English language arts network leaves anglo umbrella group

Quebec community groups network loses member Eleven out of 60 groups have left the umbrella organization within one week.

MONTREAL - The English language arts network (ELAN) has become the latest group to leave the Quebec community groups network (QCGN).

QCGN--an Anglo organization that represents numerous groups across the province--has lost the support of several other groups over the past week and is in the midst of a feud with the Legault government.

Eleven groups out of 60 recently left QCGN.

QCGN recently said it has evidence the CAQ government's English secretariat is threatening to withhold funding from its member groups if they're not more supportive of the government.

For some community groups, especially in rural areas, the QCGN's stance against the government has been too severe.

"Some of the hard lines that QCGN is taking on language resonate very strongly amongst boomers, they resonate less strongly amongst generation X, and they kind of go entirely in the wrong direction for millennials," said Guy Rodgers, executive director of ELAN. "I think what people are saying is that they're quite abrasive and quite divisive and that is not what a community group should be doing."

Rodgers added that ELAN would be open to rejoining QCGN if the umbrella organization changes its ways. He said other groups could also leave the QCGN in the coming weeks.

With files from CTV Montreal's Matt Grillo