CCQ halts volunteer painting project at Saint-Sebastien school

The Commission de la construction du Quebec (CCQ) has put a stop to a parental volunteer painting project at Capitaine-Luc-Fortin de Saint-Sébastien elementary school in Saint-Sébastien, Que.

Parents of students and other volunteers came together to paint the school, 50 minutes away from downtown Montreal, during the students’ week off as a surprise for their return.

The CCQ, responding to a complaint, stopped the painting operation in the school and threatened the volunteers with a $200 fine for painting without a certification or license.

“Never will I make those people pay that fine, for offering their time to help the children,”  said Martin Thibert, mayor of Saint-Sébastien in a Facebook post.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Never will I make those people pay that fine, for offering their time to help the children,"  said Martin Thibert, mayor of Saint-Sébastien in a Facebook post.

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Mayor Thibert says the project had a certified professional painter who offered his services pro bono but it still did not meet safety standards.

“I hope the person that sent out the complaint has a hard time sleeping at night and I promise I will find out who you are,” Thibert said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I hope the person that sent out the complaint has a hard time sleeping at night and I promise I will find out who you are," Thibert said.

According to Mayor Thibert, the CCQ said that the volunteer project was taking work away from a certified enterprise.

The school will now hire and pay the professional contractor that volunteered to paint the rest of the unfinished work.