OPINION

October 23rd 2023

Sophia Stacey, President

Bishop’s University Students’ Representative Council (BUSRC)

The Bishop’s University Students’ Representative Council (BUSRC) unequivocally opposes the Quebec provincial government’s massive increase to tuition for Canadian out-of-province students from $8992 to $17000.

On behalf of our diverse student body of 2,650 individuals (with close to 30.0% coming from out of province) the BUSRC refutes the insinuation that Canadian out-of-province students and international students contribute less value to the post-secondary education landscape and to Quebec society at large.

The provincial government has failed to consider the legacy of this proposal on the educational landscape and on a student’s ability to choose affordable post-secondary education—effectively undermining the autonomy of young people to determine their future educational path. Pending approval of this proposal, future students, current students, and university employees alike will suffer its consequences. The loss of affordable education, and the loss of competitive opportunities are some of the tangible impacts of this policy, however, what’s ultimately at stake is the loss of a sense of belonging to Quebec.

We fully accept the importance of protecting the French language. Crucially, Bishop’s is not eroding the presence of French in Montreal, nor in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, our home community. Despite this, Bishop’s will bear the most severe consequences of the government’s proposed policy. The provincial government continuously cites rebalancing the use of the French language in Montreal as the objective of this policy. However, the government’s hyper fixation on the linguistic profile of Montreal has ignored Bishop’s University’s long history as a key educational, cultural, community and economic hub in the Eastern Townships. Despite the small size and regional location of Bishop’s University, it has contributed to the growth and vibrancy of Quebec for 180 years. Home to the oldest student association in Quebec, this institution represents longevity, resilience, hope and ambition. Much of which is at risk with this current proposal.

We believe that the provincial government’s proposal will have the reverse effect on the protection of the French language and Quebec culture, by limiting its exposure across Canada.

As an out-of-province student, and President of the student body at Quebec’s smallest English-language university, this issue is a deeply meaningful and personal one. I was raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta in an English-speaking household 3479 kilometers away from the French heritage and culture that I have grown to love. At 14 years old, I was motivated to learn French to achieve my dream of working in politics; I adamantly believed that to be a politician in Canada, I should speak both official languages. My French teacher nominated me to participate in a cross-country exchange, which I embarked on when I was 16. My host family in St. Hyacinthe welcomed me with open arms and those three months were impactful in my decision to return to Quebec. When I was 17, I applied to all three of Quebec’s English universities, and ultimately chose Bishop’s for its intimate community, regional location, and to strengthen my French. Mere weeks later, I moved to a province whose language I was not fluent in, and to a city where I knew no one. Three years later, not only do I consider myself bilingual, but I have been able to take a step closer to the world of politics as President of the Bishop’s University Students’ Representative Council, representing 2650 Bishop’s students from Quebec, Canada, and across the globe. I refuse to stand by while the provincial government imposes insurmountable financial barriers for prospective out-of-province students. The government’s belief that this policy makes a greater contribution than the individual stories of thousands of people like me across Quebec, is a bold one, considering the lack of research-based evidence to support it.

Considering the serious implications, we call on our elected officials to take the following actions:

Pascale Déry, Minister of Higher Education, and Jean-François Roberge, Minister of the French Language, need to re-evaluate the disproportionate impact this harmful policy proposal would have on the next generation of Bishop’s students, on the longevity of Bishop’s University, and on equitable access to affordable education within the province of Quebec.

We call on Genevieve Hébert, Member of the National Assembly for Saint François, who has supported Bishop’s in the past, to stand with us. This proposal will have an enormous impact on Bishop’s University and her riding, most notably on the Lennoxville economy.

Beyond the provincial government, the Honourable Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Compton-Stanstead, must evaluate the impact of this policy on the greater Lennoxville economy, and the message this sends to the English-speaking communities who have lived here for generations and have felt an immense sense of belonging to this region. Minister Bibeau, we are asking you to bring the concerns of your constituency to the federal level, as this is not just a linguistic Montreal issue but an infringement on an individual’s right to affordable access to education—a portfolio to which the federal government makes significant contributions.

Despite the current political narrative, it is imperative that Quebec, out-of-province, and international students feel autonomous, valued, and welcome where they choose to pursue education, because education is a right for all.

On behalf of the Bishop’s University’s Students’ Representative Council,

Sophia Stacey, President

And in solidarity with our partners, representing 450,633 students and members,

Évelyne Beaudin, Mayor of Sherbrooke

Claude Charron, Borough President, Lennoxville District (City of Sherbrooke)

Jamie Crooks, President of the Association of Professors of Bishop’s University, representing 311 members

Joe Ortona, English Montreal School Board, representing 35,000 schools and 3,000 staff at 80 schools

The Quebec Community Groups Network, representing English-speaking Quebecers and English-language community organizations across Quebec

Catherine Bibeau-Lorrain, President, Quebec Student Union, representing 94,000 students

Students’ Society of McGill University, representing 23,600 students

McGill Post-Graduate Students’ Society, representing 10,000 students

Henry Lee, President, Macdonald Campus Students’ Society of McGill, representing 1,202 students

Macdonald Campus Graduate Students’ Society, representing 640 students

Alecsandre Sauvé-Lacousière, Secretary General, Fédération des associations étudiantes du campus de l’Université de Montréal, representing 40,000 students

James Boudreau, President, Confédération des associations d’étudiants et étudiante de l’Université Laval, representing 35,000 students

Fédération Étudiante de l’Université de Sherbrooke, representing 15 000 members

Jules Poirier-Ostiguy, President, Association étudiante de l’École des sciences de la gestion, representing 11,500 students

Gabrielle Crevier, Le Regroupement étudiant de maîtrise, diplôme et doctorat de l’Université de Sherbrooke, representing 8,500 students

Executive Council, Association Générale Étudiante du campus de Rimouski de l’Université du Québec à Rimouski, representing 6,700

Loïc Goyette, Président, Association étudiante de Polytechnique, representing 7,200 students

Association générale étudiante de l’Université du Québec à l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, representing 5,200

Association Générale des Étudiants hors Campus de l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, representing 3,500

Association des Étudiants des Cycles Supérieurs de Polytechnique, representing 1,900 students

Sabrina Demers, President, Association Générale des Étudiants hors Campus de l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, representing 3,500 students

Association Générale des Étudiants de l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, representing 11,500 students

Association des Étudiants des Cycles Supérieurs de Polytechnique, representing 1,900 students

Association Étudiante de Cycle Supérieures de HEC Montreal 4,085 students

Annabelle Vellend, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Champlain Students’ Association – Lennoxville, representing 1,287 students

Council of Alberta University Students, representing 114,000 students

Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union, representing 39,435 students

University of Calgary Students’ Union, representing 26,000 students

University of Lethbridge Students’ Union, representing 8,000 students

University of Fraser Valley Student Union Society, representing 11,000 students

University of New Brunswick Student Union, representing 9,700 students

St. Francis Xavier University Students’ Union, representing 4,500 students