News

Canada’s Constitution includes an ‘entrenched’ bill of rights; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Our Charter comprises 34 sections of the Constitution Act, 1982. Thus, it enshrines our fundamental freedoms and rights. These include our democratic, mobility, legal, equality, and official language rights. With Confederation, the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty (or supremacy) in the Westminster … Read more

Eight of every 10 Quebecers surveyed consider that the French language needs to be protected in Quebec. Among non-francophones, 42 per cent agree. Read more (In French)

(AUDIO) A significant increase starting next year in funding for French-language protection agencies forms an element of Quebec’s latest budget, note Marlene Jennings, president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), and Liberal MNA Greg Kelley, Official Opposition critic for relations with English-speaking Quebecers. Both are guests on CJAD’s Montreal Now show to discuss changes … Read more

(VIDEO) Kevin Shaar, constitutional lawyer at the Quebec Community Groups Network, talks about languages acts and different jurisdictions with CTV news anchor Mutsumi Takahashi. Go to interview

In this opinion piece by Patrice Garant, a public law professor, explains the principle of judicial independence mentioned by former Quebec Court Judge Claude Laporte in a recent article. M. Garant also supports the constitutional right Quebec citizens have to use either French or English in courts. Read more

OTTAWA – Le chef néo-démocrate a lancé un nouvel outil de communication. Soucieux de « tenter quelque chose », Jagmeet Singh a offert son numéro de cellulaire sur les médias sociaux. « Textez-moi où et quand vous voulez, sur n’importe quel sujet ». Mais les réponses données sont unilingues. Read more (In French)

BILINGUISME INSTITUTIONNEL Alors que tout le monde s’entend sur l’importance de renforcer le français, vouloir imposer systématiquement le bilinguisme aux juges francophones de districts majoritairement francophones, sous prétexte que certains de leurs résidants sont anglophones, laisse pantois. Rappelons que cela aurait pour effet d’interdire aux avocats unilingues francophones d’accéder à la magistrature dans la plus grande partie … Read more

To focus on the language of protest placards when they are written in English is merely a side issue and a distraction when the premier of the province continues to minimize systemic discrimination as a fact of Quebec life, writes Corey Hoare, a Montreal university admissions administrator. Read more (In French)

Announcement comes amid debate over state of French language and push to update Official Languages Act. The federal government will spend $12 million over the next four years on bursaries to help English-speaking students pursue post-secondary education in French. Approximately 3,400 bursaries worth $3,000 each will be available to anglophone secondary school graduates who enrol in French-language programs at select CEGEPs, colleges … Read more

Par Paul Bégin, ex-ministre de la justice du Québec Qui, au moment où se profile dans la société québécoise un vaste débat sur la place et l’avenir de la langue française au Québec, s’attendait à une attaque frontale de la part de la juge en chef de la Cour du Québec à l’encontre du ministre … Read more

(VIDEO) The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) is uncomfortable with the direction the federal government has chosen regarding proposed changes to the Official Languages Act, QCGN Board member Eva Ludvig says during a videocast panel discussion on Unpublished TV. “What is being introduced is really changing the dynamics between English-and French-speaking people in this country … Read more

Trois grandes idées sous-tendent la proposition de réforme : l’égalité réelle des langues, la promotion du français et la complétude institutionnelle. La ministre du Développement économique et des Langues officielles, Mélanie Joly, a récemment dévoilé son plan de réforme de la Loi sur les langues officielles, intitulé Français et anglais : vers une égalité réelle des langues officielles … Read more

Canada is a federation, with the federal and provincial governments operating within defined areas of responsibility. Canada has two official languages, English and French. Some provinces, like Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and the Nunavut territory, also have their own official languages strategies. Two ways of thinking about official languages are particularly useful: using a national … Read more

#OuiOurQuebec is a community campaign which celebrates English-speaking Quebecers and their contributions to making this province a great place to live. Initiated by the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) in cooperation with many of its members, community organizations and individuals, it seeks not only to highlight our contributions and sense of belonging, but also to … Read more

MONTREAL – Quebec Solidaire is calling on the Quebec government to put in place a plan to address the state of French in Montreal, including the creation of a special office of the Office quebecois de la langue française (OQLF) to combat the decline of French in the city. Ruba Ghazal, MNA for Quebec Solidaire, … Read more

Date: Thursday March 25 Time: 5 to 6 p.m. As part of the Quebec Community Groups Network’s effort to better inform our community about its language rights, we are hosting a series of webinars. This second in the series The Official Languages Act and Quebec’s English-speaking Community will feature journalist, author and lecturer Graham Fraser, the … Read more

The federal government recently unveiled an ambitious new official languages plan to modernize the 51-year-old Official Languages Act. It’s the most significant proposal on the status of French and English in Canada since the 1982 enactment of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which entrenched the main provisions of the 1969 Official Languages Act in the Canadian … Read more

Le désaccord entre les parties quant au bilinguisme des juges à la Cour du Québec n’est pas du tout une question d’indépendance judiciaire, affirme le ministre de la Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette. Au cours d’une conférence de presse, mercredi à Montréal, le ministre de la Justice et procureur général du Québec a été appelé à commenter le … Read more

(Montréal) Le ministre responsable de la Charte de la langue française, Simon Jolin-Barrette, réitère son engagement à renforcer le droit de travailler en français au Québec. De passage à Montréal mercredi, où il donnait une conférence de presse sur un autre sujet, à titre de ministre de la Justice, le ministre Jolin-Barrette a été appelé … Read more

Alors que le gouvernement Legault s’apprête à présenter un plan « costaud » pour valoriser la langue française au Québec, personne ne doute que c’est d’abord à Montréal que se jouera l’avenir du français. Des voix s’élèvent pour dénoncer la place grandissante qu’occupe l’anglais dans la métropole, dans les milieux de travail comme dans l’espace public. Lire … Read more

(Ottawa) Si le Bureau du Conseil privé s’est contenté de produire des documents unilingues anglais au sujet de la pandémie, c’est la faute du Parti conservateur qui n’a pas spécifié dans sa motion qui a été adoptée par la Chambre des communes, l’automne dernier, que ces documents devaient être traduits en français. C’est du moins … Read more

Quebecers have rarely gone a week without hearing from their premier at least twice during this pandemic. What’s allowed, what isn’t, the exceptions to the rules — instructions from the province have changed at a dizzying pace, even for experts and journalists whose job it is to keep up. But many of those who do … Read more

MONTREAL, March 5, 2020 – The QCGN applauds the appointment of Me Janice Naymark to the Expert Panel on Language of Work and Service in Federally Regulated Private Businesses. Me Naymark is an experienced lawyer with deep roots in English-speaking Quebec. She is an active member of the QCGN’s Access to Justice Committee, the Quebec … Read more