Why Feller Closed
At a special meeting of the Board of directors of the Grande Ligne Mission held on Tuesday, February 14, 1967, the following resolution was adopted after holding a secret ballot which was eventually presented by mail on February 22, 1967:
1) Feller College not be closed, but that the spirit and purpose of this institution be fulfilled at some other location chosen by the French Union of Baptist Churches of Canada in co-operation with the Grande Ligne Mission, and the liquid assets of Feller be used for this purpose.
2) That the property of the college at Grande Ligne be used for Christian purposes under Baptist influence by leasing it to the Dixville Home, subject to the obtaining of a satisfactory legal agreement.
30 That September 1967, or any convenient date thereafter, be the time such transfer be effected.
It is understood that the first section of this motion states that Feller College is no longer to be operated as a bilingual, co-educational elementary and secondary boarding school on the present site at Grande Ligne Quebec.
It has been suggested that the College will possibly become a French Protestant Bible College located in Montreal. The Mission and the Union of French Baptist Churches of Canada have established a joint committee to study this proposal. A definite recommendation is expected to be presented at the Board of Director's meeting of The Grande Ligne Mission on May 4th and 5th, 1967.
The second section of the resolution indicates that the property should be used for some other Christian concern. The Dixville Home for restarded Children had expressed their willingness to lease or possibly purchase the property if the Mission wished to do so. The Dixville Home is a non-profit organiztion charged as such by the Province of Quebec. Six of its seven directors are memners of Baptist Churches. Negotiations are now under way to involve the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec officially in the direction of this enterprise, thus assuring that the Home would remain allied with its Baptist founders.
The Executive Committee of the Grande Ligne Mission has appointed two negotiators to deal with the arrangements for the lease or sale to the Dixville Home.
The third section of the motion indicates that the transfer should take place in or as soon after September 1967 as possible. This means that this will be the last year that the college will operate at Grande Ligne in its present form.
Immediately after the results of the balloting were made known, the Principal, Rev. John Gilmour, was informed, and, on Thursday, Febraury 23rd, gathered the staff together and told them the decision of the Board of Directors. It was announced to the student body at the morning Chapel service on Friday, February 24th. The Principal then wrote to each of the parents, the alumni, and to those who had made application for enrollment for the 1967-1968 year, telling them that the college was closing.
All of the teaching staff has applied to various school boards in the Province of Quebec for positions, and it appears that very few of them will have any difficulty in finding a position. The Mission is prepared to assist any of the staff in finding alternate employment.
In regard to other personnel, most of them wil be asked by the Dixville Home to remain in their present positions. In most cases, better salaries are being offered.
Plans have already been made to have the staff of Feller College and members of the community of Grande Ligne visit the Dixville Home in Dixville, Quebec, to be introduced to the type of operation that will be established in Grande Ligne.
Any Canadian Baptist who wishes to visit the Dixville Home is invited to do so,
Further announcements on the developments of Feller College as a French Protestant Bible School will be forthcoming as the decisions are made.