Dawson College believes it is a victim of discrimination following the Legault government’s decision to cancel a $100 million grant to expand its premises. Its representatives ask for a meeting with the Prime Minister and promise to “do everything” so that the government changes its mind.
“I believe this is unfair treatment of all our students. We make no distinction between anglophones, francophones and allophones. Our environment is very multicultural and it is discrimination against all students at Dawson, launched the director general, Diane Gauvin, during a press conference Thursday morning. Clearly, this looks like a political decision.”
Premier François Legault explained last week that “it is better to enlarge French-language colleges before increasing the capacity” of English-language CEGEPs. The project was however considered a priority following the adoption of Bill 66 in December 2020.
“Our needs have been recognized for many years,” said Diane Gauvin. We have had a space deficit for 25 years. It’s denied now, and it’s on the basis of language. »
The college’s board of directors adopted a resolution Wednesday evening to express its “great disappointment and disapproval” to the premier of Quebec. “Dawson College signifies the importance and the need for the matter to be handled fairly and equitably under applicable departmental standards,” said Michael Goldwax, Chair of the Dawson College Board of Governors, reciting the resolution before the journalists.
“We will not change our minds”
For the moment, it is by requesting a meeting with François Legault that the College hopes to change things. “I am optimistic that we will meet Mr. Legault and we will do everything in our power to influence this decision,” said Ms. Gauvin.
Asked by The duty to know if Mr. Legault agreed to meet them and what to consider of a meeting, the office of the Prime Minister was limited to answering that “we will not change our ideas”. “We have chosen to give priority to expansion projects in French-speaking CEGEPs and universities in Greater Montreal, due to the strong demand and the great anticipated needs, indicated by e-mail the press attaché to the Prime Minister, Ewan Sauves. . However, Minister McCann is looking with Dawson to find other alternatives, but the expansion project as we know it will not go ahead. »
Without going so far as to “set up in front of parliament with horns”, the College does not exclude legal action to challenge the government’s decision. “For the moment we are trying to modify the decision and then we will see if there are additional options”, explained Diane Gauvin, specifying that the College is “not there at all” for the moment.