Pearson launches live webcast

The Lester B. Pearson School Board launched its live streaming webcast of its monthly meetings Monday night.

Three cameras controlled remotely were used to broadcast the meeting held at the school board's offices in Dorval. Pearson became the first Quebec school board to webcast its meetings.

Elisabeth Tosi, head of Pearson's central parents committee, thinks the webcast of meetings is a step in the right direction. "I think parents and interested parties will want to see decisions being made that affect our children," she said. "Sometimes it's hard for parents to get to the board meetings every month. I also hope it'll get people to understand the process more and what the commissioners are responsible for."

Aside from improving transparency, Pearson officials said the new webcast technology will be used for pedagogical content. "We'll be able to have a speaker or workshop simulcast across the school board," said Pearson director general Robert Mills.

The commissioners' meetings are to be archived online for a 30 days, though Monday's meeting was not available yet as of yesterday.

Although no West Island municipalities have any immediate plans to webcast their respective city council meetings, a few mayors seem interested. "Why not? We also hope to go paperless in the next mandate," Ste. Anne de Bellevue Mayor Bill Tierney told The Chronicle. "While I think it is a wonderful idea, Beaconsfield has no immediate plans to follow suit," added Beaconsfield Mayor Bob Benedetti.