Quebec Education Minister Joël Arseneau did not mince words after an investigation was opened concerning children allegedly put in lockers by staff at an elementary school on Montreal’s North Shore. Blainville Police confirmed that an investigation has been opened in collaboration with Youth Protection (DPJ). Police would not provide the ages or the number of children involved, nor would they say how many staff members were involved. The service centre said that four staff members at Envolée Primary School were suspended, including a teacher. Arseneau said he was informed of “the unacceptable practice” at a school in the Mille-Îles School Services Centre. “I just can’t believe the images we saw and the description of this method is absolutely unacceptable,” said Arseneau. “How can people, professionals, think that would provoke any sort of positive outcome to a crisis, it mesmerized me.” Arseneau said that the government, school service centre and youth protection need to act quickly and answer a series of questions. “Is it the only school? Was everyone aware of that in the school? Why did it go that far? And is that kind of method used elsewhere in the school network?” Arseneau said that in visits to other schools, he has found the exact opposite, where students are respected and protected. “It’s very far from what we saw,” he said. “How can you think that would possibly have a positive outcome is the question that I can’t resolve at this point in time.” Liberal (PLQ) education critic Marc Tanguay said he was “shocked” by the reports. “As a father, I’m shocked to read and to listen to what happened in this school,” said Tanguay. “I think that is unacceptable in 2026 in Quebec, those kinds of practices.” He said he was reassured that police and youth protection agents were looking into the situation. “We are looking forward to have the full light of what happens in this case,” he said. “The minister has a responsibility today to inquire and to know what are the practices in place, not only there but everywhere in the schools, because we see that the teachers and all the people forming the team for the schools are under pressure, but now what are the practices that are in place?”
