Montreal anti-violence forum needs more English minority voices: advocates

Montreal -

A prominent Montreal advocacy group says it’s ready to file a formal complaint to the city’s ombudsman over a recent violence forum hosted by the city’s police force.

They say the event left out several English-language community groups, amounting to a lack of adequate representation.

The event, officially called the Forum montréalais pour la lutte contre la violence armée, entered its second day on Thursday. Speakers came together in conversation to discuss new ways to prevent violent crime in the city.

A list of invitees sent to CTV News includes lawmakers, police personnel, school board officials, and representatives from several organizations and community groups. 

However, the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), a well-known advocacy group on issues of police relations with the public, took issue with some of the names that weren’t on that list.

Despite a request to the city, according to CRARR, it was not invited to the event, and neither were several other community groups located in areas with non-white, English-speaking communities.

“Their exclusion is symptomatic of the institutionalized marginalization of (racialized English-speaking) communities and organizations,” read a Wednesday press release.

CRARR highlighted several of those groups in its release, including Black Community Resource Center, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women – Montreal Chapter, the LaSalle Multicultural Resource Center and the West Island Black Community Association.

“It seems like we are being excluded,” said Gabriella Marquez-Fry, a member of CRARR.

Marquez-Fry told CTV News she believes the event goes against the spirit of Article Two of the Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, which reads as follows:

“Human dignity can only be preserved with a sustained and collective fight against poverty and all forms of discrimination, and in particular, those based on ethnic or national origin, race, age, social status, civil status, language, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation or disability.”

POLICE RESPONSE

“(The forum) includes the mobilization of a large number of community and institutional organizations, including members of ethnocultural and Anglophone groups,” read a statement from Montreal police (SPVM) to CTV News.

“Urban safety is a shared responsibility that requires concerted action. The SPVM is united with partners from different backgrounds in order to provide itself with all the means necessary to act in the face of the urgency of the situation.”

Police noted representatives from the five English-language school boards in the Montreal Area were present during the forum, as well as the English Parent Committee Association.

“It was important for our school board to participate in the forum so we can work together with our community partners and find solutions that will increase people's sense of belonging and security and prevent violence,” read a statement from Cindy Finn, director general of the Lester B. Pearson School Board, provided to CTV.

Members of other groups which do not specifically target English-speakers, but serve quite a lot of them, such as the YMCA, were also present at the event.

A report on the forum's conclusions will be released in the coming weeks.

‘A VALUABLE ASSET’

Youth violence has been a widely discussed issue in Montreal following the deaths of several young people in the last two years.

Those victims include Amir Benayad, 17, who was shot to death in the Plateau neighbourhood in January; Jannai Dopwell Bailey, 16, who was stabbed and killed last November; Thomas Trudel, 16, who was killed the same month and Meriem Boundaoui, 15, who was shot in a drive-by in February 2021.

More recently, 16-year-old Lucas Gaudet was stabbed outside St. Thomas High School in Point Claire on Feb. 8.

His mother, Lynne Baudouy, also hoped she would get an invitation to the event. She told CTV she hopes future forums feature more English-language community groups.

“Hold more of these meetings,” she said. “Our kids are suffering. In the long run, it’s the kids who need the most help.”

“Especially in the minority communities in the West Island and the poorer communities, too. They’re the one’s that need the most help.” she continued.

“What can they do? They can invite the parents who are actually affected by this.”

Joan Lee, the president of the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA), says she supports a complaint to the ombudsman over what she described as a missed opportunity for the forum.

“We're not invited to voice our opinion, to give our opinion and I think it's very it would be a valuable asset to them,” she told CTV.

“We've been around for 40 years, and we're here and we're willing to participate in you know, in in the group to make our city better, to make our city stronger, and to help prevent crime.” 

-- Published with files from CTV News' Ian Wood