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A Word from West Quebecers' New President
by Shaun Peppy
Shortly after assuming the
Presidency of the Regional Association of West Quebecers (RAWQ) a few weeks ago
a friend of mine directed a critical comment towards my new position by veiling
it as a light-hearted joke in a way only a friend can do. He said, “So, you now
represent the most well-off minority in the world.”
This is not an unfamiliar comment when discussing
organizations like RAWQ who represent the English-speaking communities of
Quebec. In many ways there
is truth behind my friend’s comment: we have many strengths upon which to build
our community. In West Quebec, most English-speakers enjoy a relatively high
quality of life, high average incomes, access to quality schools, and positive
links to the larger French-speaking community. However, this is not always
the case, which is why the West Quebecers are an important and relevant
organization.
In Quebec, inevitable conflicts arise when the legitimate desire to preserve and promote the French language clashes with the desire of the English-speaking minority to sustain its ability to thrive. There are real challenges uniquely faced by English-speakers in Quebec, and indeed all linguistic minorities everywhere. Too many of our high school and post-secondary graduates are leaving West Quebec for Ontario and other provinces because they have difficulty finding jobs in their home region. Many skilled English-speakers are reluctant to move to the region because of both real and perceived challenges in integrating into a predominantly French-speaking community. Despite paying taxes to municipal governments, it is often difficult for English-speakers to receive services and information in their own language. Too many English-speakers are using the hospitals and other health and social services on the Ottawa side of the river because they can not always receive the standard of care they expect and deserve in their own province. While our community is rich with artists, our region lacks the types of community-based venues needed to display local culture.
Addressing these five issues will serve as RAWQ’s priorities in the coming year. I have already begun working on an initiative that should eventually result in a permanent network of young English-speakers from across the province that will enable them to collectively address their own challenges. RAWQ will continue delivering it’s New Residents Program, which is aimed at welcoming and orienting new comers to our region. We will continue to work with the City of Gatineau to ensure that it is able to provide a better level of English services to its English-speaking citizens. The City of Ottawa and cities in New Brunswick have already received funding from the federal government to help them provide better services to French-speakers. We hope to see Gatineau receive similar funds in the near future. RAWQ is one year into facilitating a five year Networking Partnership Initiative aimed at improving access to English health and social services throughout the Outaouais. Finally, RAWQ will continue to support local cultural activity and help build much needed venues.
Having sat on RAWQ’s Board of Directors for six years and serving for one year as Vice- President I have seen that the association can be an agent of positive change in our community in all five of these areas. Because we are a volunteer driven organization I encourage anyone interested in the many fields of activity that RAWQ is involved in to contact us and help us build a better community. I look forward to hearing from you in the coming year!