Mr. Speaker, the proposal made by the mayor of Saint-Jean contains two elements we agree with. First, it is essential to demilitarize the college in Saint-Jean and turn it into a co-ed institution. Second, we need a transition period.
We now have an agreement providing for a five-year transition period, a military presence of between 100 and 200 students who will take language training during the five-year period and $5 million a year for a total of $25 million over the five-year transition period.
We therefore believe that, although some of the arguments put forward by the mayor of Saint-Jean are valid, the agreement signed on July 19 by the governments of Quebec and Canada provides for a more appropriate transition period and better meets the needs of the Saint-Jean community and of keeping the college open.