Charles Milliard adjusts his remarks to “maybe” after they spark an uproar in the English-speaking community. QUEBEC — Faced with a backlash from the English-speaking community and members of his caucus, Liberal Leader Charles Milliard has adjusted his message on the use of the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to shield Bill 96 from court challenges. After saying Thursday … Read more
Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard caught some of his own party members by surprise on Thursday when he said he was in favour of using the notwithstanding clause to protect Quebec’s language law. He later downplayed that message, saying he wants to change elements of the legislation.
(Lévis) Le chef libéral, Charles Milliard, rajuste le tir sur l’usage de la disposition de dérogation face à la grogne de la communauté anglophone et d’une partie de son caucus. Jeudi, il était « en faveur » de son maintien dans la loi 96 pour la protection du français. Vendredi, il a plutôt dit « … Read more
Devant la grogne de la communauté anglophone et d’une frange de son caucus, le chef libéral Charles Milliard rectifie le tir : il ne veut plus nécessairement protéger la réforme de la Charte de la langue française contre les poursuites judiciaires. Jeudi, le nouveau leader des rouges avait surpris tout le monde, à commencer par ses … Read more
New premier has vowed to extend Charter of the French Language to adult and vocational education. Quebec’s new premier is reviving a long-standing nationalist grievance: that a gap in the Charter of the French Language allows tens of thousands of immigrants and other non-anglophones to study in English, undermining efforts to make French the common language … Read more
Plan to abolish English school boards “has a significant impact on the rights of the anglophone community,” languages commissioner says. Canada’s new language watchdog says Quebec’s plan to abolish elected English school boards would have a “significant impact” on anglophone education rights — and she says she is prepared to challenge provincial laws that violate … Read more
English rights advocacy organization TALQ is decrying the CAQ’s 2026-27 budget and what appears to be a $2.3 million funding envelope for anglophone rights. This “is not a lot of money,” said TALQ executive director Sylvia Martin-Laforge. What’s worse, according to TALQ, is the lack of consultation between the CAQ government and English advocacy … Read more
TALQ, a Montreal-based organization representing English-speaking Quebecers, appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada from March 23 to 26 to argue that the province’s secularism law violates the constitutional rights of English-speaking minority communities to manage their own schools, in a case that could reshape how far a provincial government can go in overriding the … Read more
Hearings in the legal challenge of Quebec’s Bill 21 wrapped up at the Supreme Court of Canada last Thursday, with Chief Justice Richard Wagner saying “the court will take the necessary time to carefully examine all the issues.” Julius Grey, who is representing TALQ, the community organization, seemed satisfied with how the week went. … Read more
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard presented a “sober” budget on March 18, spending $9.6 billion over five years to strengthen public services, stimulate the economy, convert 5,000 non‐subsidized daycare spaces to subsidized and invest $5 billion in infra‐ structure. “Quebec is facing an economic and geopolitical context marked by persistent uncertainty,” said Girard, delivering his … Read more
The Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments Wednesday over whether Quebec’s Bill 21 violates minority-language rights, with federal and provincial governments divided over the scope of the notwithstanding clause. The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a pointed rebuke to the anglophone rights group TALQ on Wednesday, suggesting that one of … Read more
The backlash against Quebec’s Bill 1 continues to grow. Hundreds of organizations across the province are calling on the government to scrap its proposed legislation to create a Quebec constitution. Critics say the process has been flawed from the start and warn it could have far-reaching impacts on minority rights and workers. … Meanwhile, minority … Read more
“When you’re sick, you’re not bilingual.” Senate committee calls on Ottawa to strengthen health-care access for English and French minorities across Canada. A committee has called on Ottawa to strengthen health-care access for English and French minorities across Canada. … In a report released last month, the Senate committee recommended that Ottawa include language clauses in … Read more
Businesses across several Quebec cities will soon receive anonymous visits from observers evaluating whether customers can receive service in French. The initiative, led by Quebec’s language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), is part of a research study designed to measure the availability of French as a language of service in everyday … Read more
Quebec’s so-called constitution bill “should be relegated to the dustbin of history,” according to the head of Quebec’s most prominent anglophone advocacy group. Sylvia Martin-Laforge is the director-general of the organization Talking. Advocating. Living in Quebec (TALQ), an advocacy group that promotes the status of English-speaking Quebecers. Martin-Laforge recently told the Low Down that TALQ rejects … Read more
The OQLF is sending undercover inspectors into thousands of businesses across Quebec to evaluate whether customers are greeted and served in French, as required under the Charter of the French Language. The visits are part of a province-wide study, not an enforcement operation, and businesses will not be fined or publicly identified; instead, the findings … Read more
Des députés et des sénateurs attendent des réponses plus substantielles du Conseil du Trésor sur l’application de la Loi sur les langues officielles. L’étude d’un projet de règlement prend des allures de casse-tête administratif qui «insécurise» davantage les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire, estiment-ils. Des questions ont été soulevées au cours des trois … Read more
In House of Commons testimony, Kelly Burke wouldn’t say whether she would support Quebec anglophones’ legal challenge to the CAQ’s plan to abolish English school boards. The new federal official languages commissioner, set to take office next month, is well-positioned to safeguard Canadian bilingualism and “build a stronger, more inclusive Canada,” Prime Minister Mark … Read more
“The concept of collective rights doesn’t make sense to me when a constitution or charter of rights is supposed to protect the minority against the power of the majority,” Robert Libman says. This week, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said anglophones are “invaluable”, helped build the province and are full-fledged Quebecers, amid tensions over language and constitutional … Read more
“The Quebec state recognizes all of its citizens, and in particular the anglophone minority in Quebec, who have participated in, contributed to and helped develop Quebec.” Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette on Tuesday said the Coalition Avenir Québec government recognizes the anglophone community’s “invaluable contribution” to the province, amid tensions over language and constitutional issues. … Read more
Bill 1 ”represents the culmination of the current government’s now well-known and deeply divisive legislative agenda.” An anglophone rights group says it’s not surprised the Coalition Avenir Québec’s proposed constitution would cast the province as “a monolith, where diversity is a detriment and a threat to one culture and one language.” TALQ says the plan, … Read more
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says the anglophone community seeks reassurance from the prospective Official Languages Commissioner. The nominee to become Canada’s next Official Languages Commissioner declined Tuesday to say whether she would support the Quebec anglophone community in its legal challenge against the Legault government’s bid to abolish English school boards. Last fall, outgoing … Read more
The provinces’ largest English-language rights advocacy group is raising concerns that the likely future commissioner of official languages comes from outside Quebec’s English-speaking community…. Since the early 1990s, the position has been filled alternately by and anglophone Quebecers and francophones from outside Quebec. The nomination of burke, a Franco-Ontarian, to succeed the Franco-Manitoban Théberge breaks … Read more
As the federal government moves forward with the nomination of Kelly Burke to become Canada’s next commissioner of Official Languages, the head of a Quebec-based minority language advocacy group says English-speaking Quebecers are watching closely and hoping to be understood and respected within Canadas’s evolving language framework. Sylvia Martin-Laforge, Director General of TALQ, said her … Read more
“We want to be reassured that the new commissioner truly understands the situation that Canada’s largest official language minority community is going through here in Quebec.” A Quebec anglophone-rights group says it’s disappointed Ottawa has nominated a francophone to be Canada’s next language watchdog. Since the 1980s, the role of Official Languages Commissioner has alternated … Read more