The Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, is unequivocal: the pro-Palestine camps which have taken shape on the grounds of several Quebec universities must be “dismantled”. According to her, there are “other ways to demonstrate” against the violence of the attacks carried out by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip without encroaching on “private land”.
“I am calling for calm. It’s not easy for establishments and rectors to manage all that. For the authorities either,” declared the minister on the sidelines of a press conference in downtown Montreal.
In Quebec, a first camp took shape at the end of April on the campus of McGill University, where dozens of tents have since been erected. In the last few days, however, another encampment has emerged on the grounds of the University of Quebec in Montreal, as well as on that of Sherbrooke University. On Wednesday, McGill, for its part, saw its request for a temporary injunction requesting the dismantling of the encampment be rejected by the Superior Court. The court made a similar decision a few weeks ago, following legal action taken by some students of the establishment.
However, despite these legal decisions, “the government’s position has not changed,” declared Mr.me Déry. “These camps have no place,” ruled the minister, according to whom it is possible to facilitate “dialogue” on this polarizing issue in other ways.
“There is a way of expressing yourself in a different way than camps on private land,” underlined the minister, who said she felt a strong “tension” on campuses undergoing this form of occupation. She thus declared that she would like these camps to be “dismantled” and said that she was leaving management of the situation to the rectors of the universities concerned.
Digital Arts
The Quebec Minister of Higher Education was in the metropolis on Thursday to announce an investment of $43 million intended to allow two universities and five CEGEPs to offer digital arts programs within the Balmoral block, a large glass building located in downtown Montreal.
Since 2019, the building has already welcomed several hundred students from the School of Digital Arts, Animation and Design at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi. Facilities specializing in the creation of new media from the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue will also be set up in this building following redevelopment work which should begin very soon. A group of five CEGEPs, including those of Matane, Limoilou and Old Montreal, will also occupy some of the premises in this vast building.
“Quebec is the world leader in the field of digital arts, whether in video games, 3D animation or digital design. As we know, businesses around the world are competing for Quebec talent in this field,” said Pascale Déry during a press conference held in this building in the Quartier des spectacles.
More than 1,000 students will soon be welcomed “under one roof” in order to acquire knowledge in various fields of digital creation – in video game development, 3D animation and digital design, among others –, indicated the minister, who hopes that this project will help “propel further” Quebec’s position “in the international digital arts market”.
“The challenge we have is that our universities are unable to provide enough students for the entire industry, which causes extremely significant labor problems, where the importance of joining forces” and of increasing together “the pool” of students in the digital arts sector, “because it is a sector where we have difficulty meeting needs”, has for his part declared Thursday the president of the University of Quebec, Alexandre Cloutier.
The financial assistance of $42.6 million announced by Quebec will finance the rental of three and a half additional floors on the Balmoral block for five years and cover the costs related to the development of these spaces. The project also provides for the creation of collaborative work spaces to allow all the students and researchers who will occupy this building to exchange their knowledge.