Brian Rock passes baton to Linton Garner

RAWQ’s incoming leader brings with him 40 years of experience

Incoming Executive Director for the Regional Association of West Quebecers (RAWQ), Linton Garner, is using his new position to continue his decades-long history of advocating for Anglo issues in Quebec.

Recently relocated to Aylmer from Montreal,  Garner has worked in community services for 40 years. He’s worked on a variety of issues, such as health and social services, education, public housing and more. Perhaps most significant to his current role is Garner’s long history with English language rights.

Garner worked at the Ministry of Health and Social Services as the first Regional Coordinator for access to English language health and social services in Montreal. He is a former attaché to then Minister of Education, Pierre Reid, the former Director of Intercultural and Interracial relations for the Montreal Urban Community (MUC) and advisor to the President of the MUC.

Garner took on the position at RAWQ after his long-time friend Brian Rock announced he was retiring from the position of executive director. Garner feels that there are “large concerns in this community around access to health and social services, educational and government services”.

When asked about his goals for the organization, Garner spoke largely of access to services. He aims to raise awareness around the fact that “Anglophones make up a third of the population of West Quebec and as such we merit access to services in our own language”. Garner says that it is important to recognize that Anglophones are “contributors to our community’s economic health and wealth and overall development”.