What say youth?

For Joanna Marchut, 26, the potential of Quebec both economically and artistically can be enhanced if French and English speakers combined resources.

That’s why The Quebec Community Groups Network, in partnership with several member organizations, recently consulted with 300 youth across eight regions of Quebec to pinpoint barriers facing English-speaking youth in the region.

Around 100 young English-speakers from all over the province discussed the findings as well as strategic solutions on how to better serve Quebec’s English-speakers at a provincial youth forum held Sept.27.

“People aren’t aware of the resources available because of the marketing limited to French or English,” said Marchut, who grew up in the West Island and attended the forum to learn more about the issues facing her community. “A bilingual culture is a strength we have and we should use it, but you still have to be fluent in French in Quebec to maximize your potential.”

This is becoming a problem as the lack of job and educational opportunities for English-speakers in the region are causing them to leave, said Brent Platt, co-chairman of the Youth Standing Committee, a branch of the non-profit agency.

“Through the consultations we found that youth want to stay in Quebec,” said Platt. “But if we look at the numbers, lots of youth are leaving because there aren’t enough opportunities to succeed or they’re not bilingual. So the question is how to give them the tools like language skills or job training so they feel they can stay within the province."

Based on English as a mother tongue, anglophones dropped from 13 per cent of the Quebec population or 789,200 people in 1971 to 8.2 per cent of the population or 606,165 in 2006, according to the 2006 Canadian census. And among adults born in Quebec whose mother tongue is English, 61 per cent of those whose top university degree was a bachelor’s had moved to other parts of Canada as of 2001, according to the census.

“We wanted to get people together, exchange ideas, and come up with strategic recommendations for QCGN on how to deal with why our youth are leaving and not coming back,” said Shawna Dunbar, co-chair of the Youth Standing Committee.

In an education-themed planning session, participants came up with incentive programs within schools or private corporations to provide better language and cultural training as well as social evenings where English and French people can come together, said Dunbar, who grew up in the West Island.

Participants also witnessed the official launch for the QCGN/CBC youth web-portal. The portal will facilitate the fragmented English speaking communities to better connect to one another, said Dunbar.

“I felt isolated growing up,” said Daniel Kielback, 20, a Concordia University student living in Westmount. “Not being able to communicate with people makes it so much harder to get involved in community events,” said Kielback who attended the lecture to support the attention being given to minorities in majority situations.

“This forum is unique in the sense that we will have an action plan,” said Sylvia Martin-Laforge, QCGN general director. “Everyone can be an individual leader, but without a place where it all comes together it’s like crying in the desert.”

For more information, check www.qcgn.ca or call them at 514-868-9044.