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Old divisions have been replaced by a shared focus on the region’s challenges.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