Report of the Symposium:
McGill 2014
McGill University hosted the 7th edition of this symposium from March 28th to March
30th. This was the first time that it was a bilingual symposium. The organizing committee
included the following members: Catherine Roy, Katrina St-Amand and Virginie Yeba Gbongo.
The students who attended the symposium came from: Université de Montréal (UdeM),
Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
(UQAT), Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke,
Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) and McGill University.
On Friday March 28th, about 180 participants attended the opening ceremony. They
were welcomed by volunteers and the members of the organizing committee in the Jeanne
Timmins Amphitheatre which is located in the Montreal Neurological Institute. We provided
them with a delicious supper from Cuisine Collective Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, a non-profit
organization which offers catering services.
The members of the organizing committee introduced themselves to the participants at
the opening ceremony speech. Afterwards, both the President of the Ordre des Travailleurs
Sociaux et des Thérapeutes Conjugaux et Familiaux du Québec (OTSTCFQ), M. Claude Leblond,
and the School of Social Work’s Director, Dr Wendy Thomson, made their own presentation.
This being a bilingual symposium under the theme of United in our differences, it was great to
have Mr. Leblond present in French and Dr. Thomson in English though she started in French
with a few welcoming words. The feedback received from the participants regarding Dr
Thomson’s presentation was delightful because these students enjoyed learning about McGill’s
School of Social Work’s history notably.
Saturday March 29th, 2014 was the busiest day. The majority of the presentations took
place on that day as there were four blocks of conferences. Moreover, students continued to
enjoy breakfast, lunchboxes and snacks which were served in the Bronfman Building during the
entire day by the same caterer. Also, participants had access to the kiosks of the Social Work
Order and of the NPS (Nouvelles Pratiques Sociales) magazine from UQAM. Furthermore, the
Order presented a photo exhibition special called “Turbulences” which took place in the lobby of
the Bronfman Building.
Many participants would come to see the members of the organizing committee to
congratulate us for our organization of the event all throughout the day. It was highly
appreciated to receive those heartfelt thanks from the participants (students or professionals in
the field of social work) because it was our goal to get together as many social work students as
possible from different universities in order to be united in our differences. It is also important
to add that the organizing committee was congratulated by the volunteers, the Order and the
guest speakers during and after the symposium and supported by the School of Social Work.
On Saturday night, we had a 5 à 8 held at Carlos and Pepes on Peel street. The second
floor was reserved for participants of the symposium. We, members of the organizing
committee, had decided to offer the first pitcher of beer to each table of six people. Every time
the waiter would bring a pitcher of beer to a table, our fellow social work students would
respond by shouts and cheers to the organizing committee. It was just a wonderful feeling to be
in a room full of future social workers who were just having a great time being with one
another.
Sunday March 30th was the last day of the symposium. The day was presented as a
brunch-conference. The presentation was made by a social worker on the subject of Dying with
dignity and the famous Bill the provincial government is in the process of adopting. Mr. Yvon
Bureau, through his 30 years of promoting the rights, responsibilities and freedom of the person
who is dying, discussed the evolution of the terminology and how we got to the “Loi sur les soins
en fin de vie”. He also discussed about his views on the subject and the many positive impacts
on the person at the end of life, his/her family and caregivers as well as health facilities and
social services involved in the process. The presentation has let the participants and organizing
committee to ponder over this controversial topic and to think about our own conception of life.
We are very thankful for everyone who participated in the process of making this event
such a fulfilling event where everyone was satisfied because people could meet new students
and workers, learn while having fun which is the main goal of this symposium. The next edition
will be at UQAT in spring 2015.
Katrina St-Amand, Virginie Yeba Gbongo and Catherine Roy,
Members of the organizing committee