TALQ will appear as an intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada this week in the appeal concerning Quebec’s Bill 21, An Act respecting the laicity of the State. Hearings are scheduled from March 23 to 26, 2026. TALQ’s arguments will be presented by Me Julius Grey. The organization is scheduled to plead on Wednesday, … Read more
The Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments Wednesday over whether Quebec’s Bill 21 violates minority-language rights, with federal and provincial governments divided over the scope of the notwithstanding clause. The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a pointed rebuke to the anglophone rights group TALQ on Wednesday, suggesting that one of … Read more
Montreal, March 18, 2026 — TALQ, a federally funded English-language advocacy group representing Quebec’s English-speaking community, expresses concern following the tabling of the Quebec government’s 2026–2027 budget, which includes a reduction in funding dedicated to the English-speaking community. At a time when Quebecers are facing economic uncertainty, TALQ acknowledges the difficult fiscal decisions before the … Read more
The backlash against Quebec’s Bill 1 continues to grow. Hundreds of organizations across the province are calling on the government to scrap its proposed legislation to create a Quebec constitution. Critics say the process has been flawed from the start and warn it could have far-reaching impacts on minority rights and workers. … Meanwhile, minority … Read more
“When you’re sick, you’re not bilingual.” Senate committee calls on Ottawa to strengthen health-care access for English and French minorities across Canada. A committee has called on Ottawa to strengthen health-care access for English and French minorities across Canada. … In a report released last month, the Senate committee recommended that Ottawa include language clauses in … Read more
Businesses across several Quebec cities will soon receive anonymous visits from observers evaluating whether customers can receive service in French. The initiative, led by Quebec’s language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), is part of a research study designed to measure the availability of French as a language of service in everyday … Read more
Quebec’s so-called constitution bill “should be relegated to the dustbin of history,” according to the head of Quebec’s most prominent anglophone advocacy group. Sylvia Martin-Laforge is the director-general of the organization Talking. Advocating. Living in Quebec (TALQ), an advocacy group that promotes the status of English-speaking Quebecers. Martin-Laforge recently told the Low Down that TALQ rejects … Read more
For now, I see no evidence Kelly Burke has much of a grasp of the issues facing the English-speaking community of Quebec. Kelly Burke, a seasoned Ontario bureaucrat, has just been named Canada’s new official languages commissioner. She has a big job ahead of her, and anyone familiar with the language file can only wish … Read more
The OQLF is sending undercover inspectors into thousands of businesses across Quebec to evaluate whether customers are greeted and served in French, as required under the Charter of the French Language. The visits are part of a province-wide study, not an enforcement operation, and businesses will not be fined or publicly identified; instead, the findings … Read more
Des députés et des sénateurs attendent des réponses plus substantielles du Conseil du Trésor sur l’application de la Loi sur les langues officielles. L’étude d’un projet de règlement prend des allures de casse-tête administratif qui «insécurise» davantage les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire, estiment-ils. Des questions ont été soulevées au cours des trois … Read more
In House of Commons testimony, Kelly Burke wouldn’t say whether she would support Quebec anglophones’ legal challenge to the CAQ’s plan to abolish English school boards. The new federal official languages commissioner, set to take office next month, is well-positioned to safeguard Canadian bilingualism and “build a stronger, more inclusive Canada,” Prime Minister Mark … Read more
“The concept of collective rights doesn’t make sense to me when a constitution or charter of rights is supposed to protect the minority against the power of the majority,” Robert Libman says. This week, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said anglophones are “invaluable”, helped build the province and are full-fledged Quebecers, amid tensions over language and constitutional … Read more