The City of Montreal Committee on the French Language, chaired by former Minister Louise Harel, is proposing that the City add the slogan “Francophone Metropolis of the Americas” to its official logo. In a report submitted to the City, he also recommends that a place “of great visibility” be named in honor of Camille Laurin, father of the Charter of the French language.
Created in February 2022, the committee’s mandate is to advise and support the City in the implementation of its Action Plan for the Promotion of the French Language 2021-2024. This committee has ten members. In addition to Louise Harel, there are notably former minister Louise Beaudoin, Stanley Péan, writer and animator, Jean-Philippe Alepins, member of the management of the Society for Technological Arts (SAT), and trade unionist Arthur Sandborn.
In a first report that will be tabled Monday at the municipal council, the committee makes twelve recommendations to the City in order to promote the French language.
The first recommendation suggests that the City of Montreal follow in the footsteps of other Quebec municipalities and adopt the slogan “Francophone Metropolis of the Americas” which would be added to the City’s logo in order to underline its distinctive character and ” affirm its French-speaking character”. “It’s a signature, a positioning to say “this is what we are”. The French-speaking metropolis of the Americas”, underlines Mr.me Harel in a telephone interview.
The former elected official indicates that the committee was inspired by the formula “Quebec, the accent of America” adopted by the City of Quebec in 2014. Other Quebec cities have opted for such statements, including Granby which has opted for “Radiant City” in 2008.
The committee also believes that, at present, the promotion of the French language is not sufficiently reflected in the city’s policies and action plans. It therefore recommends that the City adopt a “transversal approach” to promoting the French language in all administrative bodies, in the city center and in the boroughs. “This notion of transversality is very important, says Louise Harel. Often, people will associate the French language with culture, which is partly the case, but it must also be associated with all the other dimensions of the City. »
In 2021, the administration of Valérie Plante had also created the position of commissioner for the French language in order to coordinate the application of the action plan of the City in this matter. She had appointed Roseline Fréchette to this position, but she left her post last year to return to the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration where she previously worked. “She had a proposal that she could not refuse”, underlines Louise Harel who praises the “tremendous work” carried out by Mme Fréchette as City Commissioner. His position has still not been filled.
The committee also insists on the importance of granting the necessary support to the person who will be appointed to this position because the task will be important because he will have to ensure, in particular, the conformity of the application to the City of the Policy language of the state that Quebec must adopt. Remember that this policy establishes French as the exclusive language of government communication.
Speech in English criticized
Is Montreal a good student in terms of promoting the French language? Louise Harel is careful not to pass judgment. “I will when I leave the committee,” she said. The former politician points out, however, that Montreal has taken several significant steps with the publication of its action plan and the creation of the post of commissioner. “There is a passionate person who is in charge of the French language file: Dominique Ollivier. It is very important because she is still president of the executive committee, ”she recalls.
The exemplarity of the City in favor of the French language is essential, but Louise Harel considers that the question must be approached in a “positive” way. “It should not be seen as an obligation that comes to us from Quebec. We must do this while also wanting to contribute to making French truly loved and appreciated by the population. »
In 2018, Mayor Valérie Plante was the subject of strong criticism when she gave an almost entirely English speech during an announcement on investments that three British companies will make in Montreal in artificial intelligence. She later admitted she had made a mistake.
In this regard, Louise Harel points out that no provision of Bill 101 or Bill 96 concerns elected officials, neither in Quebec City nor in Montreal.
Honor Camille Laurin
The committee considers that the City should recognize the legacy of Camille Laurin by choosing a place of “high visibility” to honor the memory of the man who died in 1999 who had adopted the Charter of the French language in 1977. Currently, a street in Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles bears his name since 2002 and in 2021, the Plante administration had finally accepted that a pedestrian alley be named in his honor in Outremont. “We owe that to Camille Laurin,” says Louise Harel. “We need to do more. We must do better. »
The committee she chairs also recommends that the City add, in its toponymy criteria, the recognition of personalities who have contributed to the protection of the French language.
Among the other recommendations, the committee mentions the need for the City to better inform businesses about the rules relating to signage determined by the Charter of the French language in order to avoid that, after having obtained their permit from the City, these are slapped on the fingers by the Office of the French language. “We have had testimonials from entrepreneurs who, in good faith, go to get their poster permit from the City, but who do not know that the poster rules of the Office de la langue française must apply” , explains M.me Harel.
The Plante administration has indicated that it will take the time to analyze the committee’s proposals, but that it intends to follow up on them “soon”. “Montreal is the French-speaking metropolis of North America, it is precious and we are determined to protect this status and promote the French language,” said the president of the executive committee, Dominique Ollivier, in an email. “This is an important step that was taken by the advisory committee chaired by Mr.me Harel. […] It will allow us to push further the preservation of this collective heritage, our language, which defines us, enriches us and which participates in forging our identity. »