Quebec artists throw their support behind movement to save Montreal’s F.A.C.E. School
Posted June 10, 2025 12:21 pm.
Gregory Charles, Mitsou Gélinas and composer Yannick Nézet-Séguin are among the many prominent Quebec figures lending their voices to help stop a downtown Montreal school from being sold.
Montreal’s F.A.C.E. School is at risk of being sold to private buyers after the Quebec government decided to scrap the planned renovations of the building due to rising costs; a project first estimated at $150 million saw its price tag balloon to $375 million.
Approximately 1,300 students from kindergarten to Grade 11 are slated to be permanently relocated to two different locations – separating elementary and high school students – beginning in the next school year.
That’s triggered outcry and protests from students and parents. They say the new locations, École Christophe Colomb and École Saint-Urbain, which are currently being renovated, are considered a step down because they lack various art programs.
Now, more than a dozen Quebec actors, musicians and authors are joining their indignation, sharing their thoughts about why F.A.C.E. should be saved in a two-minute video published by the #SaveFACE Collective on Tuesday.
“Because its educational program focused on the fine arts is unique in America,” says Nézet-Séguin, the music director of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
“Because it’s a real big family. Everyone is welcome in its uniqueness,” added Mitsou, a singer and television host poplar in Quebec’s entertainment industry for decades.
“Because the spirit of a place matters,” said Charles, a beloved singer and musician in the province.
Many of the speakers in the video are either parents of a student at F.A.C.E., or a former student themselves. Their message is clear: the school’s educational program is rich and unique and should be preserved.
“It’s a true example of educational success with a practically zero dropout rate,” said celebrated singer-songwriter Patrice Michaud.
Other figures who appear in the #SaveFACE Collective’s video are actress Isabelle Blais, singer Chloé Sainte-Marie, author Pierre Curzi and actor Didier Lucien.
An official petition at the National Assembly garnered 13,000 signatures.
