The current situation in Québec:

• 40% of boys in Grade 6 will not finish high school
• 42% of citizens do not pay income taxes
• 44% of working citizens are unionized workers
• Québec has the largest wealth of philanthropy in the country, yet the lowest giving per capita.
• Québec has the highest taxed population in Canada, and the lowest incentive to give back to the community.

The Pareto Principle

A nineteenth century Italian economist once measured the unequal distribution of wealth that existed in his country. According to his calculations, 20% of the people owned 80% of the wealth in the economy. This discovery came to be known as the Pareto principle, and is still used to describe the current state of inequality all over the world.

At the Roasters Foundation, we believe that the only way to reduce this trend is through education. Our goal is to get as many groups as possible involved in helping to turn these numbers around. We firmly believe that 80% of the wealth can pay for 100% of the students. Together, we can make it happen!

In « Éloge de la Richesse » , Alain Dubuc shares his perspective on the key to creating prosperity in Quebec. Read on for some of our favourite excerpts:

L’éducation, la clé de voute-

"The real estate agent's mantra is "location, location, location." For creating prosperity in Quebec it is "education, education, education."" (275)

"Quebec's population is having twice as few children as compared to 40 years ago, while the school drop out rate of young people is frozen at 35%. Taken together, this suggests that Quebec’s problems are about to become four times as serious." –Claude Beland, former president of Mouvement Desjardins – Le Soleil (277)

"Education is undoubtedly the most important and powerful social intervention, that which most represents a fundamental right of each person to explore their full potential. It is society’s duty to provide all citizens with the tools they need to attain their objectives and to eliminate all barriers that may stand in the way of one’s access to education." (278)