Québec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Exports, Jacques Daoust, announced that he will not follow through with the proposal made by his department to cut funding to organizations that support the sciences. The cuts would have affected BLD Publications magazines: Les Débrouillards, Les Explorateurs and the recently launched Curium magazine.  

 
Le Devoir reported that the publisher was told the funds would instead be given to older science students.

The Montreal Gazette reported that readers took to social media to rally behind the science-based youth publications.


The decision means BLD will continue to receive its annual subsidy. According to BLD Publications editor Félix Maltais, “Our annual grant from the provincial government is either $130, 000 or $117, 000 (10% cut) depending.  That’s for our two magazines, Les Débrouillards and Les Explorateurs, and our websites, and a few minor activities (book publishing, apps, etc.). In 2014 they added a special amount of $59 000 for our new magazine Curium. So a total of $189,000 which makes for an exceptional year.”

Maltais shared his gratitude with readers on the Débrouillards website: