QCGN has new Board of Directors, new Strategic Vision

    
    Community, Commitment, Cooperation
    Celebrating our Past, Building our Future.
    

MONTREAL , Sept. 17 /CNW Telbec/ - During its Annual General Meeting in Gatineau last weekend, the Quebec Community Groups Network elected a new board and ratified a new ambitious Strategic Plan that sets a new vision for English-speaking Quebec and an ambitious mission for the Network. The AGM took place as the QCGN launched its 15th anniversary celebrations in the National Capital Region as part of festivities surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act.

The vision set forth for the English-speaking community in the QCGN's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan states:

    
    "English-speaking Quebec is a diverse, confident, recognized and
    respected national linguistic minority. It actively participates in and
    contributes to the social, economic, cultural and political life of
    Quebec and Canadian society. English-speaking Quebec is committed to the
    maintenance and development of the institutional support it needs to
    thrive as a distinctive linguistic community."

    The QCGN also revamped its mission statement in order to better the
Network's actions to support the vitality of English-speaking Quebec. The new
mission statement reads:

    "The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) identifies, explores and
    addresses the strategic issues affecting the development and vitality of
    English-speaking Quebec. It encourages dialogue and collaboration among
    its member organizations, individuals, community groups, institutions and
    leaders. In partnership with member organizations, stakeholders,
    community leaders and institutions, it articulates the views of English-
    speaking Quebec on issues of strategic concern and takes action to
    address them."
    

Leading the Network in its important work over the coming months will be newly re-elected QCGN President Robert Donnelly who returns for a third and final year. Mr. Donnelly , who hails from Quebec City, will be joined on the Executive Committee by Vice-President Marion Standish , Treasurer Mark McLaughlin and Secretary Heather Dickson . Martin Murphy , from the English-Speaking Catholic Council, remains on the Executive Committee and Board as Past President. The final member of the Executive Committee is Director General Sylvia Martin-Laforge.

The Network's four Regional representatives on the Board of Directors are Shaun Peppy (Outaouais), Ronald Mundle (Gaspé), Anthony Dumas (Lower North Shore) and Marion Standish (Eastern Townships). Sectoral representatives include Roderick MacLeod from the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, and Carol Meindl from the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations and Heather Dickson , from the Quebec Community Newspaper Association. The Network's three delegates from the Greater Montreal area are Bradley Dottin from the Black Community Resource Centre, Guiliano D'Andrea from the Canadian-Italian Business and Professional Association Inc., and Linda Leith from the Quebec Writers' Federation. Last but not least, the QCGN's two Community Group delegates are John Walker from the English-Speaking Catholic Council and Ann Marie Powell from the Megantic English-Speaking Community Development Corporation.

The QCGN also thanked its outgoing members for their hard work and dedication over the past few years. They include Corine Desrosiers from the North Shore Community Association, Jennifer Johnson from the Community Health and Social Services Network, past Vice-President Jane Needles from the Quebec Drama Federation, Mario Pasteris from the Quebec Association for Adult Learning, and Rocco Caruso from the Canadian-Italian Business and Professional Association Inc. The QCGN also thanked former Treasurer Michael van Lierop, who left the board in the spring to spend more time with his young family, and interim Treasurer Marc Deslauriers , who stepped in to complete Mr. van Lierop's term.

Of course the crowning event of the weekend was the QCGN's Community Celebration Evening and the ceremony to hand out the first-ever Sheila and Victor Goldbloom Distinguished Community Service Awards. The Goldbloom Awards were established by the QCGN this year to recognize the efforts and achievements of individuals who have given time and energy to improving our community and to building bridges of understanding between English-speaking Quebec and Quebecers and Canadians of all origins.

The evening, emceed by CBC Radio's Bernard St-Laurent, included kudos for Dr. and Mrs. Goldbloom as well as this year's laureates of the award: Language and equality right activist Casper Bloom; Townships health-care advocate Marjorie Goodfellow ; and researcher Jack Jedwab, Executive-Director of the Association of Canadian Studies.

During the two-day convention, which was attended by some 200 members, community partners and government stakeholders, the contributions of English-speaking Quebec to Quebec and Canadian society were celebrated by a number of special guests including provincial Justice Minister Kathleen Weil , who was there to represent Premier Jean Charest and the government of Quebec ; Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MP Pierre Lemieux , who was on hand to represent Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Official Languages Minister James Moore ; and former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, who spoke on behalf of Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party. The Commissioner of Official Languages Mr. Graham Fraser was on hand Friday to take part in the launch of the convention.

Photos of the event are available on our website www.qcgn.ca. Click here to read the QCGN's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan.

The Quebec Community Groups Network is a not-for-profit organization bringing together 32 English language community organizations across Quebec for the purposes of supporting and assisting the development and enhancing the vitality of the English-speaking minority communities throughout the province.

For further information: Rita Legault, Director of Communications, [phone], ext. 223, cellular: [phone], [email protected]