Montreal mayors say provincial cuts will be detrimental to after-school programs

Students in the Montreal area may see some of their after school programs go away after the provincial government cut funding in December. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press) (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Several Montreal borough mayors say that budget cuts by the CAQ government are putting after school programs in danger.

Since 2018, an agreement called “Reflex Montreal” allowed schools to make their sports facilities free of charge on evenings and weekends.

In return, the province provided schools with funding to cover the costs.

In mid-December, however, the funding was cut.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis said local organizations will cut activities all together or make it more expensive for children to play.

“Will the children participate if the registration fees are higher because there has to be a rent cost assumed by the organization?” he asked. “They’re going to sit at home in their electronics. They’re going to be wandering through the neighborhoods because they’re not going to have these structured programs and safe places available to them.”

A spokesperson for Quebec’s Education Ministry said school service centres can continue the agreement after January, but without provincial help.

Beis said that it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

On Wednesday, the City of Montreal announced that it will hold a news conference on Thursday with a group of mayors who are pushing for the program to continue.