This weekend marks the unofficial end of the political season. The National Assembly and House of Commons have broken for their summer recesses, and politics takes a deep breath for two months. For Quebec’s anglophone community, however, this is no time to sit back and relax. In the fall, the community will be facing one … Read more
Anglo-Quebecers also reject Bill C-32, but on completely different grounds than the Bloc Québécois. The asymmetrical approach of Bill C-32, which recognizes French as the more endangered of the country’s two official languages, is “a clear attack on the equality of Canada’s official languages,” according to the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) “Traditionally, the Official … Read more
If the current draft of Bill 96 passes, language police can come into businesses without a warrant to search through phones, computers, and documents to ensure that communications are in French. This was a main point of discussion during English language advocacy organization Quebec Community Groups Network’s conference on draft Bill 96 on June 21. … Read more
While English-speaking Quebecers express a greater sense of attachment to Canada and French-speaking Quebecers say they are more attached to Quebec, both possess similar levels of attachment to their respective language communities and to their cities, towns, or regions. Results from a survey conducted by Léger Marketing for the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) and … Read more
Results from a survey done by Léger Marketing for the Quebec Community Groups Network and the Association for Canadian Studies reveal that attachment to one’s language community is equally important to Quebec’s English and French speakers. Beyond that, differences persist in the degree to which French and English speakers are attached to Quebec relative to … Read more
Quebec anglophones have always walked a tightrope when it comes to asserting our rights. This is the conundrum Quebec’s English-speaking community is up against in what may be the fight of our lives — even after 50 long years of language wars. The two bills — Bill 96 and Bill C-32 — were the subjects of … Read more
An English-rights advocacy group is looking into what Quebec’s Bill 96 and Ottawa’s Bill C-32 will mean for the province’s English-speaking community. The Quebec Community Groups Network hosted a conference Tuesday morning with participants from both Ottawa and Quebec taking part. Federal Official Languages Minister Melanie Joly defended Bill C-32, which includes the strengthening of … Read more
It is with the rhetoric and strategy of a beleaguered minority that Quebec’s English-speaking community intends to fight the CAQ government’s Bill 96, which it considers to be an infringement of its rights in several respects. Under the umbrella of the Quebec Community Groups Network, some 150 people attended a conference on the subject on … Read more
Earlier this week the Government of Canada introduced its proposed update of the Official Languages Act, Bill C-32. If passed, the bill will result in the first changes made to the act since 1988, but in the days since its introduction, the proposed legislation has already drawn criticism from a number of groups including the … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) has warned that if Bill 96 becomes law, it has the potential to create a “rights-free zone” in the province in the name of the protection of the use of French. QCGN president Marlene Jennings made the statement during a bilingual virtual press conference on June 10. The QCGN … Read more
In reaction to the tabling of Bill C-32, Townshippers’ Association issued a press release recognizing that while the legislation goes a long way in terms of increasing the recognition and support of Canada’s French-speaking communities inside and outside of Quebec, Quebec’s English-speaking minority community has cause to remain deeply concerned. “How will this piece of … Read more
The Quebec Community Groups Network recognizes the federal bill tabled this morning in the House of Commons to amend the Official Languages Act for what it is – a clear attack on the equality of Canada’s official languages. Traditionally, the Official Languages Act has given life to constitutional official language rights. These rights define much … Read more