Townships community organizations to strike Wednesday

By Geoff Agombar – Local Journalism Initiative
Townships community organizations to strike Wednesday

“At this rate, we are heading straight for the wall! Groups are closing temporarily, ceasing to offer certain activities or services, or reducing their hours of operation. It’s unheard of,” says Claudelle Cyr, director of the Regroupement des organismes communautaires de l’Estrie (ROC Estrie).

More than 100 Townships community organizations have signed up to strike on Wednesday, Feb. 23 as part of a week of protests across the province.

ROC Estrie calculates Townships community organizations are underfunded by $50 million to prevent closures and meet community need.

Throughout the region, participants will protest outside the offices of sitting members of the CAQ government, blowing referee whistles and issuing penalties to the Legault government by flashing “red cards”. Their slogan for this protest is Broken Promises, Closed Community Organizations (Promesses brisées, communautaire fermé).

In Sherbrooke, the first protest of the day will begin at MNA Geneviève Hébert’s office at 10:30 a.m. Another will begin at 11 a.m. at MNA François Bonnardel’s office in Granby.

At noon in Valcourt, the Maison des jeunes l’Initiative is organizing a take-out soup kitchen event. At 1 p.m., an action is scheduled at MNA Isabelle Charest’s office in Cowansville.

Events are also planned at the offices of MNA Gilles Bélanger in Magog and MNA André Bachand in Des Sources also, but start times are not announced.

Province-wide, the ROC expects more than 1,000 member organizations to take part in this week’s Engagez-vous pour le communautaire (Get engaged for community organizations) campaign, culminating in Quebec City on Feb. 24.

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