Montrealers must now certify that they are entitled to government services in English to consult the English version of the City’s website or speak in English at 311.
The metropolis on Thursday added messages on its telephone lines and on its website to indicate that only citizens covered by one of the exceptions provided for by the Charter of the French language could receive information in the language of Shakespeare.
The City of Montreal claims to comply with the recent reform of Bill 101. Other municipalities in Quebec have also added information banners on their websites on this subject.
“Who has the right to consult the site in English? », asks now a blue banner placed at the top of each page of the site of the City of Montreal.
“If you continue to consult the website in English, you certify that you belong to one of the groups designated in the new law. These groups who can continue to be served in English include all citizens who received services in English before May 13, 2021, as well as immigrants who arrived less than six months ago.
At 311, a pre-recorded message indicates that in order to have the right to press the key that allows you to speak to an operator in English, the caller must certify that he belongs to one of these groups.
In a press briefing, Mayor Valérie Plante refused to say if she was comfortable with this change. Theoretically, the mayor herself does not have the right to consult her city’s English-language website for information.
These are the directives of the Government of Quebec. It is clear that it is not us who are going to be the police. […] We follow the rules of the Quebec government in this regard. We do what needs to be done.
Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal
In English, to a French-speaking journalist who asked her if he had committed an offense by consulting the City’s site in English, she replied: “You should ask the Government of Quebec. “They asked us to put a message, so we put a message, she added. From there, if the Government of Quebec wants to set up a language inspector or something like that, it can do so. »
Under the An Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French (Law 96), adopted in 2022, “services to the public must be provided exclusively in French”, explains the City of Montreal on its website. “In certain situations, it allows organizations, including the City, to offer services in another language. »
In addition to Anglophones who settled in Quebec before 2021 and immigrants who have just arrived, natives, those who do not reside in Quebec and those eligible for English school can also consult the English version of the website, again according to the City.
Many municipalities have revised their websites
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SCREEN CAPTURE FROM THE CITY OF MONTREAL WEBSITE
A blue banner has appeared at the top of each page of the Ville de Montréal website.
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SCREEN CAPTURE FROM THE CITY OF LONGUEUIL WEBSITE
The municipality of Longueuil now indicates online that its site is exclusively offered in French.
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SCREEN CAPTURE FROM THE CITY OF LAVAL WEBSITE
” There Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of content in English”, can we read on the site of the City of Laval…
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SCREEN CAPTURE FROM THE CITY OF GATINEAU WEBSITE
…a message that can also be found on the Ville de Gatineau website.
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SCREEN CAPTURE FROM THE CITY OF CHÂTEAUGUAY WEBSITE
The City of Châteauguay has added a module to automatically translate the content of its website with Google Translate (top right).
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For its part, the municipality of Longueuil now indicates online that its site is exclusively offered in French to comply with the obligations of the Charter of the French language. However, the City invites its citizens who speak other languages to use, if necessary, “the translation tools of [leur] web browser”, such as Google Translate.
In Laval, a banner has been added to the English version of the website with a hyperlink leading to an explanatory site of the Government of Quebec.
“Important” or “ridiculous”?
The office of the Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, did not immediately react to the request for an interview with The Press.
On Wednesday, he pointed out to the National Assembly the entry into force of provisions of Law 96 on the language of communication in public services.
Thursday “is an important date, because it is the implementation of a new part of the law,” said Minister Roberge. “French is the official and common language of Quebec. We are prepared, the State must be exemplary. »
Normally, and this is the basic rule, the state communicates in French with Quebecers. It is an important date because it is the implementation of a new part of the law.
Jean-François Roberge, Minister of the French Language
Marie-Anne Alepin, president of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society, agrees with Mr. Roberge.
“You can’t make omelettes without breaking eggs,” she said. Of course it hurts, but I think there will be a period of adaptation. We’ll get used to that, we’ll get used to French being the common language. I think it’s a good way to remember: that’s how things are in Quebec. »
Julius Grey, who represents several groups that challenge Bill 96, had another view Thursday afternoon.
“I think it’s ridiculous. This has the effect of ridiculing Quebec. In the long run, it’s going to make us look comical to other nations, said Ms.e Gray in a phone interview. Preserving French does not mean eliminating English. In fact, if you walk around Montreal, it’s a bilingual city. We hear both languages. »
MP Madwa-Nika Cadet, Liberal spokesperson for the French language, also believes that the law will not help to ensure the sustainability of the Francophone fact. “We doubt that this measure will help achieve this goal,” she said.
The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), which represents the interests of English-speaking Montrealers, declined to grant an interview to The Press.
“This is yet another glaring example of the negative consequences of Bill 96 on daily outreach services for English-speakers in Quebec – especially for vulnerable English-speaking seniors who are far less bilingual than our youth cohort,” however, indicated its president, Eva Ludvig, on social networks.
According to 2021 census data, 13% of Montrealers speak only English. No less than 84% of the inhabitants of the metropolis are fluent in French, while 2% cannot converse in either of the two official languages.
With the collaboration of Hugo Pilon-Larose, The Press
Law 96 in brief
- This reform of Bill 101 is adopted in May 2022 and protected from legal challenges by the notwithstanding provision of the Canadian Charter.
- Bill 96 considerably restricts the number of Quebecers who will be able to receive services in English from the State. Immigrants who have arrived in Quebec for more than six months will have to interact in French with public services
- It also imposes additional French courses at CEGEP and extends the application of Law 101 to businesses.
- It has been harshly criticized by promoters of civil liberties and the English-speaking community, but is strongly defended by the Legault government.