The Montreal School Service Center (CSSDM) asks three popular education centers (CEP) in default of payment to leave the premises they have occupied for free for more than 50 years. Organizations, which owes a total of $ 340,000 in rent, turn to the Ministry of Education to get them out of this dead end.
The Popular Popular Education Carrefour of Pointe-Saint-Charles and the Adult Education Committee of Petite-Bourgogne and Saint-Henri (CEDA), which have received a lease termination notice, will have to leave their premises by Wednesday.
As part of International Women’s Day, last March, the Women’s Committee of the Popular Education Carrefour of Pointe-Saint-Charles organized a day of activity. (Archives photo)
Photo: Facebook / Popular Education Carrefour de Pointe-Saint-Charles
The Center-Sud Social Committee, meanwhile, has received a formal notice from CSSDM, Giving him until Monday August 4 to pay his rent, failing which he would also receive a lease termination notice. The organization has not yet settled its debt, but has still not received any reviews.
The mission of CEP is to offer education to people who have not been able to have access to it because of their life course so far
explains Xavier Philippe-Beauchamp, coordinator of the Popular Education Carrefour in Pointe-Saint-Charles and spokesperson for Intercep.
THE CEP In particular, offer francization, literacy and computer science courses, as well as art and craft workshops.
Intercep, the alliance of the six CEP From Montreal, which include centers in default, as a help of education of $ 2 million per year is asking for the Ministry of Education to cover the needs of organizations.
Contacted by Radio-Canada, the Ministry of Education and the CSSDM said the payment of rents was responsible for these organizations.
It is a responsibility that should return to the Ministry of Education
however, says Xavier Philippe-Beauchamp.
The ministry also recalls that CEP were housed free of charge in premises belonging to the Montreal School Service Center
Over the past 50 years.
Struggling with an important deficit, the CSSDM announced, in 2013, that he no longer has the means to offer free leases to CEPs and to have to adjust rents to market value.
Since 2022, the CEP Depending on the government’s occasional subsidies to pay their rents of tens of thousands of dollars a year. This year, this sum was not even sufficient to cover all of our responsibilities
denounces Xavier Philippe-Beauchamp.
Total insecurity
As the deadline approach, organizations have still not received a response or CSSDM nor the Ministry of Education.
Xavier Philippe-Beauchamp deplores a lack of communication and the fact that the lease termination opinions were sent in the summer. They know there is a vacation [d’été] In the community environment, they are on vacation themselves.
It is a great insecurity that we live every year to know if we will have our subsidy and if the CSSDM VA patients
deplores Marie-Josée Desrochers, co-director of the Center-Sud social committee and intercep spokesperson.
It has been more than ten years since the ministers offer us a recurring solution for our rent. It is total insecurity.
We have been doing education for over 50 years in the neighborhood, we are recognized by the Ministry of Education. The ministry must put its pants and adjust the file once and for all
she adds.
A workshop of plastic arts at the South-South Social Committee (Archives Photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / René Saint-Louis
Despite the pressure of CSSDMTHE CEP do not intend to move
says Mr. Philippe-Beauchamp.
If the organizations do not receive the necessary financing by the deadline, they are well ready to defend oneself [en cour]
says Xavier Philippe-Beauchamp. We try to avoid using the judiciary, but if it is the path that the CSSDM Wish to take, we expect it firmly.
According to Intercep information, for the year 2025-2026, the rent amounted to more than $ 42,000 for the Popular Education Carrefour in Pointe-Saint-Charles and more than $ 184,000 for the Ceded. These two centers have not paid their rent since April 1, 2024 and owe $ 71,380.27 respectively and $ 222,922.42.
The Center-Sud social committee, on the other hand, has not paid its rent since April 1, 2025. Its annual rent amounts to more than $ 136,000 and its current debt is $ 45,668.91, according to Mr. Philippe-Beauchamp.
Who is responsible for?
In 2017, when their leases expired, the CEP resigned themselves to sign the new leases of CSSDM negotiation
for fear of being ousted, explains Mr. Philippe-Beauchamp. They told us, “If you don’t sign, you are ousted.”
We signed the lease with a knife under the throat, but with a commitment from the ministry to find a solution
adds Marie-Josée Desrochers.
Leases specify that Several exchanges
took place between the CSSDMTHE CEP and the Ministry of Education, in order to find a solution durable
To allow organizations to continue their social mission. He is also mentioned there wish
to conclude long -term leases in order to facilitate their access to financing.
For Xavier Philippe-Beauchamp, the leases indicate that the Ministry of Education recognizes the need for lasting funding
and that he will finance the organizations so that they can honor their leases
et realize [leur] mission without having to cut in [leurs] activities
.
Marie-Josée Desrochers abounds in the same direction. It is even written in our lease that we are [censé] Having a solution to be able to pay our rent, this solution we still don’t have it.
For its part, the Ministry of Education affirms that CEP must assume rent and building maintenance costs
.
He also recalls that CEP Receive financial support from the government as part of the community action program in the field of education and the support program for educational partners (SAP).
For the year 2025-2026, the CEP submitted their requests for financial assistance to SAP
more The files are being analyzed
he specifies.
The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville (archive photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Sylvain Roy Roussel
The CSSDM indicates, in an email sent to Radio-Canada, that he has the obligation to manage its buildings and public funds responsible
. The school service center maintains that all its tenants, including other CEPare subject to the same conditions and pay their rent in accordance with agreements
.
The CSSDM recognizes the importance of the missions of CEP. However, these cannot be carried out at the expense of ours
he underlines, refusing to comment more on the risk of judicialization of the file.