Quebec: autonomous and responsible

What does Quebec want? Quebec wants to be happy and comfortable, and responsible. Responsible means to be accountable for good and bad behaviour, on the political level, on the community level and individually.

Economy is not doing great this year. And being a sissy doesn't help! Today's political and commercial culture makes Quebec a whining sissy. Companies and people abuse the system, break the rules, and get away with it easily. Fines should be astronomical! Fines should be assisted by restrictions that hurt enough there won't be a second offence.

For example, a driver who gets caught speeding on a city street would be treated as a dangerous criminal before he/she kills a kid. First offence: five thousand bucks! We catch that bad apple again, fifteen grand. And again? Forty thousand or there is meaningful community work like repairing roads or something related to promoting safety on the road. Quebec is a pussy. Quebec doesn't want to offend anyone. The leftists want everyone to be overprotected and pampered with the protection of this and the protection that, human rights and open-bar abuse for all.

Let me tell you that Quebec's finances would pick up some health on the double. Not only would you collect extra funds, there would be less spent - socially and economically - on repairing damages. One would think twice before speeding on the roads. That's what I call prevention.

Like a Quebec TV program recently reported, French-speaking Quebecers could be refused a job if they didn't speak English in Montreal. There is a law ruling that Quebec's official language is French. It's being enforced the sissy way. Offenders don't have any reasons to respect a law when there is no stronger threat than a couple of Frenchies parading on the sidewalk, in front of its door. There should be real measures like - first offence - a one-day restriction where the business is not allowed to operate. That really hurts. If your clientèle is fleeing to the competitor, well too bad. Your fault, you twit. Second offence, a week closed. No business whatsoever allowed, not even a phone call. Make it painful enough so it is meaningful. And so on.

Your choice. You want a sissy Quebec or a comfortable, strong one. I rest my case.

Waska celebrates its 27th anniversary!

Waska was founded on April 26, 1982, when students in a St. Foy, Quebec, technical institute join a "human relationships class" group in order to unite forces under one organization called "Club 3E". This non-profit entity has given itself a mission: to help people overcome problems with work exeperience and related training issues. Also, the club becomes a mutual help network. Then follows a great evolution over nearly three decades!

Right from the beginning, the organization takes a modular-shaped form of operation, where each of the elements pursue a specific goal, intended to a specific clientèle. Claudette Lemieux implements the "Aide-Amitié" section (help & friendship) taking care of the social needs of the members. Marc Dubé sets the "sports, activities and environmental awareness group". Jean-François Néron manages the learning workshops and experiential groups.

In 1983, the NPO is then renamed "Waska" and offers its workshops in a basement classroom of the St. Ursule Church in St. Foy, Quebec. To fund its humanitarian endeavours, the organization sells "English learning workshops" and "French as a second language workshops" at a fair tariff. To other associations in the neighbourhood, it is a strange mode of operation. Not used to social economy in those years, they make fun of Waska and dub it "insidious commercial entity". Today, social economy is the modern way (in Canada) to operate a non-profit organization. It is the way of the future since associations learn to be cost-effective and autonomous, which lightens the socio-economic burden of the community. Waska still offers the linguistic workshops and compiles 26 years of exeprience doing so!

1988 is a year marked by the entry of office automation in the widespread world of management. Waska launches its "computer learning workshops". Business is rolling and the NPO moves into its very own office, at 955 de Bourgogne Avenue in St. Foy, Quebec. Neighbouring offices shelter professionals such as doctors, insurance companies and lawyers. In 1991, the association moves its operations to the more prestigious Galeries Duplessis, flanking engineers and equally highly-regarded professionals. Waska adds one element to its modular structure: technical services intended to NPOs as well as individuals.

In 1999, Waska joins in with other NPOs in Quebec City and studies the phenomenon of poverty. It launches its programme "Exit poverty through autonomy/empowerment!", while promoting community discussion and solidarity (Connexion Ouest).

Today, the Quebec City-based organization operates in the cosy Loretteville quarter of the Old Capital City. Its mission is to help individuals and organizations gain empowerment; to implement a community network of solidarity, to promote environmental awareness.

Take part in Waska's 27th birthday

For its 27th anniversary, Waska is inviting you to join its various groups and causes on Facebook:

• become a fan of Waska's Official Facebook Page;
• join the group "Waska 1982-aujourd'hui/today"
• support the cause "Empowered individuals and organizations"

Autonomy and empowerment constitute the key to human justice and dignity because it allows everyone to actively take part in collective success and live a comfortable, happy life.

Waska fête ses 27 ans!

Le 26 avril 1982, des étudiants du Pavillon Technique du Campus 1 à Sainte-Foy (Québec) se joignent à des élèves d'un cours de relations humaines pour fonder un organisme à buts non lucratifs qu'ils baptisent «Club 3E». La nouvelle entité a pour mission d'aider les gens qui éprouvent des problèmes d'expérience et/ou de formation professionnelle et devient également un groupe d'entraide. S'ensuit alors toute une évolution sur près de trois décennies!

L'organisme adopte au départ une forme modulaire dont chacun des éléments poursuit une mission distincte, avec sa propre clientèle. Claudette Lemieux forme la section «Aide-amitié» qui s'occupe des besoins «sociaux» des membres; Marc Dubé assure les activités sportives ainsi que la sensibilisation environnementale; Jean-François Néron prend en charge les ateliers de formation et sur l'expérience.

En 1983, l'OBNL adopte l'appellation «Waska» et offre ses ateliers au sous-sol de l'église Sainte-Ursule à Sainte-Foy. Pour financer ses oeuvres humanitaires, l'organisme décide d'offrir des ateliers d'apprentissage linguistique (anglais langue seconde, français langue seconde) moyennant un tarif intéressant. Il s'agit là d'une façon de faire étrange pour le milieu communautaire de l'époque, pas du tout habitué à l'économie sociale. Les autres organismes tournent Waska en dérision et le taxent de «commerce déguisé». Aujourd'hui, l'économie sociale est perçue comme la voie de l'avenir car les organismes apprennent à être rentables et autonomes, allégeant ainsi le fardeau socio-économique du milieu dans lequel ils évoluent. Waska offre toujours ses ateliers linguistiques qui cumulent 26 ans d'expérience!

1988 est une année marquée par l'arrivée en force de la bureautique au sein de l'administration en général. Waska inaugure alors son atelier d'apprentissage de l'ordinateur. Les affaires allant bien, l'OBNL emménage au 955, avenue de Bourgogne à Sainte-Foy, flanqué de bureaux de docteurs, d'assureurs et d'avocats. En 1991, il déménage ses pénates aux Galeries Duplessis, entouré d'ingénieurs et d'autres professionnels diversifiés. C'est alors qu'on ajoute un module à l'union: les services techniques qui s'adressent aux organismes autant qu'aux individus.

En 1999, Waska se joint à plusieurs organisme pour étudier le phénomène de la pauvreté et lance son programme de sortie de la pauvreté par l'autonomie, tout en favorisant la concertation interorganisme (Connexion Ouest).

Aujourd'hui basé dans le quartier Loretteville de Québec, Waska a pour mission d'aider les individus et les organismes à devenir autonomes, d'implanter un système communautaire de concertation, de partage et d'entraide, de sensibiliser à l'écologie.

Participez au 27e anniversaire de Waska

Pour son vingt-septième anniversaire, Waska vous invite à contribuer sans frais:

• joignez vous au groupe "Waska 1982-aujourd'hui/today" sur Facebook
• devenez «fan» de la page Facebook de Waska ;
• encouragez la cause de l'autonomie de l'individu et des organismes.

L'autonomie est la clé de la justice et de la dignité humaine car elle permet à tous de participer activement au succès de la collectivité et de vivre confortablement et heureux.

Waska currently in boosting process and looking for new board members

Waska, autonomie et services techniques communautaires, a Quebec City non-profit organization, is currently in a vigorous boosting process! The board of directors is working hard on a new business plan in order to widen the organization's action spectrum and boost its operation strength.

Basically, Waska helps individuals and non-profit organizations gain empowerment, i.e. bring them to set themselves free from the dependency to public funding and charity, to generate their own revenues. Also, Waska implements a system of community dialogue, exchange and solidarity in order to link up NPOs, various public social workers, small businesses and the population in a way to promote social and commercial relations that help the community live.

Waska has given itself this mandate right from the beginning in 1982, when it was founded in a classroom of the formerly called Technical Pavilion in St. Foy, Quebec, now the Marie-Rollet Professional Training Centre.

In April of 2008, Waska opened a workshop room at 125 Racine Street in Quebec City, in the heart of the Loretteville Quarter (Borough of the Haute-Saint-Charles). Last March 1st, the organization decided to close the location to allow itself more room to manoeuvre, a leeway to carry out its revival plan and establish connections with new business contacts.

The new projects undertaken by Waska will soon be published right here and will allow the organization to reinforce its humanitarian endeavours towards the community, making people happy already for the past 27 years.

Waska president by interim, Christian Tanguay (photo above), invites all persons involved in humanitarian endeavours to join our board of directors in the upcoming election. To be part of Waska means building pillars of the community, reducing its social/economic burden, and help goodwill individuals regain their dignity. You may contact Mr. Tanguay at waskatechnicien@gmail.com or call him at (418) 407-1425.

Whether you are in Québec City or elsewhere, our membership network is awaiting you! We are inviting any person interested in contributing with concrete gestures, ideas, or contacts to the pursuit of Waska's mission. Annual membership fee is $10 for individuals and $20 for non-profit organizations. It allows you to benefit from high-quality services and to partake in social activities related to the organization's mission. You can register directly with Mr. Tanguay or by contacting the Executive Secretary, Mr. Jean-François Néron at (418) 847-4784 or waskaquebec@gmail.com.

Welcome to all!