The Task Force on Linguistic Policy, a group that was formed about a year ago to inform the public about Bill 96, is taking a stand against the bill with expectations that it will pass through the provincial legislature in the upcoming weeks. A demonstration was held in Montreal last weekend where groups, like The Task Force on Linguistic Policy, students, and members of the general public came together to address their concerns regarding the bill. 

“The bill purports to be a reinforcing of the Charter of the French Language in response to what is being perceived, in Quebec, as decline in the use of the French language,” explained Andrew  Caddell, present of the Task Force. 

Caddell noted that demographic research suggests otherwise. 

“Even though there is a slight decline (79.6% to 79.1%) in the numbers of people whose original mother tongue is French, the numbers of people who speak French in Quebec is greater than any time since the 18th century, since the British first came to Quebec,” explained Caddell. “There is no decline in French. There’s a decline in the numbers of people who are white, Catholic, and French mother tongue, but that’s a function of the population.”

He added that when Bill 101 was implemented in 1977, all people coming to Quebec went to French school and use French in their every day lives. 

“They have become, by and large, 50% to 75% of people who are of another mother tongue that have become Francophone,” said Caddell. 

The Task Force on Linguistic Policy is concerned about the impact that Bill 96 will have on businesses across Quebec as the bill requires businesses with 25 employees to operate in French when previously it was 50 employees. 

“If you have a business of 25 people, or 26 people, you’re going to be required to have a Francization committee, you’re going to be required to operate in French, which means that between individuals you’re supposed to be writing memos in French, exchanging emails in French, and maybe even working on the floor in French,” explained Caddell. “(…) On top of that, the Federation of Small Businesses says this could add up to between 9 and 25 million dollars in extra expenses to establish a Francization committee and to convert everything in a business to French.”

The caps on the number of students that can attend English CEGEPS also presents itself as a major concern for the group. 

“The limits on the number of Anglophones that can attend is limited to 17% of the total number of students in CEGEPS, so that’s been capped. (…) 1.2 million Quebecers use English as their first official language spoken. Although, the Quebec government says it’s only 600,000 and they talking about historical Anglophones,” explained Caddell. “That means there are a lot of people that are both wanting to use those institutions, the hospitals, the schools, welfare, and what have you, that won’t be able to do it in English.”

Caddell provide clarity on what is meant by a ‘historical Anglophone.’

“My father went to school in Scotland for most of his childhood although he came to Canada when he was 14. So he would not, as a parent, to get something that  is called an ‘admissibility certificate.’ These admissibility certificates were given out after Bill 101 to those children whose parents attended an English school, initially in Quebec, and then with the court challenge it was initially anywhere in Canada,” explained Caddell. “(…) If you’re an Anglophone person and you want to speak to the government of Quebec in English, then you should be able to push #9 or #2 whatever it is and speak to the person in English.”

Caddell added that this should apply to all services, including health and social services, or whenever anyone is talking to a person of authority. Without this admissibility certificate or documentation to prove that someone is an ‘historical Anglophone,’ Bill 96, if passed, will put those who do not speak French in a more vulnerable position than they already are.

“These are the people that we should be standing up for and fighting for,” he said. 

For more information about the Task Force on Linguistic Policy 

For the full interview with Caddell, listen below: