The years 1969 to 1971 are a watershed in the life of Sainte-Anne. These years were years of crisis, hardship and destitution. Once again, the lack of financial ressources and low student enrolment were causing problems at the institution.
The people who wished to see the College remain in Church Point formed
a small minority. Oftentimes, feelings of despair and doubt filled the
hearts of the people who wished to see the College remain "at home".
Their position for a time seemed to be a losing one.
Yarmouth as the new site for Collège Sainte-Anne
?
The lack of money once again menaced the future of Collège
Sainte-Anne, but this time, in a severe way. The possibility of the College
being closed was now frequently discussed. In order to find a solution
to this problem, a series of inquiries began in 1965. Garneau and Tremblay
reported on the question of founding a bilingual Junior College in Yarmouth,
a prospect that pleased the Acadians from the Municipality of Argyle because
the move would bring Sainte-Anne closer to them. In the meantime, an Advisory
Board was created at Sainte-Anne in order to negotiate with the Grants
Committee. Negotiations and decisions took a long time and the Advisory
Board’s requests went unnoticed. The delay of a division regarding the
choice of a location for the Junior College was affecting many aspects
of academic life. Be it renovations, constructions, or curriculum, everything
was on hold. The Grants Committee and the Minister of Education, Mr. Gérald
Doucet, wished to see the closing of Collège Sainte-Anne in Church
Point and the establishment of a Junior College in Yarmouth because being
situated in Yarmouth, it would attract more students and would encourage
anglophones to learn French as a second language. In 1968, Minister Doucet,
accompanied by Mr. Normand Belliveau, tried to persuade the people of the
region that Yarmouth as the chosen site would be the best decision. They
managed to influence the clergy of the Yarmouth diocese and they had its
support, but the Yarmouth diocese’s approval created turmoil at Sainte-Anne.
When l’Association des étudiants du Collège learned of
this, a general strike was declared on December 5, 1968.