Good news for Dawson College

I first became aware of this project in spring 2004 and when I met with the former Director General of Dawson, Patrick Woodworth, Mr. Pierre Beaulieu, the architect and few members of the board of the college. They explained the need for an English language theatre both at Dawson College and in the Montreal Anglophone community in general. I was immediately supportive of their initiative.

Dawson College is fortunate to have people who worked so hard on this project. We should all be proud of the dedication and remarkable effort of the workers and partners who took part in this great undertaking.

I want to personally pay tribute to Stephen Lecky, who is in charge of the theatre department and for the quality of his program, and to all those who have contributed over the years to make this project a reality. The coming together of people with a shared interest and passion ensured that the desire to have this theatre moved from merely an idea to something tangible. It is not only the Dawson community who will benefit from these new facilities, but also Westmount and the greater Montreal area.

It is vital that members of French and English minority language communities have the opportunity to be educated in their own language and exposed to artistic endeavours that reflect their culture. Cultural and educational opportunities for official language minority groups also provide others the opportunity to learn English or French as a second language and the chance to learn about the culture of the other official language community. We all know that an increased understanding of cultures in our community will reduce ignorance and prejudice. This understanding in turn fosters a stronger society where everyone can be proud who they are and at the same time accept others for who they are.

This is why that is so important for the Government of Canada to maintain funding for linguistic minorities. We must ensure that Anglophone students have access to a quality education in their own language in Quebec, and that Francophone students have access to the same outside of Quebec. Linguistic duality is at the heart of our Canadian identity, culture and pride in citizenship.

Rest assured that I and my Liberal colleagues will consistently stand behind linguistic minority groups in Canada and fight any attempts by the Conservatives to cut spending on programs that benefit these groups.

After the September tragedy at Dawson, it was inspiring to witness teachers and students together celebrating and looking forward on this great news.



-- The Honourable Lucienne Robillard is the Liberal Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie and Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition.