Quebec authorities intend to force residents to speak French?

The Quebec government has unveiled an ambitious reform of the language law. It aims to promote the use of the French language in the province.

Bill 96 — Act on French, the official and accepted language of Quebec — was introduced in the National Assembly on May 13. Simon Jolin-Barrett, who introduced it, called the bill "long-awaited" and noted that it confirms the status of French as the only official language in Quebec.

"French is the soul of our nation, and when it develops, all of Quebec becomes stronger," says Jolene-Barrett.

The bill was greeted with great applause. If passed, it would, among other things, create a Ministry for the French language and the National Assembly would elect an authorised minister.

Bill 96 seeks to enforce the Charter of the French Language (Act 101), which, for example, requires immigrant children to attend French-language schools. The 100-page bill contains more than 200 articles that address the use of French in the workplace, expand access to language courses and tighten the process for enrolling in English-language colleges. Jolene-Barrett also introduced the term "Quebecois who express themselves in English" for English-speaking residents of the province. The bill also proposes to amend the Canadian Constitution, specifically to include a clause affirming Quebec's right to speak French.

The press dubbed the draft "radical" and "the strictest language law since the introduction of Law 101 in 1977. The Quebec authorities, on the other hand, called the requirements listed in the bill "an absolute minimum." Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois, even considered it insufficient. For his part, the provincial premier, François Legault, stressed that Bill 96 does not infringe on the rights of English speakers.

"We have nothing against English-speaking Quebecers — we protect francophones," he said. — All the rights of English-speakers will be preserved, they will still have the right to receive education, health care and other services."

Changes that would come into effect if Bill 96 is passed

Small and medium business (25 to 49 employees):

• invoices and other "commercial publications" must be in French;
• Customer service must be provided in French;
• signage must be "clearly predominant" in French;
• it is forbidden to require bilingualism upon hiring an employee (unless it is a job-specific requirement);
• the client can complain to the company if he/she was not able to receive services in French;
• employees can complain against their employer if they do not comply with the language act;
• in case of violations, the company can be deprived of its license;
• companies will have 3 years to adapt to the new rules.

Bilingual Cities:

• Municipalities with less than 50% English-speaking residents would lose their bilingual status (but could retain it if they chose to do so).

Colleges (CEGEPs):

• the standard language of instruction should be French;
• quota for students from English-speaking colleges — no more than 17.5% of the total number of places in all colleges (priority will be given to those who grew up in an English-speaking family);
• in the future it is planned to reduce the quota to 8.7%;
• Francophone colleges allow 2% of their curriculum to be taught in English;
• all students must pass the French language examination to graduate (except those who attended English-speaking elementary and high school and studied in an English-speaking college program).

Public Services:

• French should be the standard of written and oral communication among the administration;
• Government agencies should report on the number of positions for which a different language is required;
• judges will be exempt from the obligation to be bilingual.

Immigrants:

• the Government will take measures to encourage the use of the French language;
• There are plans to increase opportunities for immigrants to learn French;
• The Minister Plenipotentiary for the French Language will be responsible for monitoring the knowledge, learning and use of the French language by immigrants;
• communication between provincial representatives and immigrants must take place in French after 6 months of immigrants' arrival in Quebec.

In the fall, the Quebec government wants to hold additional meetings on Bill 96. It is possible that its content will still be changing.

Reasons for introducing the Bill 96

The Quebec government is concerned that the popularity of the French language in the province is falling. A 2018 study showed that the percentage of Quebecers who speak French at home will drop from 82% in 2011 to 75% by 2036. Another study, also completed in 2018, found that a quarter of Montreal employees surveyed use English and French equally at work and only 18.7% use French exclusively.