Tag Archive for: Official Languages

Commissioner’s findings confirm concerns of English-speaking Quebec

/in /by

Montreal, November 7, 2013 –

The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) wholly concurs with the Commissioner of Official Languages’ assessment of the situation of Quebec’s English-speaking community and the challenges it faces as well as his suggestion that the provincial government appoint a minister responsible for English-speaking communities.

In his 2012-2013 Annual Report released earlier today, Commissioner Graham Fraser states that since its election, the Parti Québécois has increasingly voiced concerns about the threat to the French language in Quebec.

“We agree with Commissioner Fraser that the French language is vulnerable as well as his assertion that there is a fundamental difference between the dominant role the English language is playing on the international stage and English as the language spoken by Quebec’s English speaking community,” said QCGN Vice-President James Shea who was on hand for the release of the report.

Read more…

QCGN congratulates Shelly Glover new Minister for Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

/in /by

Community also looks forward to working with Quebec Lieutenant Denis Lebel

MONTREAL, June 15, 2013 – 

The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) offers its wholehearted congratulations to Shelly Glover on her appointment today as Canada’s Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. We also congratulate her colleague Denis Lebel for his promotion to Quebec Lieutenant for the Conservative government.

Read more…

QCGN approves new Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages

/in /by

Ottawa, March 28, 2013 – The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) is pleased with the Government of Canada’s renewed commitment to support the vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking minority community through the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013-2018 that was officially launched Thursday morning in Ottawa.

“Canada’s two official languages and two minority language communities are integral parts of this country’s history and identity,” said QCGN President Dan Lamoureux. “The investments announced today will certainly contribute to strengthening linguistic duality and the vitality of Canada’s official language minority communities — that is English-speaking Quebecers and our Francophone counterparts in the rest of Canada.” 

Read more…

Langue – Une incompréhension profonde

/in /by

Le Devoir

Graham Fraser – Commissaire aux langues officielles  14 juillet 2012 Québec

Il existe une différence fondamentale entre montée de l’anglais, langue internationale utilisée dans le commerce, et les besoins très réels des communautés anglophones du Québec.

J’ai été déçu de voir la réaction de plusieurs politiciens provinciaux et fédéraux à l’annonce des subventions appuyant des projets des communautés anglophones du Québec et de relever la prémisse selon laquelle ces groupes sont voués à la promotion de l’anglais aux dépens du français. À mon avis, cette réaction découle d’un malentendu et semble démontrer une incompréhension profonde de la réalité des communautés minoritaires anglophones du Québec.

Read More…

QCGN supports review on language of work in federal regulated workplaces

/in /by

For Immediate Release

Montreal, November 25, 2011 – The Quebec Community Groups Network supports the Government of Canada’s creation of a consultative committee to review the situation regarding language of work in federally regulated businesses in Quebec. 

Industry Minister Christian Paradis this week announced the consultative committee will seek the views of stakeholders to examine whether employees of federally regulated businesses in Quebec are fully able to work in French.  The QCGN notes the Government of Canada’s obligations to both official languages, and believes the committee’s work should not be geographically limited.

Read more…

Affiche trilingue – De l’espagnol à l’hôpital

/in /by

Par Michaël Nguyen, Journal de Montréal


Après toutes les discussions sur la place du français et de l’anglais dans l’affichage, des patients de l’Hôtel-Dieu ont été étonnés de constater qu’une affiche les prévient maintenant du temps d’attente aléatoire au centre de prélèvement dans les trois langues, l’espagnol s’étant ajouté aux deux langues officielles.

« Il est clair que nous ne rendons pas service aux Québécois issus de l’immigration en ne leur demandant pas d’adopter la langue commune », a réagi par courriel le député péquiste Yves-François Blanchet, porte-parole de l’opposition officielle en matière d’immigration, communautés culturelles et langues.

 

Read more…

QCGN supports Commissioner’s call to reinforce Part VII of Official Languages Act

/in /by

Montreal, October 18, 2011 – The Quebec Community Groups Network supports a call from the Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser for the Government of Canada to comply with Part VII of the Official Languages Act to support the development of Official Language Minority Communities and to foster the full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society.

In his 2010-2011 Annual Report released earlier today, Commissioner Fraser urges the Government to “send a clear signal to let Canadians know that full recognition of English and French in Canadian society is still an essential value” and to work to ensure that Federal stakeholders develop a “Part VII reflex”.

Read more…

QCGN Congratulates Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Election Win

/in /by

Press release

The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) has congratulated Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his recent election victory and looks forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada to strengthen linguistic duality and support to the nearly 1 million Canadians who make up Canada’s English linguistic minority community.

“We at the Quebec Community Groups Network wish the Government of Canada all the very best during the upcoming mandate, and look forward to continuing our role in supporting your pledge to build an even stronger future and a more unified Canada,” QCGN President Linda Leith wrote in a congratulatory letter to Harper this week.

Read more…

Forum Participants Take First Steps to Creating Provincial Network of English-speaking Seniors

/in /by

More than 100 seniors and representatives from institutions and community groups from across Quebec gathered in Montreal last week to take the first important steps towards the creation of a provincial network for English-speaking seniors. The forum, hosted by the Quebec Community Groups Network, was the result of a year and a half of work by a steering committee of 16 volunteers from across the province.

Participants determined that English-speaking seniors need their own Network, not a bilingual one where their specific needs would not be addresssed, said QCGN Seniors’ Project co-ordinator Valerie Glover-Droler. “They want to establish a province-wide network of English-speaking seniors, by English-speaking seniors, for English-speaking seniors,” she said, adding that more than two dozens seniors from the Gaspé to the Outaouais stepped forward to participate in the procees.

View pictures of the event at www.qcgn.ca/photos

Videos of parts of the Forum will be available online soon.

Read more…

Senate Report on English-Speaking Quebec, the first of its kind

/in /by

The Chronicle-Telegraph, Amanda Halm

On March 9, 2011, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages released a report on Anglophone life in the Province of Quebec, entitled ”The Vitality of English Speaking Community from Myth to Reality.” It is an extensive 100-page study that reviews community life, education, health and social services, media, economic development, and more. The report was two years in the making and the result of visits to Sherbrooke, Quebec and Montreal. The committee met with more than sixty witnesses (represented by more than 200 spokepersons) at public hearings to better understand life as an Anglophone minority within a Francophone population.

Read more…