French will become the official language of Quebec
The amendments are expected to be adopted in the near future.
The Canadian government plans to pass a law recognizing French as the official language of Quebec. This recognition would be unprecedented on the part of the federal Liberal government, which has so far promoted bilingualism across the country. It is noted that the amendment would also preserve the federal government's commitment to linguistic minorities across the country, including English-speaking Quebecers.
The amendment is the result of the Trudeau government's expression of concern in its last Throne Speech that the federal government has a responsibility to protect and promote the French language not only outside Quebec, but also within Quebec. The government realized that the French language in Quebec is in decline, and that it must do its part in efforts to remedy the situation.
In her draft reform released in February, Minister Melanie Joly proposed strengthening the French language, indicating that employees working for federally registered companies, such as banks and telecommunications companies in Quebec, would predominantly work in French. In addition, companies with 50 or more employees would have to communicate with those employees in French if they so choose.
These measures will also apply in regions of the country where there is a large pool of francophones, such as New Brunswick, and in eastern and northern Ontario.
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