4Korners has released its 2024-2025 impact report, highlighting program growth and new initiatives supporting Anglophone communities in the Laurentians. The report comes as Québec continues to implement changes to language laws.
4Korners Board of Directors President Peter Andreozzi said, “We completed our most ambitious year so far, reaching our community at all levels: seniors, families, young children, students, and lovers of the arts.”
According to Statistics Canada, the Laurentians are home to 47,010 Anglophones, with approximately 5,800 residing in Argenteuil.
“We remain the go-to organization in the Laurentians,” Andreozzi said.
Over the past year, 4Korners had 372 registered members. The organization welcomed 2,867 unique participants to more than 450 activities and events, and hosted approximately 240 one-on-one support sessions.
“In 2024, as Québec enters a period of legislative transformation with the implementation of Bill 96, we recognize the growing challenges many English-speakers face in accessing public services and feeling included in Québec society,” said Executive Director Hugo Bissonnet.
The report showed that nearly half of program users were seniors or senior caregivers, supporting some of the more than 15,000 Anglophone seniors in the Laurentians.
To address this need, additional senior programming was introduced over the past year, including yoga for balance, artistic classes, and virtual offerings. 4Korners has worked toward reducing isolation among the senior population, encouraging and maintaining their independence.
In addition to senior programming, 4Korners expanded initiatives supporting youth mental health and neurodivergent youth and caregivers.
The report highlighted that the Laurentians remained the region with the highest prevalence of individuals with autism in Québec, approximately six out of every 1,000 children aged 1-17. Of these individuals, 85 per cent reported being diagnosed with an additional mental health challenge.
Programs such as art and wellness clubs, connecting beyond the classroom events, the substance dependency prevention program, and the Summer of Empowerment for neurodivergent individuals were some of the more successful 4Korners initiatives.
Additionally, 4Korners aims to expand its offerings into additional schools, deepening art-based learning for neurodivergent youth, hosting caregiver support groups, and ultimately ensuring that English-speaking youth across the Laurentians have access to mental health resources and community support.
“As we look toward the next 20 years, we remain committed to nurturing a region that is bilingual, inclusive, and thriving,” Bissonnet concluded.
