Under Bill 96, politicians have promised “historic Anglos” they will keep their rights. But many wonder how that will work.
“It’s limiting, it’s insulting,” said Eva Ludvig, the QCGN acting president. “It denies the history, the experience, the contribution of English speakers in Quebec.”
More members of Quebec’s English-language community have in recent days added their voices to reject the plan by Premier François Legault to limit government services in English to his restrictive definition of “historic anglophones” – only persons eligible to attend primary and secondary school in English in Quebec.
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 Oct. 29 by the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) — an advocacy organization representing Quebec’s English-speaking community blasted the premier’s decision to adopt the term “historic anglophone” citing the fact that the community should get full rights to participate in Quebec society in any way it sees fit.
Community leaders from many regions and political leaders from all levels of government continue to endorse an open letter from English-speaking Quebecers to Premier François Legault that rejects his plan to limit government services in English to his restrictive definition of “historic anglophones” – that is those eligible to attend school in English in Quebec.
English-speaking Quebecers are proud Quebecers who reject the Coalition Avenir Québec’s decision to label our community as “historic anglophones” and its plan to limit government services in our own language to citizens who are eligible to attend English schools.
That is the message 96 English-speaking Quebecers signed in an open letter to Premier François Legault.
The QCGN is funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage.
