Bread, roses and forests

There is something beautiful that is preparing in Quebec tomorrow, in these mothers who organize this march, “Bread and forests”. If you hear in “Bread and Forests” the echo of the “Bread and Roses” march led by Françoise David, you are not dreaming. It’s desired.

It is the alliance of two groups of mothers, who have recently been active. On the one hand, Ma place au travail, which, as its name does not indicate, has been demanding more childcare spaces for the past year. On the other, Mothers at the front, which warns of the climate emergency.

Ma place au travail has been led by Myriam Lapointe-Gagnon for the past year. Mothers at the front, by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, for two years. For Mother’s Day, the two women were dreaming, each on their side, of a brilliant action.

It was MLG who contacted ABL, after asking Françoise David if an alliance of the two groups was a good idea. This is how “Bread and Forests” was born.

In this image, something links the two types of concern that occupy our minds. Immediate concern (bread): the end of the month, work, daycare. The existential concern (the forest): the destruction of life, which is both abstract and concrete.

In separate interviews, the two women speak to me of Françoise David with warm deference. “Bread and Roses”, led by M^me David in 1995, a walk that saw thousands of women marching towards Quebec for ten days, made an impression. M^me David will be on “Bread and Forests” on Sunday.

Myriam Lapointe-Gagnon is not a contemporary of the “Bread and Roses” march, she was a child when the president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec organized it. But she saw a documentary on the event: “I found it incredible and I saw links to make with My place at work. In both cases, it is a question of the decline of women, of fighting against women’s poverty. »

The link between daycare and poverty? Well, everywhere in Quebec, children do not have a place in daycare services. Result: statistically, it is mainly the mother who stays at home to take care of the child, it is more often she who cannot return to work, who puts her career on ice. Result, again: the lack of places creates greater financial precariousness among women…

Both on the side of Ma place au travail and on the side of Mères au front, there is frustration with political power, the haunting impression that on daycare places as for the targets for reducing GHG emissions, the State didn’t do all he could do.

Anaïs: “Our two groups recognized each other in the feeling of being fooled, too, of not being recognized. When mothers get angry, it’s because history is coming to an end, we’re close to the wall. We said to ourselves: we can be lovingly in tab… all together, that we would be stronger, together. »

How many people will be in Quebec on Sunday?

The leader of My place at work remains cautious, hopes for a few thousand people. “The response is beyond our expectations,” says Myriam Lapointe-Gagnon. Everyone gets on board. It allows our two movements to grow. »

THE FINAL – A few weeks ago, I told you about my son whose team had qualified for the final, after a semi-final that seemed impossible to win. This column was more on the formative side of sport, where we find life lessons that often only reveal themselves to us years later…

Many of you have asked me about the final. Well, by popular demand, here it is…

2-0 loss, well deserved loss.

Life lesson ?

Never underestimate the opponent, I would say.

Thank you to all the volunteers from all the associations in the territory who have worked hard for another great hockey season, you are doing a great job, group.