To consult documents published before 2020, please visit the Community Knowledge Open Library on English-speaking Quebec (CKOL).
November 2, 2026 – The Position Statement of the English Speaking Catholic Council on the Plan to Ban Religious Symbols for Elementary School Children
The English Speaking Catholic Council (ESCC) strongly opposes the Parti Québécois government’s proposed legislation to prohibit elementary school students from wearing conspicuous religious symbols, including hijabs, kippahs, turbans, crosses, and other visible expressions of faith in Quebec’s public schools.
While Quebec has long engaged in thoughtful discussions regarding secularism and the role of religion in public institutions, this proposal crosses a troubling line by targeting children. It shifts the debate from state neutrality to the regulation of personal religious expression among some of Quebec’s youngest citizens.
October 28, 2026 – ESCC’s Statement on Quebec’s Emergency Funding to Address
Homelessness
The English Speaking Catholic Council (ESCC) welcomes the Quebec government’s announcement of $28 million in emergency funding to address homelessness ahead of the winter season. The allocation of resources for shelters, warming centres, outreach services, and emergency housing initiatives is an important and necessary response to a growing humanitarian crisis affecting thousands of people across Quebec. While welcoming this investment, the ESCC calls on the Government of Quebec to outline a long-term strategy with clear goals, measurable outcomes, timelines, and long-term commitments to reduce homelessness and address the growing pressures of housing affordability and rising living costs.
October 26, 2026 – ESCC Brief on Loyola High School and Quebec Bill 9
Loyola High School has announced its decision to forgo provincial subsidies and transition to full financial independence in order to preserve its Jesuit and Catholic identity. The decision follows the implementation of Quebec’s Bill 9, which requires government-funded institutions to comply with the province’s secularism framework. Loyola determined that compliance would require changes that would compromise essential elements of its mission and therefore chose to remain faithful to its Catholic educational mandate.
December 23, 2024 – Community Vitality Event Survey Results
We conducted a survey at the end of the event, excluding 8 members of the ESCC-OEPS teams from the total participant count of 50. We received responses from 12 out of 42 attendees, resulting a participation rate of 29%. Among the responses, 42% were submitted on paper, while 58% were completed online.
September 9, 2021 – Statement on Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec
The negative impacts of the bill have been well articulated and will be further elaborated by our colleagues at the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) at their testimony before the Committee on Culture & Education in October. It is not our intention to recapitulate those arguments in this statement and the Council is in full agreement with their reading and response to the Bill.
March 23, 2021 – Letter of Support for Fulford Residence
The English Speaking Catholic Council is joining with the community organizations, government representatives and family members that have called for a halt to the plans to close the Fulford Residence. The Council understands the financial and logistical difficulties that face the Board of Directors, made more acute by the loss of life incurred by COVID-19. Nevertheless, the Council would argue that every attempt should be made to bolster, strengthen, and preserve this unique institution.
February 5, 2020 – Letter to Regional Access Committees
One Voice is a newly formed affiliation of community organizations which serve the English-speaking senior population of Montreal and Laval. There are some 20 organizations associated with One Voice and each organization connects with between 250 to 2000 seniors in a year. The staff and volunteers of our organizations are extremely engaged with the individuals they serve and one of the ways they assist their members is by acting as their advocates when they are interacting with the health care system.