‘Let’s Save Centennial’: Community unites for benefit concert to help save Montreal school in financial crisis
Posted May 22, 2025 1:13 pm.
Last Updated May 22, 2025 2:05 pm.
In a powerful show of unity, Centennial Academy, a private school in downtown Montreal that provides specialized education to 300 students with special needs, is coming together on Friday for a benefit concert to help safeguard the future of their school.
This comes after the school has been facing financial trouble and may have to close by the end of the academic year.
All are invited to the inspiring evening, “Let’s Save Centennial: A Future for Our Kids” is set to be a concert filled with music, hope, and heart at Montreal’s Rialto Theatre.
The lineup features beloved artists, including:
- Martha & Rufus Wainwright
- Sarahmée
- Patrick Watson
- And Emmanuel Bilodeau as the Master of Ceremonies
One of the evening’s most anticipated moments will be the students performing alongside the artists.
“A one-of-a-kind performance,” the school wrote on their website. “A heartfelt tribute to their creativity, resilience, and to the generosity of everyone who believes in them.”
The financial troubles stem from nearly $9 million in debt, a result of the school losing its old location and moving to a heritage building in 2020.
The school provides a subsidized English-speaking sector and a fully private French-speaking sector.
The French program, which serves half of the student body, is especially vulnerable as it does not receive government funding due to a freeze.
The school has applied for emergency support, but without government intervention, its future is uncertain.
