Waves of Change

Published on March 12, 2021

ELAN has released a sneak peek of their Waves of Change: a story beyond language project (formally known as SELFIES). The series of short documentaries about identity and belonging in Quebec’s English-speaking communities feature participants in five discussion groups based on different waves of immigration. Immigrants have been a part of Quebec's history for centuries, with multiple generations of people coming from all over the world to create a new life. The stories captured in the Waves of Change project shed a light on the immigrant experience in Quebec from the past until today.

Episode one, called The First Wave: 1820-1945, features descendants of some of the earliest English-speaking communities in Quebec back when it was called Lower Canada, the United Province of Canada and then Québec. The discussion will reveal how participants feel about being English-speakers living in Quebec today along with stories of what life was like for their ancestors in the past. ELAN shared a few still photos of the participants and quotes from their interviews that you can find here.

From the role of the church to protecting language rights and community building, there are a number of thought-provoking subjects revealed within these quotes. Below are just a few that give an idea of what the first video in the series has in store:

“I know that church was at the centre of the Scottish community for those years. I also think that as farmers they interacted a lot with francophone neighbours who owned different farms in what is now NDG.”

-Rod McLeod

“Immigrants banded together. The creation of Chinatown was based on the need to have that support. For sure the church also played some role, but it was primarily the community, the Chinese community that was the support system.”

-Janet Lumb

“At one point I was walking in the street when the person called me a Tête Carrée, you know, an Anglo. I said I don’t have an ounce of English blood in me. And it made me realize that it’s because of the language that someone is talking to me like that. So there is there’s a huge misunderstanding of why we’re speaking English, and it’s got nothing to do with our blood for a lot of us.”

-Louise Makovsky

“There is a very prevalent narrative of the rich Anglo, the Anglo boss. There is some truth to that, and my own Irish ancestors who were poor, were not bosses, but they definitely benefited on the English-speaking side. In the media and in history books there’s too often refers only to the wealthy elite, the one percent of the English speakers as if they represented everyone. I think that’s a heavy burden and it has to go.”

-Lorraine O’Donnell

“I would like to see Anglos stick up for the English language and English culture in Quebec. I would like to see more Anglos be a little more militant … but not disrespectful. But not to just caving in and give up, and to be a little more vocal about the very rich heritage we have in Quebec for all concerned!”

-Maura McKeon

We’re really looking forward to the launch of these videos!

Lectures Logos Readings

The final Lectures Logos Readings event, held in collaboration with the Black Community Resource Centre and Kola Magazine, takes place on March 15 from 7 to 8:30 pm. The Zoom discussion, in French and English, will be on the theme of literature and community building as it relates to Montreal’s Black communities. Moderated by H. Nigel Thomas the event will feature panellists Elena Stoodley, Webster, Jason Selman and Blossom Thom as they discuss how community building through literature can bring people together to enact systemic and social change. You can take part in the event here.

Even though the first set of projects from the COM-Unity partners is coming to an end, the results will continue to be felt in the days and months to come. In the next and final blog post for these projects we’ll discuss how far we’ve come in our aim to foster and promote a sense of belonging for Quebec’s English-speaking communities.

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