Western Québec School Board (WQSB)
- The Western Québec School Board’s 31 schools and centres provide English-language education to eligible students over an immense and diverse territory of 90,000 square kilometres, covering the Outaouais, Pontiac, and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions.
- Cultural differences are valued and celebrated within the student population through French Immersion programs, Indigenous events, and student initiatives and activities.
“We are committed to providing the best possible education to our students, and we can achieve this noble goal by harnessing the skills and knowledge that already exist within our schools. By fostering collaboration in a collective process of learning, Western Québec seeks to provide every school leader, teacher, and student in our partnership with access to the combined wisdom of our educational system.”
ABOUT
- The Western Québec School Board is one of the nine English School Boards in Québec. The WQSB is a progressive, creative, and forward-looking educational organization. The WQSB is comprised of 25 schools, four joint adult education and vocational training centres, one adult education centre and one vocational training centre:
- 13 elementary schools
- Two junior high schools (Secondary I and II)
- Two secondary schools (Secondary I to V)
- Two senior secondary schools (Secondary III to V)
- One kindergarten to Secondary II school
- Five kindergarten to Secondary V schools
- Four joint adult general education and vocational training centres
- One adult general education centre
- One vocational training centre
- Its nearly 1,300 dedicated and hard-working staff members are committed to providing quality education and top-notch services to almost 9,000 students.
- The WQSB is dedicated to developing lifelong learners who contribute to society and are prepared for their future.
- Western Québec respects and promotes the rights and responsibilities of every individual while maintaining a student-centred, safe, and healthy learning environment.
- Parents and communities are valued as collaborative partners in enriching programs and achieving goals.
- Together, they aspire to become a world-class, knowledge-generating, and experience-sharing community, leading to school improvement and raising education standards for all.
WHY CHOOSE THE WQSB
- Engaging
“Western Québec” is just another way of saying “supportive workplace.” They proudly offer an innovative and progressive Teacher Induction Program. - Professional Growth
A variety of opportunities are provided for teachers to learn and grow, both in and outside Western Québec. Access to Tribes Training, provincial conferences, professional book clubs, and subject-specific workshops are some examples of the choices available to all teachers. - Mentoring and Coaching Fellowship
The administrators support teachers during their first two years. Every teacher new to the board is provided with the support of a Mentor-Coach in their school.
Based on trust and mutual respect, the relationship between teachers and Mentor Coaches provides the opportunity for collaborative growth. The Teacher Induction Program serves as a support during this process. - Creative
The WQSB is increasingly fortunate to offer staff and students athletic, artistic and community-centred pedagogical activities that enrich the lives of everyone. - Destination Imagination
This board-wide, fun, and hands-on program fosters students’ creativity and curiosity through challenges. Participating students learn invaluable 21st-century skills and patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect, and collaboration. - Destination Leadership
This experiential camp brings together students from all WQSB high schools and teaches leadership qualities through teamwork challenges. These students become future leaders for Destination Imagination and at school. - Music Makers
When 700 students and staff members come together to share their love for music at the WQSB board-wide concert, it is bound to be a memorable experience. - A Community
The board believes in people, and they strive to create a safe and engaging culture in every school and centre.
Together, they are dedicated to developing lifelong learners who contribute to society and are prepared for their future. They are committed to academic excellence and quality education, which encourages social, emotional, and moral development.
They respect and promote every individual’s rights and responsibilities while maintaining a student-centred, safe and healthy learning environment. Parents and communities are valued as collaborative partners in enriching programs and achieving goals.
Cultural differences are valued and celebrated within the student population through French Immersion programs, Indigenous events, and student initiatives and activities.
Living in Western Québec rewards with a mix of culture, history, and breathtaking landscapes. It is a truly rewarding career destination.
For more information, visit Western Québec School Board
LIVING HERE
Most Western Québec staff live and work in or around Gatineau, a wonderful place to call home!
As the fourth-largest city in Quebec, Gatineau is the perfect size for ease of living and has all of the amenities of a larger city. Gatineau is a young, dynamic, and growing city. Across from its twin city Ottawa, Gatineau stretches from east to west along the Ottawa River and boasts wide expanses. Its French-speaking community makes it stand out and greatly contributes to the region’s cultural offering. [source]
The Gatineau region is the province’s second settlement area for immigrants after the Greater Montréal area: immigrants make up 11% of its population, and 63.5% of residents consider themselves bilingual. [source]
Gatineau for downtown life – Gatineau’s downtown area is booming. Several projects proposed by Gatineau and businesses reflect this. Restaurants, microbreweries, patios, and festivals liven up our downtown core, which is of course closely connected to Ottawa’s Bytown, Parliament Hill, and Centre Town sectors. With Ottawa, Gatineau forms the fifth largest urban centre in Canada after Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Calgary.
Gatineau for outdoor life – Known for its urban outdoor experience, Gatineau has a lot to offer to outdoor enthusiasts, whatever the season! Gatineau’s bicycle and pedestrian network is more than 300 kilometres long, and the trails are well integrated to Ottawa’s. The Gatineau Park, an oasis of more than 360 square kilometres of hills and forests, is situated at the heart of our city. It gets more than 2.7 million visitors per year and allows for the practice of many activities in any season! With 165 kilometres of walking trails and more than 200 kilometres of groomed cross-country ski trails, Gatineau Park is one of the largest networks of trails in North America. With four rivers and numerous lakes and streams, waterways are an integral part of Gatineau’s landscape. [source]
Gatineau for festive life – Gatineau welcomes dozens of festive events throughout the year The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival has been colouring the city skies for more than thirty years. In February, Snowflake Kingdom, a huge winter playground, attracts thousands of families. Snowflake Kingdom is one of Winterlude’s three official sites.
Gatineau for life – Gatineau residents enjoy a cost of living among the most affordable and a quality of life among the best in the country. Few places in the world can have residents enjoying the benefits of city life and nature at the same time. The average price of housing in Gatineau is lower than Montréal’s (-25%), Ottawa’s (-3%) and Toronto’s (-200%).
Elsewhere in the Outaouais and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions:
About half of Western Québec’s schools and centres, usually smaller workplaces, are located outside of Gatineau. Explore the map below.
