Director says it is “recognized for its role in the promotion of social cohesion and community development” and there is “no connection with the internal tensions or management problems mentioned in the report.”
The Darlington Community Centre is challenging the finding of a Quebec education ministry report that contends “in an implicit manner a connection between the centre and the situation at Bedford School.”
The Quebec education ministry’s investigation into the school, made public in October, confirmed the radio station’s findings. But it also sought to nuance certain aspects, stressing some allegations were related to isolated events that took place over a long time period.
The government’s investigation was conducted between November 2023 and April of this year. It included interviews with 73 people and detailed events between 2016 and 2024, a period during which the school saw a quick succession of directors and staff come and go.
In a statement issued on Monday, Darlington Community Centre director Said Soali said the centre is “recognized for its role in the promotion of social cohesion and community development” and there is “no connection with the internal tensions or management problems (at Bedford School) mentioned in the report.”
Soali said that “contrary to insinuations in the report, the Darlington Community Centre is neither a religious organization nor a centre that works for the Arab community.” The director said the centre provides a selection of services to “meet the needs of Quebecers living in the neighbourhood regardless of their origins.
While the centre offers “a space for contemplation,” its purpose exceeds the management of that space, Soali wrote.
“The Darlington Community Centre is in no way involved in tensions and management problems reported at Bedford School. Those issues are exclusively the responsibility of the school authorities involved.”
The director said that since its creation, the centre promoted positive and constructive relations with local institutions, including neighbourhood schools.
“The centre is a pillar for young people and local families, supporting them in the face of the challenges they encounter.”