laurent. “It is always interesting to meet people who are so proud of their region and so proud of their roots,” said the Minister, during a Town Hall style meeting with around 100 influential members of the local English-speaking community, including municipal mayors and councillors, representatives from the New Frontiers School Board, as well as several community organizations and groups. Upon introducing herself and the role of the recently created Secretariat for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers, which serves as a “link between the government and the English-speaking community and a facilitator in helping to improve access to services across the province,” the Minister opened the floor for questions. The purpose behind her stop in the Valley was to tout the development of a new action plan to support the community vitality of English-speaking Quebecers. With an emphasis on the significance of this type of meeting for influencing policy from the ground up, the Minister promised to bring the concerns echoed by the local community to Quebec. Issues such as access to services in English, the challenges of employability, the retention of young people and the difficulties facing the English school board and schools were all brought to the Minister’s attention. The Minister was accompanied throughout her stop in the Valley by the MNA for Huntingdon and the Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining and Regional Economic Development, Mr. Stéphane Billette. Following the Town Hall meeting, the Ministers enjoyed a visit to the Huntingdon Adult Education and Community Centre, where they met with representatives from the NFSB, and Bryhill Farm in Ormstown, for a discussion with English-speaking members of the Haut-Saint-Laurent UPA. Help for English-speaking farming community “We’d really like to do something for the English-speaking farmers,” said Minister Weil, regarding access to communications and information in English. In a very frank discussion with area farmers, she acknowledged the number of civil servants across the province who are able to speak English has diminished. The Minister also suggested that with regard to accessing information in English, part of the problem lies with what she referred to as silent laws. “In the short term, we right now have to find out what the rules are, and the rules are different depending on the Ministry,” she said, while highlighting the fact not everyone working in government is aware of the laws governing the rights of English-speaking Quebecers and what they allow. In closing out her meeting with the local members of the UPA, she suggested that at a local level, she would look into issues raised specifically relating to communications with the local MAPAQ office in English.