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There is something foreboding about a provincial government that violates two of the fundamental human rights in Canada’s Constitution – freedom of conscience and religion, and freedom of expression – and then announces that it wants to write its own constitution. It portends a document that will divide people along politically drawn lines. That is … Read more
The new point man for the English-speaking community says he understands anglophones are irritated by some Coalition Avenir Québec government policies but says it should be judged on its ability to correct things that it gets wrong. “Government is a big bubble,” Christopher Skeete said. “And legislation is a broad sword, not a scalpel. We … Read more
Funding aimed at training bilingual staff, helping improve access to care The federal government is stepping in to help improve English-language services in Quebec health care. “I’ve heard multiple times from my constituents that they’ve gone to receive health services and unfortunately have not been able to get answers or be understood,” said Peter Schiefke, MP … Read more
TALQ warns that without broad consultation and consensus, CAQ’s constitution cannot be legitimate MONTREAL, October 9, 2025 – Premier François Legault’s proposal for a Quebec Constitution has raised widespread skepticism across the political spectrum and concern within the English-speaking community of Quebec. “This feels more like a political manoeuvre than a genuine effort to strengthen … Read more
The English-rights group TALQ wants the next Montreal administration to dispense with its recently released rules in its guidebook on how city employees should deal with the English-speaking public under Quebec’s language law Bill 96, as well as how to distribute bilingual pamphlets and report violations of Bill 96. The guidebook includes the instruction to … Read more
These are tough times for English-language television producers in Quebec, yet the local anglophone television industry doesn’t even merit a single mention in a major new Quebec government report on the crisis in the province’s TV biz. Twenty-five years ago, Quebec accounted for 26 per cent of all English filming in Canada. In 2022-23, the … Read more
They walked away from power in Robert Bourassa’s government in 1988 rather than support a language law that swept aside constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. Today, Richard French and Clifford Lincoln say the principles that drove their resignations are under even greater assault by Premier François Legault. French, 78, Lincoln, 97, and the late … Read more
An anglophone group is calling on Montreal’s next mayor to scrap language rules for front-line city employees, including those that make them put French first even when bilingual service is legally permitted. Eva Ludvig, president of TALQ, a group previously known as the Quebec Community Groups Network, says the Plante administration’s approach to language rules … Read more
I suspect most of us yearn for a little positivity these days. Looking at our political landscape, happy news seems in painfully short supply. Even Wednesday’s provincial cabinet shuffle was cause for disappointment. As legislators gather next week in Ottawa and now Sept. 30 in Quebec City, the English-speaking community faces fraught terrain. In Quebec, … Read more
The City of Montreal has given its frontline workers a rulebook on dealing with English-speaking citizens — complete with step-by-step guidance, sample phrases and careful instructions for handing out bilingual pamphlets, The Gazette has learned. The procedure is outlined in an internal document dated March 26, 2025, obtained through an access-to-information request. The document is … Read more
University campuses across Quebec have come alive with students arriving for a new academic year. Some of them have chosen to move from cities like Calgary, Toronto or Vancouver to study — a decision made more difficult by Quebec’s current tuition policy. In 2023, the Quebec government imposed a steep tuition hike on out-of-province students. Though … Read more
The Burgundy Lion roared, and Office québécois de la langue française inspectors timidly backed off. By Robert Libman. Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly like that, but Toby Lyle, co-owner of the Notre-Dame St. pub, respectfully pushed back when the language watchdog asked him to change his sign to make it more French. He contested, with common … Read more