Quebec On The Move / Quebec en Mouvement
Summary
TLDRThe video script details the experiences of various community organizers in Montreal, Quebec, highlighting their involvement in social movements like healthcare, housing, and legal rights. It discusses the establishment of community centers, the impact of language on activism, and the importance of collaboration and consultation in building strong social movements. Personal narratives from organizers, including a co-founder of a community project and a retired railroad worker involved in the Chinese Canadian redress movement, underscore the challenges and successes in advocating for change.
Takeaways
- 🏠 The T del Fuego is a community resource center in Lennoxville that has evolved into a hub for community engagement and learning.
- 🌟 The speaker was involved in various social movements including healthcare, anti-poverty, and legal rights, highlighting the interconnectedness of community issues.
- 👥 Montreal's租房者占比高达80%, making housing a central issue for social movements in the city.
- 👵 The speaker's work in healthcare, particularly with the elderly and those needing home care, led to their involvement in organizing a significant nonprofit rooming house project.
- 🌱 The Lennoxville District Women's Center was established to support English-speaking women, especially those experiencing domestic violence and needing services in a French-dominant region.
- 🛤️ The speaker's involvement with the Chinese Canadian community included leadership roles in redress committees, reflecting a commitment to historical justice and community empowerment.
- 📊 The Belmar commission was a response to community mobilization against racial injustice and police brutality, leading to a report that acknowledged systemic issues.
- 🏭 The speaker advocated for worker rights, especially for those in dangerous working conditions, through unionization and education.
- 🌐 International connections were fostered to support labor rights, showing the global nature of social justice movements.
- 🌈 The script discusses the importance of community building through consultation and shared vision, emphasizing the role of consensus in social movements.
- 🗣️ Language and cultural differences are highlighted as both challenges and strengths in the Quebec context, affecting how social movements are organized and perceived.
Q & A
What was the T del Fuego project in Lennoxville?
-The T del Fuego was a community project in Lennoxville that served as a resource center, common house, and a source for community engagement, learning, and positive social experiences.
How did the speaker become involved in healthcare movements and housing projects?
-The speaker was involved in healthcare movements and housing projects due to their work in the healthcare sector, specifically with elderly people who needed home care and often lived in rooming houses.
What was the Middleton Park project, and what role did the speaker play in it?
-The Middleton Park project was a significant nonprofit rooming house project in the city. The speaker was the resource person and organizer, helping to make it one of the largest of its kind.
Why was the Lennoxville District Women's Center established?
-The Lennoxville District Women's Center was established to provide support to English-speaking women, particularly those experiencing domestic violence or needing to access services without speaking French.
How did the speaker contribute to the Chinese Canadian redress movement?
-The speaker contributed by serving as the chairman of the M redress committee, Vice chair of the National redress committee, and co-chair of the Chinese Canadian redress Alliance, which helped regroup organizations across various Canadian cities.
What was the Belmar commission, and why was it significant?
-The Belmar commission was established to study the relationship between young black youth and the police in Quebec. It was significant because it led to the Belmar report, which highlighted the issues and contributed to the community's mobilization for change.
How did the speaker's work with unions in Trinidad influence the labor sector in Quebec?
-The speaker helped internationalize the thought process of workers in Quebec by making connections with unions in Trinidad, which led to workers standing up for their rights and improving working conditions.
What was the role of the Quebec women's movement in raising consciousness about gender issues?
-The Quebec women's movement played a significant role in raising consciousness about gender issues by spearheading the movement that spread worldwide, encouraging people to become aware of the issues and promoting change.
How did the speaker's involvement in the Bread and Roses women's march impact their perspective on activism?
-The speaker's involvement in the Bread and Roses women's march provided a total immersion experience into the Quebec women's movement, opening their eyes to the strength of the network of women's organizations and the importance of community engagement.
What challenges do social movements in Quebec face in terms of language and cultural differences?
-Social movements in Quebec face challenges due to language barriers and cultural differences, which can lead to a lack of understanding between anglophone and francophone communities, as well as between different minority groups.
What advice does the speaker have for those engaging in community work and activism?
-The speaker advises those engaging in community work and activism to understand their involvement as part of a long-term struggle, to build respectful and effective relationships, and to engage in the political process to have a voice in their community.
Outlines
🏠 Community Building and Advocacy in Lennoxville
The speaker reflects on their role as a co-founder of the T del Fuego, a community resource center in Lennoxville. Over the years, it evolved into a hub for community engagement, learning, and positive social experiences. The speaker's involvement in healthcare, particularly with home care for the elderly and chronically ill, positioned them well for organizing a significant nonprofit rooming house project in Montreal. They also discuss their involvement with the Lennoxville District Women's Center, which supports English-speaking women facing domestic violence and other challenges. The narrative highlights the importance of community organizing and the intersection of various social movements.
🌟 Impactful Activism and Community Mobilization
The speaker discusses their experience with community mobilization in response to the Anthony Griffin case, where a lack of legal accountability led to organized protests and the formation of the Belmar commission to study the relationship between young black youth and the police. The narrative also touches on the speaker's work in labor rights, particularly with workers from Gaspé who faced hazardous working conditions. Through union support and education, they helped improve conditions and raise awareness about workers' rights. The speaker emphasizes the importance of community consultation and collaboration in building strong social movements.
🌐 Bridging Cultural and Linguistic Divides in Activism
The speaker highlights the importance of consultation and collaboration in community building, particularly within the francophone community in Quebec. They reflect on their experiences as an anglophone in Quebec, noting the challenges and the importance of language in political engagement. The narrative discusses the speaker's involvement in various social movements, including the Quebec women's movement, and the cultural shock experienced when engaging with different communities. The speaker also addresses the disconnect between social movements in Quebec and the rest of North America, emphasizing the need for a broader understanding and collaboration across linguistic and cultural lines.
🌱 Nurturing Grassroots Activism and Building Alliances
The speaker shares insights on the importance of grassroots activism and the challenges faced by minority communities within Quebec. They discuss the need for tolerance and understanding among different linguistic and cultural groups, and the importance of involving immigrants and other minority communities in social and political struggles. The narrative also touches on the speaker's dream of an alliance between different communities, emphasizing the shared struggles and the potential strength in unity. Advice is offered for those involved in community work, focusing on long-term engagement, self-care, and the importance of building respectful and effective relationships within activism.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Community Project
💡Social Movements
💡Housing
💡Home Care
💡Nonprofit
💡Grassroots
💡Redress Movement
💡Labor Rights
💡Feminism
💡Cultural Identity
💡Activism
Highlights
The T del Fuego project in Lennoxville serves as a community resource center and common house.
The project has evolved into a source for community engagement and positive social experiences.
Individuals involved in healthcare, clinic, anti-poverty, and legal rights movements are part of the same community.
Montreal's focus on housing due to 80% of the population being renters.
The speaker's work in healthcare, particularly with the elderly and those needing home care, influenced their community involvement.
Middleton Park Project's focus on organizing a large nonprofit rooming house project.
The speaker's role as a resource person and organizer in the community.
The Lennoxville District Women's Center was established to support English-speaking women facing domestic violence and accessing services.
The importance of community consultation and collaboration in building a shared vision for social movements.
The Chinese Canadian redress movement's efforts to address historical injustices.
The impact of the Belmar commission on studying the relationship between young black youth and the police.
The challenges faced by workers in Quebec, particularly in terms of safety and working conditions.
The role of unions in advocating for workers' rights in Quebec.
The influence of Quebec's women's movement on raising consciousness and promoting change.
The linguistic and cultural differences between francophone and anglophone communities in Quebec.
The importance of engaging in the political process and participating in community events for social change.
The speaker's experience with the Quebec women's movement and the March de la femme.
The challenges of language and cultural barriers in social movements within Quebec and the rest of Canada.
The need for collaboration between different linguistic and cultural groups for stronger social movements.
Advice for community organizers to think long-term and maintain healthy relationships within activism.
Transcripts
[Music]
I was co-founder of a community Project
based in lennoxville called the T del
Fuego which is a kind of community
resource center and
um common house and slowly over the
years it
became uh it's still in existence um and
it has
become a kind of source uh for to find
community and to
um
learn uh different things and have um
positive social EXP experiences the same
people were to some degree were involved
in say Healthcare movements or clinic
movements and he and and and uh
anti-poverty movements and legal rights
movements are all sort of the same gang
who would be involved in housing
Montreal is also a city of renters right
at that time you have 80% of the
population is renting so if you're going
to have a social movement in around
questions of Housing and Urban it's
going to focus on housing and uh given
my work I was working in the healthcare
sector at that point but I I was working
in the neighborhood and I was working
more specifically with people who needed
home care and that was a population that
was elderly and had a lot of chronic
illnesses so being in the neighborhood I
I was in daily contact with that group
of people who a lot of them who lived in
rooming houses and then when the
middlton park project starts um then I I
uh I apply for the for the job and I to
some degree I'm well suited because I
know the neighborhood I know the people
and then I end up as the as the person
who help helps organize probably and
remains probably the largest nonprofit
rooming house project in the city okay
and I was I was the the the the the Su I
was the resource person in the organizer
in 1980/81 around then so very much the
same juncture it was just when I had
recently moved to lennoxville I wanted
to feel part of the community I was
stretching uh my wings and um there was
a group of women who wanted to to
establish a center that would Pro
provide all kinds of support to
English-speaking women Grassroots people
from the Township's Community they felt
english- speaking women need a hand when
they are experiencing domestic violence
when they want to access services and
they don't speak French and they phone
the government of Quebec so I jumped on
that I thought that was amazing great
great great project and uh it wasn't me
who dreamt it up but I was in with the
women who started it up and that was the
Lennox villan District women Center
which is thriving to the St as and as
you know when you came to the to that
region in the '90s you got involved and
made a huge impact on the Women's
[Music]
Center I used to work for the railroad
in the fine tradition of uh Chinese
Canadians uh but now I'm retired I was
the uh the chairman of the uh M redress
committee I was the uh Vice chair in the
National redress committee and I was
also the co-chair of the Chinese
Canadian redress Alliance which uh was
later formed to regroup uh organizations
in Halifax Montreal Toronto Quebec City
uh Winnipeg Edmonton and out in
Vancouver I think we we probably had a
strong redress movement Quebec due to
the
individuals uh that were
participating uh there was meu there was
Walter Tom there was Jack Le people
involved with the Chinese Canadian
Community leaders in the in the
community uh that was myself was able to
offer my organizational skills we did
get the support of the block
bequa and I think their support was more
in opposition to the government but
nevertheless uh it was I think it was
quite significant that we had this
strong movement here in
[Music]
Quebec at the
time the community got mobilized to
really um answer to that um we met with
the parents of Anthony Griffin who hired
a lawyer to be able to um defend the
situation unfortunately Alan gasset um
was
um freed and um not accused of uh murder
and they said that could be an accident
or whatever and that wasn't taken um by
us so um there were a lot of U
manifestations going on that were
organized to be able to protest a lot of
protest to be able to do that to some
extent I think the people who are more
um um less emotional or looking more
towards having a solution to something
the Belmar commission came in to really
study the situation and study the the
the the relationship between young black
youth and the police so in 88 we're
going to get the Belmar report which
will give you an idea of what the
situation was the mobilization was able
to um get us to be able to GE ourselves
to some things and the community
answered in the sense that um the
politics answered also they created the
BMA commission they did that they did
the study and they came up with the
results and says okay there's definitely
a problem
there because in Quebec the majority of
people that I work with which is people
from gaspi or gaspan they were very
timid towards what you call like the
bosses the working conditions were very
very what you call like uh were very bad
okay they would let you work in certain
environment with no
mask there your life was in danger there
was no safety
whatsoever it wasn't a
consideration exactly MH right so uh we
were able to fought against and fight
against domination
again and we able to shed a light so
that the
bosses through the union were able to
stand up for the rights of these people
for our workingclass people obviously
you did some education with these men
that you were working with did you make
links between them and the Union in
Trinidad at that time of course I did of
course I did of course I so you helped
internationalize their thought process
about what was going on that's right in
the labor sector here in Quebec yes yes
how did you make the connection well uh
the connection was be made by visits you
visited they went went to Trinidad or no
I went to Trinidad you went to Trinidad
okay yeah and uh I I we exchanged what
you call documents usually you know
people think oh it's a woman's work to
buy the groceries to to cook to clean
it's beginning to change now not fast
enough but it's beginning to change so
this is what we did in the 70s we
brought about a way of Consciousness
raising so that people become aware of
the issues because this this was a
movement that was really started by the
feder Quebec yes so the Quebec women
frankophone women they spearheaded it
and it spread worldwide into something
like 169 countries yeah uh and our
little part the the English-speaking w
women in in what was then the little
bilingual town of lenville yeah next to
this bigger mediumsized city of of
sherbrook we were really a minority
within this this whole big
[Music]
movement at the end of my my years at
Migel it was
1995 and it was the summer that they
were doing the uh March de fam the
women's March the bread and Roses
women's March from from Montreal to
Quebec City I couldn't go the whole way
to Quebec City cuz I had to come back
and go to work but it was a total
immersion for me in the sort of Quebec
women's movement Super K quas very
militant and just like a whole other
world that I I didn't know anything
about so getting involved in that I I
heard about like women's groups from all
over the province and and and it was in
the Years Around the
referendum and so there was a lot of
talk about that kind of stuff and as an
angle phone who wanted to live in
Montreal but had grown up outside it was
a whole eye openening thing to talk to
people about what their thoughts were
about the referendum and this kind of
stuff was really impressed at how strong
that network of women's organizations
was but I also lived a little bit of
culture shock I think maybe one thing
that's maybe not language so much is the
way in which the two communities work
and something I've learned a lot from
working with groups like ax G and even
for a while with the um little burgundy
Coalition is that con is a much more
important part of
frankophone um uh Community Building
than it is in the angle phone Community
I think at least in my own experience
that um and it used to maybe when I
first started engaging maybe sometimes
it frustrated me a little bit because I
thought it was a lot of meetings and a
lot of sitting around talking but I
realize that's a very very important
part of um of social movements that
people sit down and consult collaborate
Envision build build a shared Vision um
and that's what makes a community
movement strong and I think if you skip
that and try to go too fast um it's it
you're not going to be able to uh have
as much momentum or have as much
involvement as when you really reach out
and try to get people to sit around
and think about talk about what what the
vision is There's issues of course you
know within Quebec Street movements face
massive repression but I do think that
street movements here do play a more
important role in the political debates
with of Quebec Society whereas in the
rest of Canada you know as I was
describing you know as say for example a
teenager who was interested in activism
I could never find sort of the the
Grassroots context through which to
express and participate in the political
ideas that I was being drawn to and when
I came here to Montreal you could
immediately see a a possibility to do
that and I was very very excited about
[Music]
that one of the aspects of Quebec is
that we have two minorities here both
both the linguistic majority sees itself
as a minority in The Wider cont and the
linguistic minority obviously sees
itself as a minority minority in the
Quebec context yeah um so so maybe
tolerance is a little bit of a a
challenge for both of us sure Toler sure
very very very valid point that you
start to see how all these issues
intersect in everybody and at different
moments of your life and in different
context you're playing out different
roles and there's always the native
people to remember and the languages of
the native people don't even figure in
any of this discussion it's always
English French yeah due to the National
question I think Quebec is more insular
to minority struggles predominant
preoccupation was culture identity and
language but for minorities uh you know
we we can't wait uh for the uh majority
culture to uh to resolve it it its
issues uh and and we have to push on you
know for our own issues for our own
struggles I I live to see that um
when R came into
power that uh what he did he uh what you
call he
ejected what you call like uh the fren
solidarity into the Working Class People
of Montreal and people in general he
made french more dominant towards the
people and uh I think it been a very
good thing also because it gave each and
every one of the people it a chance to
to learn
French and to work in French also in
English when we started let's say from
74 um we started the black youth
Committee of utat which was part of that
whole BCC AQ concept the Outreach coming
out of
NCC um we had meetings in English and in
French when I went to the NCC and we had
the yoia basketball teams and all that
was being done was mainly and um in
English but at the same time I was part
of that um how do I say that networking
so once you into networking uh we
created Quebec multipl for example that
I was part of and that was being done in
French I think when you get beyond the
sort of one-on-one kind of level and
you're trying to participate
in in um provincial level stuff or or
Coalition level stuff it becomes a
little more difficult if your French is
not really strong sometimes just the
pace of the conversation and the slang
and stuff like that can be hard to
follow and it can be hard to jump in at
the right moment because you're still
processing and there's not always a real
sensitivity to that whether you're angle
phone or if you speak other languages
whatever it's just at a higher level of
activity and they're Rolling Along so it
can be hard to insert yourself I do see
this very intense disconnect that exists
between social movements in the rest of
North America and Quebec because I'm an
anglophone in Quebec I have often gone
to other parts of Canada and the United
States to share what movements are doing
here in English because so much was
happening in French and then and then
within Quebec social movements there's a
lack of understanding of the
complexities of English rooted social
movements linguistically speaking within
Canada or in the United States right
like for example I think that language
is part of the reason why we are not
seeing more Grassroots response to uh
hands up or I can't breathe
demonstrations that are happening just 6
hours south from us in New York activist
groups in in in in the US are always
really interested in Quebec and there's
always this tension in the rest of
Canada right and I understand where that
comes from but I I think that of anybody
progressives should sort of try to get
over
that my dream is to see an alliance I
have been very involved in the lsq
community but still the lsq community
not everyone but some in the community
like my peers they are very supportive
open-minded and understanding of ASL and
lsq working together in regards to the
issues but some politically speaking for
example they might might see me as
threatening because of my support for
diversity be it the importance of
involving immigrants involving the ASL
Community as well as gay and lesbian
rights groups but for those who are KCA
pin are very protective of their lsq
language and resist outside influence
but you want power of votes freedom of
expression de rights we already have our
own common struggles of De issues within
a system that has not been listening to
us as Citizens and to continually be
focused on issues only relating to lsq
takes away from Death issues similarly
occurring in both communities if we work
together we are greater in numbers and
therefore stronger as a whole we can
come together and vote on the same
issues because really our struggles are
the same the only difference is our
language while maybe in terms of
Oppression there are some differences as
well
I I think it's very very very important
to uh to be part of the political
process to engage join things um go to
go to demonstrations go
to events that are happening that help
you learn more about what's going on in
your community and how you can have a
voice in it in terms of um advice to
anyone who's doing um Community work
organizing and so for is to really think
in terms of who's coming behind um to
always try to have a group together and
not direct the group but let the group
direct itself I think one thing that's
really useful is
to try and understand how your
involvement is connected to a longer
term struggle so to try and see it as
part of a as part of a movement and not
just an event or not just a
campaign keep
grounded take care of
yourself so that we can build
relationships that are
respectful and that are really
effective part of the struggle of
activist movements is to try to think
about how we as people can be involved
in these things for long-term in healthy
ways and also that the relationships we
have within activism are decent and and
loving and and you know and based on on
the humanity that we are trying to
express the only thing I can say is
learning from my own experience is is is
is to know yourself and to know and to
know your
struggle so that you
can participate in it wholeheartedly
[Music]
a a
[Music]
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