The terrible murder of young Thomas Trudel is an electric shock that shakes all the students of the Joseph-François-Perrault school and their families. We cannot, after such a tragedy, relapse into indifference. We must mobilize our energies to give the adolescents of Saint-Michel the means to live in safety in their neighborhood and to flourish there.
So far, our governments have failed in their duty to meet these two goals.
Live in safety …
Joseph-François-Perrault school is located in a disadvantaged neighborhood. About fifteen years ago, the situation was critical. Street gangs spread terror around the school. The management of JFP then requested and obtained a budget to set up prevention programs, in partnership with community organizations in the neighborhood. Such was the success that the school quickly rose to the top of the list of schools with the lowest rates of violent incidents and bullying. For years JFP was a beloved school where students felt safe. So much so that… the budgets allocated to prevention were reduced. Did it take such a drama to understand their usefulness? The bridge built between the school and community organizations to ensure student safety should not be destroyed by short-sighted management.
… blossom
The JFP school is exceptional in other respects: it stands out with an exceptional rate of school perseverance. For a school located in a disadvantaged neighborhood, this is remarkable! This is in part due to the accessible and stimulating programs she has developed. Indeed, it is the secondary school offering musical training to the largest number of teenagers in North America. String orchestras, symphony orchestras, harmonies and choirs allow students to live an experience of surpassing themselves in cooperation with others.
Unfortunately, all of these talents are unfolding in a totally inadequate space. The school was not built to meet the needs of a music program. For 30 years, the school community has been asking for the construction of spaces that can meet its needs. Is it because the school is located in Saint-Michel that his appeals are not heard by the various levels of government?
and dream
In recent years, the project to build a new hall has gained momentum. It is inspired in particular by FuturLab, in Germany, which has developed a cohabitation between the Bremen orchestra and a secondary school located in a disadvantaged district. Here, the artistic community, the Saint-Michel district and the Joseph-François-Perrault school collaborate on an ambitious educational, cultural and citizen project. We can make the connection between the needs of professional musicians, those of neighborhood residents and those of the school. We have a duty to build a space where everyone can flourish.
As some have suggested, the Maison de la musique JFP project could name a space in memory of the young Thomas Trudel. So that the heart of the island is no longer a forgotten enclave, so that young people can flourish there in safety, let’s build a bridge to life and solidarity.
* Letter co-signed with Chantal Bergeron, violinist, Mark Fortier, essayist and editor, and Mathieu Bélisle, essayist and literature teacher, all parents of students from the Joseph-François-Perrault school.