Rear view on 2021: Renewed turbulence over language in Quebec

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The year 2021 was marked by a revival of the debate over the state of the French language in Quebec. And it’s not over. The anglophone community’s immediate concern is Bill 96, which the CAQ government wants to adopt before the October 2022 provincial election. “At its very core, Bill 96 is an attempt to […]

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Opposition Grows to Restrictive Definition of English-speaking Community

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MONTREAL, December 16, 2021 – More than three dozen organizations are telling Premier François Legault that his restrictive definition of an historic English-language community is unfair and unacceptable. These groups, from across Quebec and from multiple sectors including arts and culture, education and health and social services have endorsed a resolution opposing the Coalition Avenir […]

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Capital Current

Quebec’s ‘historic anglo’ category sends wrong message about inclusion and self-identification

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Rachel Watts writes: “As a Quebecer, and one with a unique perspective on this latest development, I’m of the view that labelling individuals “historic anglophones” based on schooling not only excludes anglophone newcomer families, as well as those who prefer to access services in English, but also puts Quebec identity on a continuum.” An open letter released […]

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Opinion: English-speaking Quebecers caught in another language storm

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In 2021, human rights and minority rights in Quebec took a sharp turn for the worse. After years of relative calm, English-speaking Quebecers have been propelled into the middle of another language storm, centred on the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s overhaul of the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101). When Bill 96 was introduced […]

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Les élus anglophones ont une responsabilité

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Journal de Montreal columnist Antoine Robitaille remarks that representatives of Quebec’s English-speaking community should feel a responsibility to publicly rectify outrageous remarks such as those by the president of the Regional Association of West Quebecers who said Bill 96 is part of “xenophobic nationalism” that contains “totalitarian measures”. Robitaille then draws his own outrageous parallel, […]

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Robert Libman: Quebec anglos still ‘don’t get no respect’

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The Quebec Community Groups Network criticized the Quebec Liberal Party convention last weekend for an “epic failure to listen to Quebec anglos who are worried about Bill 96.” This rebuke followed leader Dominique Anglade’s remark that anglophones are still better off with her party than with the Coalition Avenir Québec, reflecting a somewhat condescending presumption that the community has […]

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Loi 96: 17 600$ pour se faire traiter de nazis

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Author Frédéric Bastien criticizes Arthur Ayers, president of the Regional Association of West Quebecers, for speaking out against the Quebec government, and making comparisons to Nazi Germany during the QCGN’s hearings on Bill 96. “We are not Nazi Germany, but we have taken a step in this direction,” Ayers said during the hearing. Read more

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Tom Mulcair: Quebec Liberals should let Anglade be Anglade

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Former Quebec Liberal MNA Thomas Mulcair writes that Quebec Liberal Party Leader Dominique Anglade is a very strong leader, but she’ll need every bit of help she can get if she’s going to pull off an unlikely victory against Premier François Legault next fall. Her chosen themes of environment and inclusion are in her bailiwick […]

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Analysis: Anglade positions Liberals as green, economic federalist alternative to CAQ

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On Sunday, Quebec Liberal Party Leader Dominique Anglade responded to a rebuke sent her way by the Quebec Community Groups Network, which was not amused by her comment Saturday that, push come to shove, anglophones are better off with the Liberals than the CAQ . “Epic failure to listen to Quebec anglos who are worried about […]

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Anglade says anglos better off with Liberals despite lack of language debate

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Despite a lack of concrete proposals aimed at the English community, Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade on Saturday said anglophones are still better off with her party than the Coalition Avenir Québec. Anglade’s comments sparked a sharp rebuke from the umbrella group representing English-Quebecers, the Quebec Community Groups Network. In a tweet, the QCGN accused the […]

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Anglos better off with Libs says Anglade

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Quebec anglophones should stick with the Quebec Liberals even as that party is not debating its 27-point language policy this weekend, leader Dominique Anglade told reporters. The Quebec Community Groups Network criticized the  Liberals. “Usually a hot topic at conventions, the Liberals are steering around a debate about language,” the group tweeted. “Anglade said nobody […]

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What Quebec’s English-speaking community are saying about Bill 96

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“Undemocratic,” “odious,” and “deeply problematic” – these are just a handful of the words some community groups used to describe Bill 96 during the hearings that wrapped up at the National Assembly recently. Unsurprisingly, the harshest criticisms came from the Quebec Community Groups Network, the group that represents a broad coalition of English-speaking groups in […]

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Quebec anti-racism ads criticized: ‘It’s something for kids in an elementary school’

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A Quebec government ad campaign geared toward fighting racism continues to conjure controversy. The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) called the ads “awkward.” “We also found the ad itself was just continuing stereotypes,” said QCGN board member Eva Ludvig. “We’re uncomfortable when we see the way the ad comes through.” Read more

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QCGN Eager to Work on Modernization of Official Languages Act

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As the 44th Canadian Parliament of the House of Commons gets under way, the Quebec Community Groups Network welcomes the opportunity to work with the new Minister of Official Languages, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and Francophone minority communities from across Canada to modernize the Official Languages Act, legislation that is critical to the vitality of our […]

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Lost in translation? Quebec says it will correct English-language anti-racism ads after backlash

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The Quebec minister in charge of the fight against racism said the government will correct an ad campaign that some criticized was not inclusive of Anglophones. A series of simple, 15-second ads were released Monday as part of a campaign to raise awareness about racism and to promote inclusion for all Quebecers. But in the […]

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