‘Save F.A.C.E.’: Students sing song aimed at Quebec Education Minister in protest of plan to sell school building

Over 1,000 students of F.A.C.E. School in downtown Montreal protested through song outside the school on Thursday afternoon, to stand against the sale of the building.

Students and parents have held multiple protests after the Quebec Ministry of Education decided to scrap the planned renovations of the school in April, due to rising costs. Representatives say they want to appeal directly to Minister of Education Bernard Drainville.

“That decision from the minister seems to be final, so we’re extremely disappointed with that,” said Joe Ortona, chair of the English Montreal School Board (EMSB). “We’re hoping that we can get him to change (his mind).”

Students of varying ages gathered in their school’s outdoor courtyard, singing the song “Toune d’automne” by Les Cowboys Fringants. The song is said to be a favourite of the minister.

“We chose it because we know that he loves it, because he sang it already,” said Emmanuelle Racine-Gariépy, a music teacher at F.A.C.E. “We wanted to show him that we were able also to give a new good show together.”

Protest organizers say they “personally invited” the minister to attend the musical performance.

According to them, the performance was created to showcase the character of F.A.C.E.’s educational program, and to highlight the importance of preserving the only public school located in downtown Montreal.

The Quebec Ministry of Education previously said it scrapped planned renovations due to what was initially a $150 million price tag — ballooning to an estimated $375 million, on account of rising costs.

As a result, approximately 1,300 students from kindergarten to Grade 11 are to be separated and permanently relocated to two different locations beginning next school year: École Christophe Colomb and École Saint-Urbain. École Christophe Colomb is to accommodate elementary students, and École Saint-Urbain will accommodate secondary students.

The Ministry said it estimates a $55 million price tag to renovate Christophe-Colomb, with elementary school students scheduled to return to school September 2025. For Saint-Urbain, the price is estimated at $147 million, with high school students scheduled to return to school in 2032, as the project is currently in the design phase.

The new renovation plans add up to a little over an estimated $200 million in total for the two schools.

“The way we sing today is to show everyone how important this school is and how important it is to have everybody, primary and secondary, all together,” said Eli, a grade nine student at F.A.C.E. “It’s important to show everyone how we are a community, a family here, and we all are happy to be here. We don’t want to sell it so we need to show everybody how like we’re all a family together.”

Samara, another grade nine student, said she’s been at the school since she was five years old.

“This building is like basically a second house for me,” she said. “It’s where I’ve been like for more than 10 years and it’s the most beautiful thing.”

“I’m here from a very long time and it’s a patrimonial school and we have like a family here,” added Christian, in grade 5. “We’re all friends together, so it’s very important to keep the heritage of F.A.C.E. school.”

Some parents and students consider those schools, which are currently being renovated, a step down from F.A.C.E. because they put certain art programs at risk. They say the F.A.C.E. program cannot survive without infrastructure like an auditorium, rehearsal rooms, a library and a cafeteria, which they allege are lacking in the new buildings.

Quebec’s Education Ministry has increased the budget to build and renovate schools by 160 per cent in seven years.

In a statement to CityNews, Drainville’s office said: “The F.A.C.E. School is important to thousands of students and families in Montreal, and it is important to us as well. Let’s be clear: the F.A.C.E. program will remain in its entirety,” said a spokesperson for the Quebec Ministry of Education. “However, in light of the new project evaluations that have been conducted, we must also ensure that we respect public funds. That is why we are reviewing the scope of the project, without there being any impact on student learning.”

The Ministry said they will work with the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal to “ensure the best possible transition.”

“We will provide modern schools for these students, while ensuring that public funds are respected.”

“The minister should be looking at ways to save the costs so that the renovations for F.A.C.E. can continue to happen,” said Ortona. “If that’s not possible, then what the minister should be doing is looking at another building where we could house all of the students at F.A.C.E., and getting that building renovated in a way that that could accommodate that.”

Ortona said the school operates under a “cohabitation model” that is about 70 per cent French and 30 per cent English — meaning that although each sector has different classes and is run by different school boards, the school’s band and choir are able to bring French and English students together.

“That’s something that’s going to be lost when they’re going to be separated,” said the chair.

“F.A.C.E. is like a family, so everyone was united,” said grade seven student Malaïka.

“I came here in fifth grade and everyone really accepted me very kindly, and it would just be so sad for the other people who won’t be able to go to this school with all this history,” said Naima in grade six.

“This is the only public school in the downtown Montreal, and it’s very important to keep it alive,” said Racine-Gariépy.

According to Ortona, the buildings where F.A.C.E. students are slated to go next year were presented as a temporary solution.

“Parents made a lot of concessions, like some of the rooms are not sound proof for music; that can’t be acceptable, without an auditorium, without a cafeteria. But they made those concessions because they knew that it was temporary and they were expecting, after a couple of years, to go back to F.A.C.E. that was going to be newly rebuilt and state of the art,” he said. “The minister has betrayed these parents by allowing them to accept less than the acceptable on a false premise.”

“Let’s save F.A.C.E., don’t sell F.A.C.E.,” said Elyssa, in grade six at the school.

A petition by students and parents at the National Assembly has garnered 12,146 signatures, surpassing their goal of 10,000 signatures by May 21.