Did you know that Bill 101, Quebec’s French-first language law, is set to be overhauled in 2021, and promises to be even more restrictive of minority languages in the province? Probably not — there are bigger things dominating the news and people’s personal lives these days. But in the midst of the biggest health crisis … Read more
On February 19, the federal government released its long-awaited policy document outlining reforms to modernize the Official Languages Act, following consultations across the country. However, the document entitled, English and French: Towards a Substantive Equality of Official Languages in Canada, has received mixed responses from language advocates. Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge says he … Read more
In Quebec, language rights are provided to most workers under the Charter of the French Language. This differs for people who are employed by a federal institution, a Canadian Crown Corporation, or Air Canada. Their language rights are defined under the Official Languages Act (OLA). However, the language rights of about 135,000 employees at an estimated 1,760 federally regulated private businesses in Quebec are not currently subject either the OLA or the Quebec … Read more
Many issues in the news these days directly relate to Canada’s fundamental structure – the way legislative powers are allocated by our Constitution. Three examples come immediately to mind: how the federal and provincial governments are co-managing the COVID-19 pandemic; the way some provinces are contesting the Government of Canada’s carbon tax; and the application … Read more
Montreal, February 19, 2021 – The Quebec Community Groups Network is pleased that Official Languages Minister Mélanie Joly has reaffirmed the Government of Canada’s continued leadership on matters of official languages. At the same time, the QCGN calls on the federal government to address our community’s longstanding concerns about the provision of public services in English, as well as … Read more
In our last blog, we explained the different variables Statistics Canada uses to classify linguistic minority groups. We discussed Mother Tongue; Language Spoken Most Often at Home; and First Official Language Spoken (FOLS). We also described how these variables are employed to use language as a marker of cultural identity (group identity), or to track … Read more
Last week the Government of Quebec released its position related to the modernization of Canada’s Official Languages Act. Quebec wants French recognized as Canada’s only official minority language, and is seeking exclusive jurisdiction over all matters related to language ‘in the territory’ of the province. A legal analysis of the province’s position by the Quebec … Read more
MONTREAL — The Parti Québécois will table a motion this week to stop the controversial $100 million expansion of Montreal’s Dawson College, an English-language CEGEP. According to party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, any new money should primarily be directed to the French-speaking college network, in order to balance the number of places in CEGEPs according … Read more
Raymond Théberge, Canada’s commissioner of official languages, expresses public reservations about the desire of Quebec and three federal parties to extend the application of the province’s French language charter — commonly known as Bill 101 — to businesses in Quebec that operate under federal jurisdiction. Read more (en anglais seulement)
La loi des séries stipule que les mauvaises nouvelles se rapprochent à un intervalle de temps rapproché. Bien qu’empirique, cette loi semble être tombée sur l’Ontario français au cours de la semaine. À quelques heures d’intervalle ce lundi, l’Université de l’Ontario français (UOF) et l’Université Laurentienne ont encaissé chacune un coup dur. Read more (In … Read more
In a broadcast interview with CTV Montreal, Marlene Jennings, president of the QCGN, enumerates the array of potential challenges raised for the English-speaking community by a Quebec government push to territorialize official languages in Canada and erode the nation’s linguistic duality. Watch the video here. (En anglais seulement)
Statistics are used to paint a picture – to tell a story. What statistics are presented, and how they are utilized and to what ends, is another matter. They are instruments used at the discretion of the storyteller. Canadians have a special interest in statistics that tell our linguistic story. We pay special attention to … Read more
La communauté anglophone du Québec affirme ne pas faire confiance au gouvernement provincial en matière de protection de ses droits linguistiques et rejette toute diminution du rôle du fédéral dans ce domaine. Dans un document publié vendredi, le gouvernement Legault a déclaré qu’il détenait en premier lieu la responsabilité d’assurer la vitalité de la communauté anglophone … Read more
On discute des grandes orientations que la ministre responsable des Relations canadiennes et de la Francophonie canadienne, Sonia LeBel, a déposé aujourd’hui dans le cadre de la modernisation des langues officielles. Écouter l’extrait audio (In French only)
Marlene Jennings, president of the Québec Community Groups Network (QCGN), talks about what the decision would mean for Quebec’s English-speaking community. Watch video
Raymond Théberge, Canada’s commissioner of official languages, says he has reservations about the desire of Quebec and three federal parties to extend the application of the province’s French language charter — commonly known as Bill 101 — to businesses in Quebec that are under federal jurisdiction. “The question I ask myself is: what will be … Read more
The CAQ government caused some concern in Quebec’s anglophone community Friday, as they made public the changes they’re hoping to see in federal language laws. Among their demands, Quebec wants Canada to recognize it as a protector of French, and to be granted more powers to do so. That has anglophone groups worrying the rights … Read more
Le gouvernement Trudeau cherche la paix linguistique avec Québec à l’aube du dépôt d’une réforme de la loi fédérale sur les langues officielles. En entrevue avec Radio-Canada, la ministre Mélanie Joly affirme trouver de nombreux points communs avec les propositions du gouvernement Legault en matière de protection du français. Read more (In French only)
Québec – Au moment où Ottawa se prépare à une modernisation de la Loi sur les langues officielles, Québec croit essentiel que celle-ci adopte une vision plus globale des langues officielles et reconnaisse que des deux langues officielles, le français est la seule à être minoritaire dans l’ensemble du Canada. Dans le contexte des travaux … Read more
As Ottawa prepares to modernize the Official Languages Act, Quebec believes it is essential that it adopt a more comprehensive vision of official languages and recognize that of the two official languages, French is the only minority language across Canada. Quebec Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie Sonia LeBel wants to share … Read more
Le gouvernement Legault dévoile sa position en vue de la modernisation de la Loi sur les langues officielles. Le gouvernement Legault prend Mélanie Joly de vitesse. Avant même que la ministre fédérale ait déposé sa très attendue réforme de la Loi sur les langues officielles, Québec réclame que seul le français soit reconnu comme ayant … Read more
Alors qu’Ottawa s’apprête à moderniser sa Loi sur les langues officielles (LLO), Québec avise le fédéral d’accorder à la langue de Molière un traitement préférentiel. En fait, selon le gouvernement de François Legault, seule la langue française est minoritaire au Canada. C’est l’essentiel des constats faits par la ministre des Relations canadiennes et de la … Read more
Le gouvernement Legault dévoile sa position en vue de la modernisation de la Loi sur les langues officielles. Le gouvernement Legault prend Mélanie Joly de vitesse. Avant même que la ministre fédérale ait déposé sa très attendue réforme de la Loi sur les langues officielles, Québec réclame que seul le français soit reconnu comme ayant … Read more
Reaction from anglo groups was swift and negative, with a warning that Ottawa must not cede any responsibility for official languages to the provinces. QUEBEC — The Coalition Avenir Québec government has sparked an angry reaction from Quebec’s English-speaking community over its vision of reforms to Canada’s Official Languages Act. “This is a non-starter,” said Quebec Community … Read more
What Quebec is seeking is, essentially, for the federal government to abandon its role in promoting linguistic duality across Canada. For English-speaking Quebecers, there is much that is alarming in the Quebec government’s vision of how the federal Official Languages Act should be modernized. What Quebec is seeking from Ottawa is, essentially, for the federal … Read more