The first communities of English speakers in Quebec were the English, Irish and Scottish. By the mid-19th century, they formed the majority of Montreal’s population, which is why they are commemorated on Montreal’s coat-of arms. Other early communities whose children were educated in the Protestant (English) school system were Jewish, Black and Chinese immigrants. Despite prevailing myths, these groups were too diverse and divided to ever constitute a WASPy monolith.
Invité(es) : Stephanie Ein Ian Ferrier Janet Lumb Rod MacLeod Louise Makovsky Maura McKeon Lorraine O’Donnell Beverly Renaud Kelly Thompson
Waves of Change is a 200-year oral history of Quebec’s English-speaking communities, recorded on the 50th anniversary of the FLQ crisis. Five episodes feature families that arrived in Quebec during successive waves of immigration. The historical Anglos pre-1945 – Colliding Solitudes; post-war Allophones 1945-70 – Le Vote Ethnique; the turbulent years 1970-1995 – Classe d’accueil; the new social contract years 1995-2010 – Crashing the Party; and recent arrivals 2010-20 – Invisible Hoops. The 54 interviews feature remarkably diverse, engaging and articulate eyewitnesses of Quebec history from an Anglo perspective. A special 6th episode features English-speaking communities from the Eastern Townships and West Quebec to the Gaspé and the remote Lower North Shore. These little-known communities have a fascinating story to tell about Regional Realities in Quebec.
The English-Language Arts Network (ELAN) is a not-for-profit organization that connects, supports, and creates opportunities for Quebec’s English-speaking artists and arts communities. ELAN members are individuals and organizations from a wide array of artistic disciplines, cultural and geographic backgrounds, and linguistic and cultural communities. ELAN is a meeting place for English-language artists and cultural workers, where they can share expertise and resources, build audiences and alliances, seek support and advocate for their interests.
A graduate of the playwriting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, Guy Rex Rodgers has worked in film and television. He is also a musician and has recently performed in several editions of Tim Brady’s symphonies for 100 guitarists. A long-time arts activist, Guy Rex Rodgers was co-founder of the Quebec Drama Federation and the Quebec Writers’ Federation, was a member of the founding board of le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and was founding Executive Director of the English-Language Arts Network. In 2015 he was appointed to l’Ordre des arts et des lettres du Q
