Studies, interventions reinforce English group’s own advocacy work Montreal, June 18, 2025 – TALQ (formerly the Quebec Community Groups Network) welcomes the release of the 2024-25 Annual Report of the federal Commissioner of Official Languages and commends outgoing Commissioner Raymond Théberge for his continued leadership in defending and promoting the language rights of Official Language minority … Read more
MONTREAL, June 4, 2025 – Welcome to the conversation! The Quebec Community Groups Network, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is now officially TALQ, a new name with a new look to better fulfil its mission as stewards of the English voice in Quebec. “In our advocacy, in helping to build a more vibrant English-speaking community, … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is extremely pleased to see Quebec’s Superior Court Judge Éric Dufour’s ruling describing as “unreasonable” sharply higher university tuition fees targeting out-of-province students at McGill and Concordia. “This is an important ruling on a crucial issue,” said QCGN President Eva Ludvig. “It confirms our belief that the government acted rashly … Read more
Quebec Community Groups Network is delighted to see that the Quebec Court of Appeal has firmly upheld its position that, under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the English-speaking community of Quebec has the right to manage and govern its schools and maintain its school boards. “This is a very important case for our … Read more
Montreal, March 25, 2025 – The support the Government of Quebec is extending to the English-speaking community of Quebec in the 2025-26 Budget is most welcome, Quebec Community Groups Network said today. The government’s promise to invest $10 million over the next five years to strengthen the vitality of the English-speaking community, especially in providing … Read more
Maintaining funding for the CBC, especially in regions, recognizing the 1.3-million-member English-speaking community of Quebec as an Official Language Minority Community, and reducing income inequalities the community faces are among the issues federal political parties should address during the coming election campaign, the Quebec Community Groups Network said today. “We are realistic enough to understand … Read more
As talk of a federal election heated up, the QCGN reached out to its members and network to ask about their priorities for public policy that should be discussed during the campaign, regardless of which party forms government. Rather than assessing priorities based on party affiliation, we asked which key issues our members and stakeholders … Read more
While presenting its brief to the National Assembly’s Commission des relations avec les citoyens, the Quebec Community Groups Network expressed concern today that Bill 84 on integration makes almost no reference to Quebec’s English-speaking community. The Bill could lead to financial constraints on community groups and event organizers, represents another reduction of human rights in … Read more
The Government of Quebec has introduced a vague bill at the Assemblée Nationale that will reshape integration policy and place a strong emphasis on Quebec’s nationhood and assimilation, without providing clear details as to how this will be accomplished, the Quebec Community Groups Network said today. “The law at this stage is deceptively benign, opening … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is pleased to see Quebec voices at the federal cabinet table. They are familiar with the issues that touch our Official Language Minority Community and our community’s everyday lives. Read more
Federal recognition of a 10-year economic development plan aimed at Quebec’s English-speaking community was welcomed by two major groups last week. The Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CDEDC)’s report to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages, entitled Economic Development of Official Languages Minority Communities in Canada, stressed a “collaborative approach when implementing … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network welcomes the latest (and last) report on the status of Canada’s official-minority-language communities from Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge, as his term draws to a close in 2025. “This report underlines repeatedly what we and other English-speaking community groups have been saying for years: we are not the enemy … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is heartened to see significant progress on the divisive issue of how English and other languages may be used in Quebec’s health and social services network. “The revised directives on language permissions go a long way toward assuaging the fears and concerns of the 1.3-million member English-speaking community of Quebec,” … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is very pleased to see the National Assembly unanimously pass a motion telling the government to not require “English-speaking to obtain a certificate of eligibility for English-language education, in order to have access to English-language health care and social services in Quebec.” The motion went on to demand that any … Read more
The Quebec government’s new directives dictating when languages other than French can be used in health and social services settings should be scrapped, not edited to make them “clearer” to the English-speaking community, Quebec Community Groups Network Director General Sylvia Martin-Laforge said in a press release. Read more
We were not surprised to be left off the list of hand-picked invitees for a meeting about language directives in the health-care system by French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge’s office. We have made it clear from the outset the importance of meeting with Christian Dubé, the minister of Health and Social Services. This is a … Read more
QCGN Director General Sylvia Martin-Laforge was responding to a Montreal Gazette article today about an OQLF inspection scheduled for Montreal’s Santa Cabrini hospital. “We thought former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard had had the last word on language and health care in Quebec when he said in 1996: ‘when you go to the hospital and you’re … Read more
In focusing on finding common cause with Quebec’s francophone majority population, the Quebec Community Groups Network is on the right track, the organization’s annual general meeting heard today. Read more
There is a lot of good news in a new report from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) that confirms two key things about the English-speaking community of Quebec (ESCQ), Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) President Eva Ludvig said today. “First, the report shows clearly that on an individual basis, English- and … Read more
Will the Quebec government set French up to fail? QCGN President Eva Ludvig raised that possibility today as Jean-François Roberge, Minister for the French Language, and other ministers presented the government’s long-delayed Plan d’Action for the protection and promotion of French. “What’s new in today’s presentation,” Ludvig said, “is the report card, or dashboard, M. … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is pleased to see a modest increase in the budget for organizations and institutions serving the community with an additional $825.000 in the budget of the Secretariat for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers. We are also pleased to see the 2024-2025 provincial budget has maintained its commitment to supporting wellness centres … Read more
The Quebec Comunity Groups Network is profoundly disappointed by today’s ruling on Bill 21 by the Quebec Court of Appeal. Unfortunately, the justices’ hands were tied by the Quebec Government’s use of the notwithstanding clauses of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Bill 21 prohibits … Read more
The Government of Quebec must always consider the financial impacts of all government legislation, regulations, policies and programs on all Quebecers – and particularly on minority communities, the Quebec Community Groups Network told Finance Minister Eric Girard Monday afternoon. “Meanwhile support should be provided to our school boards, CEGEPs, universities and other institutions to deal … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network is bitterly disappointed that the Legault government appears to be continuing along a path that could bring ruin to Quebec’s three English universities. News reports suggest the government has determined its final position on tuition increases for out-of-province students. Measures would include a 33 per cent tuition increase for undergraduate … Read more
Legislation is more about command and control than care and compassion. The Quebec Community Groups Network thanks the more than 6,400 Quebecers who signed a petition demanding the provincial government put the brakes on Bill 15 – a hefty and complex piece of legislation that will massively centralize our health and social services networks. “We … Read more