Our Blog

COM-Unity: Celebrating Our Milestones - Unforgettable Neighbours, Illustrious Traditions, Youth!

Published on December 02, 2020

Welcome to the very first COM-Unity blog post.

We are thrilled to launch our blog and share news about COM-Unity, an exciting new project that will highlight and amplify a sense of belonging for English-speakers in Quebec.

What is the COM-Unity project?

The COM-Unity project, funded by the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise (Government of Quebec), brings together six different partner organizations from the arts, culture, heritage and education sectors, whose individual projects aim to explore, celebrate and share the stories that reflect English-speaking communities and build a strong sense of identification with Quebec.

The glue that holds it all together is the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), a unit of Concordia University’s School of Community and Public Affairs, which is managing the overall initiative.

How did the COM-Unity project come to be?

In the Autumn of 2019, the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise conducted an extensive round of consultations throughout Quebec with regional and sectoral organizations and institutions to take the pulse of English-speaking communities and better understand their concerns.

One of their findings was that throughout the province, English-speakers struggle to create strong ties with the French-speaking community, participate in Quebec society and carve out a strong identity all their own. At the same time, many English-speaking Quebecers leave the province. It’s often for work opportunities, but a feeling of not belonging also appears to be a contributing factor of people moving away.

The COM-Unity project aims to celebrate English-speaking Quebecers and to make Quebec feel like home.

So who is part of the COM-Unity?

Six partner organizations have come together to bring the project to life:

The English Language Arts Network (ELAN) will produce Seeing English Language Families In Engaging Stories (SELFIES), a project that will use works of art to stimulate community conversations about the joys and challenges of being an English-speaking Quebecer today.
You Are Here: A Next-Gen Approach to Promoting ESQ's Heritage is Youth 4 Youth's (Y4Y) youth-led contribution that will see them encouraging young English-speaking Quebecers to feel like they are a valued part of their communities.
Seniors Action Quebec (SAQ) will create videos featuring interviews with seniors from around Quebec. With such a rich history in Quebec to draw from, seniors will share their stories and celebrate their contribution to Quebec society.
Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC) will present Bridging Language And Culture In Quebec (BLACQ), a series of online cultural events that explore the contributions of English-Speaking Black people to Quebec.
LEARN, through its network of Community Learning Centres (CLCs), will empower students and teachers across Quebec to explore the theme of belonging through the arts, digital storytelling and positive actions that foster a sense of belonging to their communities.
And finally, the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) will work with heritage groups to put the spotlight on the historic contributions of Quebec English-speaking communities in the Eastern Townships, Montérégie and Lanaudière regions, as well as on the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands.

What will COM-Unity achieve?

By joining forces, the individual projects from ELAN, Y4Y, SAQ, BCRC, QAHN, and LEARN will showcase a vibrant, dynamic, English-speaking community and build bridges of understanding and belonging. This is our COM-Unity, and we hope that our efforts, no matter how small they seem, will go a long way.