News

Gatineau, Quebec – Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge made the following statement today: “Today, I learned of the Quebec government’s position on the modernization of the Official Languages Act. I am pleased to see that the two levels of government are working together amicably to modernize the Act. I believe that the situation of the French language in Canada … Read more

French should be the only language given official minority status in Canada, the Quebec government says. In document sent to the federal government representing Quebec’s vision of the Official Languages Act, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Sonia LeBel says French should be the only language recognized as needing to be protected and promoted across Canada, including Quebec. … Read more

Bien que Mélanie Joly ait accueilli poliment les demandes du gouvernement du Québec, la ministre fédérale et son homologue Sonia LeBel ne parlent visiblement pas le même langage à l’approche d’une importante réforme de la Loi sur les langues officielles. Read more (In French only)

Montreal, February 5, 2021 – The Government of Canada must not retreat from its legal and moral obligation to Canada’s linguistic duality, and support for our French and English linguistic minority communities. In a letter to Federal Official Languages Minister Mélanie Joly, Quebec’s Minister Responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie, Sonia LeBel, states that the sole official minority language … Read more

Bell Média a réduit son effectif de journalistes au Québec, passant le couperet dans la salle de nouvelles de la station anglo-montréalaise CJAD, lundi. Dans un communiqué, l’entreprise a confirmé au Devoir avoir effectué « un nombre limité de réductions du personnel », sans préciser le nombre d’employés touché. La porte-parole Vanessa Damha a expliqué que la … Read more

Bell Media, despite a strong financial performance and recently having received $122 million in pandemic-related labour subsidies, exacted what some are calling a jobs “bloodbath” at radio station CJAD. Without notice, Bell Media decimated the CJAD newsroom. Shuyee Lee, who has been with the station since 1993, confirmed her departure on Twitter and added that … Read more

Au Canada, il y aura toujours une distinction historique entre les francophones et les anglophones, mais cette diversité culturelle et linguistique devrait conduire à une société fondée sur l’équité et l’inclusion. Pour ce faire, les compétences dans les deux langues officielles sont importantes. Read more (In French only)

We exist in two spaces at the same time, yet somehow in neither of them completely, like standing in the doorway between two rooms. Throughout my life, I have sometimes felt that I do not fully belong. For instance, my dad is from Dorval, and his parents were active participants in West Island life. My … Read more

As language tensions heat up, it will be important not to lose sight of our community’s strategic interests. Raymond Théberge, Canada’s commissioner of official languages, has aptly described English-speaking Quebecers as “a young minority.” By that, he is not referring to the community’s history, which is a long one, but to its lack of what … Read more

Quebec is my home, a sentiment expressed with profound pride but sadly, my language and my skin colour have made me feel like an interloper. Quebec is my home, a sentiment expressed with profound pride but sadly, both my language and my skin colour have made me feel like an interloper, fiercely battling feelings of … Read more

Like other official language minority communities, English-speaking Quebecers should be able to count on the federal government as an ally. In its Throne Speech last fall, the Trudeau government said that “the defence of the rights of francophones outside Quebec, and the defence of the rights of the anglophone minority within Quebec, is a priority … Read more

“We need to be careful and respect our minorities — respect, protect and support our minorities,” says Lorraine O’Donnell, a specialist in the history of English-language Quebec. Many in the English community feel that these are tough times for anglophones in Quebec, with English school boards in turmoil, Bill 101 set to be strengthened and reports that the federal government … Read more

As a result of colonialism, the reality is that many Quebec Indigenous communities operate in, and rely on access to services in English. Roughly 65 per cent of the 102,552 Indigenous people in Quebec speak English as a first, second or third language. This includes most Inuit; most Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk); most Eeyou (Cree); many Anishnaabe … Read more

Lors de sa conférence de presse du jour en compagnie du ministre de la Santé Christian Dubé et du directeur national de santé publique Horacio Arruda, le premier ministre du Québec en a profité pour annoncer aux Québécois que son gouvernement était «déterminé et convaincu» à respecter toutes les promesses électorales faites en 2018. Read … Read more

Old divisions have been replaced by a shared focus on the region’s challenges. The Gaspé region, in particular its southern coastline from Gaspé to Matapédia, is the birthplace of Quebec’s rich cultural heritage. Here, the Mi’kmaq gave shelter to Acadian refugees, and other French and European settlers populated the area. Irish Catholics followed and were … Read more

Advocacy, not only by the community, but at the individual level, has an important role to play. On March 11, 1996, Premier Lucien Bouchard famously told English-speaking Quebecers, “when you go to the hospital and you’re in pain, you may need a blood test, but you certainly don’t need a language test.” Read more

“It’s clear we want to work together, with all the population and not create any cleavages or divisions,” the Quebec Liberal leader said Tuesday. QUEBEC — Any reforms to the Charter of the French Language must be done with, not against, the English-speaking community in order to avoid dividing Quebecers, Liberal party leader Dominique Anglade says. Read … Read more

A strong English-language education system, from kindergarten to university, is essential to the vitality of the English-speaking community. A strong English-language education system, from kindergarten to university, is essential to the vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking community. It allows anglophones to be schooled in their mother tongue, reinforcing their ability not only to speak, but also … Read more

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

With new measures to protect French imminent from both the Quebec and federal governments, English-speaking Quebecers should be forgiven for wondering, ‘what about us?’ writes the Montreal Gazette’s editorial board. Quebec’s English-speaking communities also require protection, even if English — as the majority language in Canada and the world’s lingua franca of commerce, technology and … Read more

For English-speaking Quebecers, being a minority within a minority can be both a burden and a blessing, writes retired senator and former editor in chief of the Montreal Gazette, Joan Fraser. While linguistic division is one of our defining features, Quebecers also have much in common, writes Fraser who sits on the board of the … Read more

Quebec competes in an open North American market where businesses have choices. Legislating against minorities isn’t a great calling card. Recently, Premier François Legault criticized Montreal for hiring Bochra Manaï as an anti-discrimination officer, because she opposed a discriminatory law, Bill 21. Someone tasked with fighting discrimination, who fights discrimination? Unacceptable! It’s been a couple of … Read more

(Ottawa) Oui, on a entendu « vous êtes en sourdine » une multitude de fois dans les délibérations du Parlement virtuel à Ottawa. Mais ce qui a aussi trop souvent été mis en sourdine, c’est le français, conclut-on dans un rapport qui brosse le portrait des premiers mois de l’expérience, et que l’on rend public le jour … Read more

“It looks as if we are being drawn into another intense language battle in 2021,” says former Equality Party leader Robert Libman, “and we’re being drawn into this alone and unarmed.” QUEBEC — The sense of concern, even alarm, is clear in Robert Libman’s voice when asked about the mood of Quebec’s English-speaking community these … Read more

The city of Montreal and two boroughs are the latest municipal bodies to be certified as conforming to Quebec’s French language charter. The city of Montreal and two boroughs are the latest municipal bodies on the island to be certified as conforming to Quebec’s French language charter, the Office québécois de la langue française announced … Read more