A new theatre for Dawson College

There are four colleges in Quebec that give this program, two in French ¬ Saint-Hyacinthe College and Lionel-Groulx College in Sainte-Thérèse ¬ and two in English—John Abbot and, now, Dawson.

Since 1973, Dawson College has been renting the Dome Theatre, near the Corona Theatre in St. Henri, as a place for its students to practice, but from September 2007 on, they will be using the entrance on Atwater Street to Dawson's new facilities. With this project, we'll see the all of the College's courses brought under one roof.

Financing for this new construction will come through an agreement between the Quebec government, the federal government and the College itself, along with the money saved by ending the lease for the Dome Theatre. It is a project that has been close to the hearts of the College's directors for several years now, and I personally met with the directors of the College on several occasions to discuss it. Finally, last May, I gave the good news to the Director General, Mr. Filion. The work of federal Member of Parliament Lucienne Robillard on this project must be recognized, for she also played an important role in its realization.

In all, the announcement brought together Karin Marks, the Mayor of Westmount, Lucienne Robillard, Michael Fortier, who represented the Federal Government, Premier Jean Charest, who represented the Quebec government, and myself. The occasion was a much more pleasant one compared to when we last visited Dawson last September, the day after the sad and morbid day when the gunman terrorized the College. It was not lost on any of us that the climate at the College was once again friendly and serene. To sum up, this theatre will be an important addition to the cultural institutions of the Montreal Anglophone community.

On another note, last Monday I accepted to run again as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Westmount-St. Louis. For a sixth time, I will humbly face the voters. I would like to say that it has been a great honour to represent nearly 60,000 citizens for more than 21 years at the National Assembly. I have always strived to carry out my duties with dignity and openness in order to better serve our community. I must thank the members of our riding association for having placed their trust in me once again. Very soon, it will be up to all of our citizens to pass their own judgment.



Jacques Chagon is the Liberal MNA for Westmount—St. Louis.