Letters to the Editor

29 Jan 2014 The Chronicle (Montreal) Whether it is a public or private school, it is always sad to hear about an English educational institution closing due to low enrolment. That said, Queen of Angels Academy school officials will sit down with parents this week “to help find new high […]

Montreal Gazette Sat Dec 14 2013 Re: “Opening doors for ” at-risk kids” (Gazette, Dec. 12) There are many useful ideas and organizations, such as Youth Fusion, out there, but to help combat the dropout rate, the best weapon to keep kids in school is parental engagement. Evidence has shown […]

Dear Editor: Permit me to clarify some points and offer a different perspective on the February 12th editorial in The Equity :  A vote for education . The first paragraph states : ” Among the consequences of the PQ government ‘s cuts to the public school budget just over a year ago will be a significant reduction in the number of […]

The Montreal Gazette – July 3, 2008 Re.: “Parents threatening to withhold fees till textbooks arrive,” (West Island Gazette, June 26). Understandably, parents are very angry, frustrated and outraged because their children will not have all the textbooks to follow properly the curriculum reform. So, what happened? Considering the reform […]

BY CHRIS EUSTACE PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 2, 2011 Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph Next week the National Assembly of Quebec reconvenes. Undoubtedly, the government and the opposition parties will do battle, all in the name of responsibility, citizenship and democracy. Last week, the Quebec English School Boards Association, an organization looking for relevance, launched […]

Wednesday, 11 December 2013 The Suburban With regard to the above-captioned article, I can assure you and your readers that questions on air quality, ethics, enrolment and overhead are not barred, have been asked repeatedly and have been answered. Mr. Chris Eustace has been barred, not because of personal comments […]

Your Local Journal March 20, 2014 Dear Editor : Article 175.1 (4) of the Quebec Education Act stipulates: ” The council of commissioners must, by by-law… specify the duties and obligations of commissioners even after they leave office.” For about two years, I have been trying with letters, and verbally […]

Last Monday, August 26, 2013, was the sixth time over the past 15 years,  the  Lester B. Pearson School Board  Council of Commissioners, refused to hear any talk to withdraw its membership from the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), thus saving a minimum of about $350,000 to invest in the Board’s schools. I asked the board to seriously consider holding a public debate, followed by a referendum, on the issue of our membership to the QESBA, whose main preoccupation, it seems, is to sound important at […]

Wednesday, 26 February 2014 The Suburban Last Sunday, in anticipation of a budget to be deposited this Thursday, the Conseil du patronat du Québec asked the government to be “honest” with Quebecers regarding the economic situation. The province’ largest employer group said the government should “review public spending” and even […]

The Gazette Published: Thursday, January 10 2013 Re: “Exercise helps children with ADHD, study finds” (Gazette, Jan. 5) This study, which shows that school work improved after 20 minutes of exercise by students with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), is yet another example why policy-makers have to legislate more physical […]

CHRIS EUSTACE, The Gazette Published: Wednesday, January 08 Grade 10 student Erik Seguin of Royal West Academy is on to something with his idea that students ought to have a bigger say in their education. However, I think that parents should also have some input. That said, here are four thoughts […]

Compliments to reporters Joel Ceausu and Robert Frank for their educational pieces concerning the school board elections slated for Nov. 2, in the July 30 issue of The Suburban titled: “2014: Where we’ve been …. and where we’re going.”Their articles are a follow up to their joint piece in the Jan. 1 issue:  “School board elections present hope for […]

Climate control in schools_radon_mould_and_air_quality This is the letter, published in The Chronicle on January 25, 2012 Consider these events: Since early December 2011, there have been reports on the problems of the indoor air quality of an elementary school of the Commission scolaire de Montréal. As a result the CSDM […]

The Suburban January 8, 2014 Further to Editor Beryl Wajsman’s statement in his article on the Jan. 1 edition that “this is ammunition you need to have,” let me offer some more. As a regular attendee at the Lester B. Pearson School Board council and executive committee meetings, allow me […]

The Suburban Wednesday, 9 April 2014 Compliments on your April 2 West Island edition of The Suburban, which included the comprehensive article by journalist Robert Frank: LBPSB reverses position on emergency measures and a letter to the editor entitled: Getting the facts right. Both pieces came a long way in […]

The Suburban   letter to the Editor   –  May 28, 2014 City Councillor Marvin Rotrand is certainly on the right track , raising awareness on some significant issues , in his May 21 letter to The Suburban, concerning the Nov. 2 : ” School board elections.” ( As a […]

The Suburban – Letter to the Editor – June 11, 2014 … … In her letter to The Suburban on June 4, titled : “Clarification in order,” Mary Fabian writes that she is “somewhat confused” regarding my candidacy for chairman of the Lester B. Pearson School Board, considering I have […]

Dear Editor: … There were four significant happenings at the Lester B. Pearson School Board Council of Commissioners Meeting on June 23, 2014. … 1. There was no Budget 2014-2015 discussion, as advertised,  because all the parameters from the government have not yet been received. ( My question for the […]

(YLJ does not give titles to their letters to the editor. The titles in the YLJ letters are mine.)   Dear Editor: In light of calls for change in our school-tax system, consider these two significant announcements made last weekend: With a provincial budget looming, the president of the province’s […]

Top marks to former Minister of Education Michelle Courchesne for her inspirational talk and telling it as it is, on Feb. 22, at a webcast meeting from the Pearson board, promoting the upcoming November 2014 school board elections. Her presentation referred to features of her parent-friendly Bill 88, ” Gouvernance […]

Dear Editor: Since last week’s win in the Quebec election of Liberal leader Philippe Couillard , there has been an article , a press release (both April 8), and an opinion piece pertaining to the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA). The three write-ups, in essence, ask the new government […]

Have you ever heard of the expression :  “No comments from the peanut gallery?” On April 28, 2014,  I attended the Lester B. Pearson School Board Council of Commissioners Meeting.  I was strictly there as an observer because I am still barred – 5 months now – from asking questions at the […]

After submitting my questions and comments in writing, I attended the May 8 meeting of the School Tax Committee, known also by its French acronym, CGTSIM (cgtsim.qc.ca).I wanted to ascertain how much our school taxes would be hiked this year, and repeat a recommendation: School boards should get out of the […]

Gazette Vaudreuil-Soulanges June 4, 2014 At the May 26, 2014, Lester B. Pearson School Board Council of Commissioners Meeting, Chairperson Suanne Stein Day (SSD) assigned a commissioner to be the timekeeper of one of the new rules regarding the Public Question Period. You may recall the new rules, which were […]

Gazette Vaudreuil-Soulanges Letter to the Editor – July 9, 2014 Thank you for publishing the Gazette Vaudreuil-Soulanges articles LBPSB: Dissidents demand conflict of interest probe and Candidates: Inquiry needed to clear air. (July 2) Those articles provide a clearer understanding of the questionable relationship between the Lester B. Pearson School […]