The Committee for Anglophone Social Action (CASA), based in New Carlisle, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The organization works for the development and vitalization of the minority English communities of the Gaspé.
In the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region, 7,100 people have English as a mother tongue, and this number, 2490 people, therefore more than third party, live in the MRC de Bonaventure, according to a 2023 portrait of the MRC.
In total, 8 % of the population of the Gaspé peninsula has the language of Shakespeare as a first language.
Celebrate English in a minority environment
To mark its half-century of existence, the CASA Organize a gala on Sunday evening to celebrate and enhance English communities. The preparations go well at the Paspébiac Cultural Center for the event.
Installed in New Carlisle, Casa is at the heart of the most important English -speaking communities in the Gaspé.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
The CASA was created in 1975 to try to bring together the English -speaking community in Gaspésie. We were full of small communities that were not necessarily connected by the media or other things
said the director general of CASAAllen Richard.
The CASA Managing Director, Allen Richards, is the director of the first organization to have been created to represent English -speaking communities in Quebec.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
The CASA is a pioneer, since the organization is the first to have been created to represent the minority English -speaking communities on Quebec soil.
Afterwards, there were other organizations that took our example in North Shore, in the Islands-de-la-Madeleine, [etc.]. Now there are more than 30 [organismes] through the province
drop Allen Richard.
Installed in New Carlisle, the CASA is at the heart of the most important English -speaking communities in the Gaspé.
Casa combined with the municipality of New Carlisle to improve the activities of the Canada Day, in particular by organizing musical evenings.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
In the MRC From Bonaventure, the municipalities of Shigawake, Hope Town, New Carlisle and Cascapédia-Saint-Jules have more than 50 % of their population who have English as a mother tongue, according to the portrait of the MRC.
Almost 8 % of residents of the MRC de Bonaventure are unilingual English -speaking. THE CASA also offers many services to this community.
I saw refused services, and I think CASA plays an important role to recall that we are here, that we require services and that we are important.
Shannon Marsh helps the English -speaking communities of the Gaspé.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
Support for the English -speaking population
James Robson, for example, accompanies English speakers through the maze of the health system.
It can be a telephone call to the clinic, I can go to meetings with them, Quebec and Rimouski, for example. I often work with social workers, health professionals to communicate well with the English -speaking population
supports the employee at CASAJames Robson.
James Robson sometimes supports members of the community to support them for French services.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
David Felker is one of the members of the most committed English -speaking community, especially as a musician. A native of Ontario, he founded a family with an English -speaking Gaspé from Shigawake.
We talk with tourists and they are always [surpris]it’s a big surprise for them to arrive here and see that there are English speakers, we may be fewer than 50-60 years ago, but I find the community really active
says the citizen of Shigawake, David Felker.
David Felker is a committed citizen among the community.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
To highlight its 50th anniversary, CASA Also combined with the municipality of New Carlisle to improve the activities of the Canada Day, in particular by organizing musical evenings.
According to a report by Isabelle Larose
