English community shut out of Quebec’s Syrian refugee plan, says LBPSB

MONTREAL – The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) said the English community is being shut out of Quebec’s plan to welcome 700 Syrian refugees.

Immigrants don’t usually have the right to go to English school because of Bill 101, but LBPSB said a humanitarian provision in the language law allows for exceptions.

Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil said there’s plenty of room in the French schools, and there would be no need to use that provision of the law.

“All the language legislation we have is maintained and all the schools we have, have always integrated refugees, students, young people,” she said.