Demonstrations to bring about change before last CAQ budget on March 22nd
Just like in many others cities in Quebec the Laurentides, community organizations are lamenting the underfunding they face year after year despite repeated promises from the different governments.
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Employees and volunteers of 75 Saint-Laurent community organizations went on strike on Tuesday, February 22, at the end of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon, in as part of the “Engage for the community” campaign that took place across Quebec.
The demonstrators who braved the cold, demanded that the government of François Legault recognize the essential work they do and fund them adequately so that they can fulfill their respective missions in better conditions.
In Saint-Eustache, about fifty demonstrators were gathered at the intersections of 25th Avenue and Saint-Laurent Street. In Sainte-Thérèse, they were more than 80 to be heard at the intersections of boulevards du Curé-Labelle and René-A.-Robert. In addition to this underfunding, the pandemic and staff shortages have also strained these same organizations, even forcing some of them to scale back and pause some of the services they provide.
This is why, all over Quebec, community organizations are asking the Legault government for additional recurring and indexed investments of $460 million for 2022-2023. They have been complaining that their staff has been overextended and doing the work of many more people because of their humanity.
It is to be noted on March 22 that the Minister of Finance of Quebec, Eric Girard, also deputy for Groulx, will table what will be the last budget of the Legault government before the next general election. According to organization representatives, because of the increase in the needs of the population, the next budget of the CAQ will be crucial for the recognition and funding of the mission of community organizations.
