13 community groups, under 1 roof, face eviction by Montreal school service centre

After more than 20 years of operating under one roof and uniting to provide support to thousands of residents, 13 community groups are set to be evicted due to the need for extra classroom space at Montreal's largest school service centre.

Theeviction would force those groups to scatter or even shut down, and they're hoping to buyenough time to avoid what they say would be a "catastrophe."

In February, theCentre de services scolaire de Montral(CSSDM) sent the groups a letter saying it wants the former school building located on Laverdure Street in Montreal's Ahunsticneighbourhood by the summer of 2025, in order to deal with a growing demand for French-language programs.

Pause Famille is among the 13 groups based at the community centre. The group estimates that it offers services to about 400 families per yeardealing with a variety of challenges, including being on low income. Executive director Myriam George saysa large number of her clients are asylum seekers who have had a hard time finding publicdaycare spots.

"Children that have gone through long journeys of migration often appear to be frozen in time," Georgesaid. "We need to sort of overstimulate them before they go to school."

George says Pause Famillepaysabout $16 per square footto rent out their space, a number that would at least double if it had to find a new space.

"It's not realistic for us to relocate," George said.

If forced to leave, afood bank service group called theService de nutrition et d'action communautaireor SNAC, would have to move its commercial refrigerators and freezers and find a new spot that respects thenorms of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Ministry.

SNAC estimates itcould be looking at moving-related costs ranging between $100,000 and $200,000.

In 2022, Radio-Canada reported that the CSSDMhad imposed a 222 per cent rent increase on its tenants. The service centre ultimately backtracked.

1-stop shop for families

Combined, the 13 community groups say they provide services to about 25,000 residents.

When they're not offering direct help to those in need, people who work at these organizations are often referring clients to other groups located at the same address.

The building is essentially a one-stop shop for a lot neighbourhood residents in need, and groups sayit's a big reason why the community centre is so woven into the fabric of the neighbourhood.

"A person can come pick up their emergency cheque and we'll refer them to the Meals on Wheels program in the basement," said Ren Obregon-Ida, the executive director of RAP Jeunesse, a group that helps younger people experiencing homelessness.

The community centre has received support from a group of local elected officialsat the municipal, provincial and federal levels.Those officials are Foreign Affairs Minister Mlanie Joly, who is the MP for Ahunstic-Cartierville,Haroun Bouazzi, the Qubec SolidaireMNA for the Maurice-Richard riding, Andr A. Morin, the Liberal MNAfor the Acadie riding and milieThuillier, mayor of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough.

In March, they sent a letter to the Quebec ministers in charge of the education, immigration and social solidarity portfolios, asking them to step in with work the CSSDM.They want the community groups to stay put for five more years. That's enough time, they say, to find a new permanent location and preserve the service offer for thousands of people in need.

Alexandra Vakaloulis,the communications manager for Solidarit Ahuntsic, a roundtable with representation from each of the groups located inside the community centre, isn't optimistic.

"The sense that we get is that there's no willingness from the CSSDM to work with us," she said. "All the workers are going to be extremely sad because we work collectively all the time."

In a statement, the CSSDM reiterated to CBC News what it told the groups in its letter. It says it needs the space to avoid a breakdown in services for newly arrived Quebecerstaking French classes.

A spokesperson for the education minister's office said he will meet with the community groups in the coming weeks.