Official Language of Quebec Official Language of Quebec By Rachel Hanson M.A. French In Quebec City, French is the dominant language. The official language of Québec is often confused with the official languages of Canada. While Canada is officially a bilingual country (French and English), Québec is officially a unilingual province; the official language of Québec is French. Similar to the situation in the US, where national and state laws sometimes differ from one another, so it is also with the provinces of Canada. Officially, Canada is a bilingual country, which means that all governmental services have to be available in both official languages of the country. However, in the Province of Québec, the local, provincial law overrides the national law. Officially, Québec only has one language, and it is legally only required to offer governmental services in French. In practice, there are regions of Québec where many English speakers live, and English speakers who do not speak French are not left stranded every time they need official paperwork. The Province of Québec is just one of the many French speaking areas of the world where French is an official spoken language.

Bilingualism in Québec While only about 7.5% of English-speaking Canadians are also fluent in French, some 40% of Québec's French-speaking population is also fluent in English. This discrepency is sometimes cause for debate. In Québec, where the official language is French, many citizens, especially those in the metropolitan region of Montréal, become bilingual. This is not only a result of living in a metropolitan area where both languages are prevalent, it is also the case that residents of this region can have difficulties finding a job if they are not officially bilingual. In more rural regions of Québec, it is much more common to come across native French speakers who are not fluent in English. Rules on the Official Language of Québec In the 1970s drastic measures were taken to further protect the French language within the Province of Québec. Since Québec had been able to hold on to the French language for so long (since Britain took over Québec/Canada from France), the Quebecois were not willing to lose their language after hundreds of years of protecting it. The French language is a crucial element of the French Canadian culture , and the majority of the citizens of Québec were eager to protect the language.

For this reason, an official law was put into place in 1974, followed by a revision in 1977, which made the following requirements on language use in Québec: French is the official language for signs: While signs may have other languages on them as well, all signs must be in French, and if an additional language is added to the sign, the French text must be larger than the other language French is the official language of business: An English native speaker must become bilingual so that he can participate in business in French. French is the official school language (through high school graduation): All children in Québec must attend (public) schooling offered in French. Only children who have one (or both) parent(s) who also attended an English-instruction primary school are allowed to choose for an English primary school. This means that an American English-speaking immigrant would have to attend a French-speaking school. French is the official language of government and law and all laws and governmental dealings are officially required to be in French While these are only officially four rules, they encompass many aspects of life in Québec. The laws are disputed by some, but heavily protected by the strong desire to protect French as Québec's one and only official language. Was this page useful?

Canada is Bilingual but What Does this Really Mean? Canada's Provinces & Territories | Quebec Travel Overview Despite being an officially bilingual country, the most prominent language used in Canada is English. Just under a quarter of the country's population speaks French - most of whom live in Quebec . Aside from English and French, several other languages, including Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic and Aboriginal languages are the mother tongues of Canadians. Bottom Line for Visitors Unless you are travelling to less touristy and more remote parts of Quebec, understanding only English is good enough to navigate around Canada. Of course, if you are visiting Quebec, especially outside Montreal, knowing some key French travel phrases is helpful, not to mention courteous. Canadian Bilingualism in Depth Canada - as a country - has two official languages: English and French. This means that all federal services, policies and laws must be enacted and available in both French and English. Some common examples of Canadian bilingualism that visitors encounter are road signs, TV and radio, product packaging, and bus and tour groups. continue reading below our video Tipping Etiquette Around the World However, the status of English and French as Canada's official languages does not mean that both languages are widely spoken across the country or that every Canadian is bilingual.

Canadian bilingualism is more official designation than everyday reality. The fact is that most Canadians speak English. First of all, each of Canada's 10 provinces and three territories adopts its own official language policy. Only Quebec recognizes French as its sole official language and is the only place in Canada where this is the case. New Brunswick is the only bilingual province, recognizing both English and French as official languages. Other provinces and territories conduct affairs mostly in English but may also recognize or offer governmental services in French as well as Aboriginal languages. In Quebec, English is widely spoken in its largest city, Montreal , and other major tourist destinations. Non-French-speaking visitors to Quebec can also easily get by in Quebec City; however, once you get off the beaten track, French tends to be the language spoken, so study up or get a phrase book. Looking at Canada as a whole, about 22% of Canadians use French as their first language (Statistics Canada, 2006). The majority of the country's French-speaking population lives in Quebec, but other high concentrations of French speakers live in New Brunswick, northern Ontario and Manitoba. The mother tongue of about 60% of Canada's population is English (Statistics Canada, 2006).

French is not required learning at school outside of Quebec. However French immersion is a popular choice of education - mostly in central and eastern Canada - where elementary students who are enrolled in French immersion schools use French at school either partially or exclusively. French/English Language Conflict The French and English were two of the earliest cultures to arrive in Canada and often went to battle over land. Finally, in the 1700's, with fewer French coming to Canada and in the aftermath of the Seven Year' War , the British gained full control of Canada. Though the new British - and of course, English-speaking - rulers vowed to protect much of the property, religious, political, and social culture of the French, an underlying conflict continues to this day. For example Francophones in Quebec have launched several initiatives to protect their rights, including holding two provincial referendums in which Quebeckers voted on seceding from the rest of Canada. The most recent one in 1995 failed only by a margin of 50.6 to 49.4. Other Languages The prominence of languages other than English and French varies across the country, mostly influenced by immigration.

In western Canada, namely British Columbia and Alberta, Chinese is the second most common language spoken after English. Punjabi, Tagalog (Filipino), Cree, German and Polish are other languages heard in BC and the Prairie Provinces . In the northern parts of Canada, including its three territories , Aboriginal languages, such as South Slave and Inuktitut rank next to English and French as top languages spoken, though looking at Canada as a whole, their use is minimal. In central Canada, Italians have retained their language to a large degree and moving east, you'll hear more Arabic, Dutch and Micmac. Francophone Affairs Program of British Columbia In 2001, the Government of British Columbia established the Francophone Affairs Program, which seeks to support the development and delivery of French services and to explore initiatives to enhance the vitality of French language and culture in British Columbia. This is achieved by working together with the province’s Francophone community and with the federal government. Office of the British Columbia Ombudsperson British Columbia’s Ombudsperson ensures that people are treated fairly when receiving public services by answering questions from members of the public and investigating complaints about the services of provincial public agencies.

Agencies under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsperson include provincial ministries, health care institutions, educational institutions, municipal and regional governments, professional associations, Crown corporations and government boards. Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (in French only) Established in 1945, the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique represents British Columbia’s French-speaking community and works to increase French-language services in the province. The Fédération currently includes approximately 40 member associations from a wide variety of regions and sectors in British Columbia. Its goal is to defend the rights and interests of Franco-Columbians and to preserve their linguistic and cultural heritage. Francophone Secretariat of Alberta Established in 1999 by the Alberta government in recognition of its commitment to its Francophone citizenry, the Francophone Secretariat represents the needs of Alberta’s French-speaking community within the provincial government by serving as a liaison and by supporting initiatives to promote the French language and culture in Alberta. Alberta Ombudsman The Alberta Ombudsman, an impartial officer operating independently from the provincial government, protects the right of Albertans to be treated fairly in receiving public services.

The Ombudsman responds to complaints from individuals who feel they have been treated unfairly by a provincial government authority or a designated professional organization. Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (in French only) Founded in 1926, the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta represents Alberta’s French-speaking community. With 13 regional associations across Alberta, it promotes pride and cultural expression among Franco-Albertans and works with other organizations in the province to strengthen ties within the Francophone community. Its mission is to advance the rights of French-speaking Albertans and to foster the development of the province’s French-speaking community. Francophone Affairs Branch of Saskatchewan Created in 1990, Saskatchewan’s Francophone Affairs Branch serves as a liaison between the provincial government and the province’s French-speaking community. It provides support for provincial ministries, Crown corporations and agencies to help them deliver improved French-language services. It also manages Saskatchewan’s French-language Services Centre , a single window for the public to access provincial services and programs in French. The Francophone Affairs Branch is responsible for guiding and monitoring the implementation of the Government of Saskatchewan French-language Services Policy .

Ombudsman Saskatchewan Ombudsman Saskatchewan is an independent office headed by the provincial Ombudsman, whose job is to hold the government accountable in matters of fairness. Ombudsman Saskatchewan promotes fairness by investigating complaints about unfairness in government services, educating the government about fair practices and promoting its services to the general public. Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise Established in 1912 to promote the interests and defend the rights of Saskatchewan’s French-speaking population—better known as the Fransaskois—the Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise is the provincial advocate of Saskatchewan’s Francophone community. Its mandate is to defend the rights and aspirations of the Fransaskois community and to increase awareness of the language, culture and community of the Fransaskois people. Francophone Affairs Secretariat of Manitoba Manitoba’s Francophone Affairs Secretariat, established in 1981, provides assistance, advice and guidance for all provincial government activities related to French-language services, including the French Language Services Policy. It also handles complaints from the public about French-language services and acts as a liaison between the Manitoba government and Franco-Manitoban organizations.

Manitoba Ombudsman The Manitoba Ombudsman is an independent office that promotes and fosters openness, transparency, fairness, accountability and respect for privacy in the design and delivery of provincial and municipal public services. The Manitoba Ombudsman investigates complaints from people who feel they have been treated unfairly by the provincial government or by a municipal government. Société franco-manitobaine (in French only) Established in 1968, the Société franco-manitobaine represents Manitoba’s French-speaking community. It advocates for the full respect of Franco-Manitobans’ rights and for the adoption of new legislation and policies for the development of French-language services across Manitoba. It also ensures that there is active cooperation and clear communications between the Manitoba government and Francophone organizations throughout the province regarding the promotion and protection of the French language and culture. Office of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario Created in 2007, the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner is an independent office whose mission is to ensure that the public receives high-quality French-language services from the Government of Ontario. It monitors the application of Ontario’s French Language Services Act and investigates complaints from the public about French-language services in designated areas .

It also strongly encourages government agencies to be proactive in designing policies and programs that are adapted to the needs of Franco-Ontarians. Ontario’s Office of Francophone Affairs Established under Ontario’s French Language Services Act in 1986, Ontario’s Office of Francophone Affairs works together with provincial ministries to ensure that the Act is applied. The organization provides information on the province’s Francophone population and ensures that Ontarians have access to French services in the 25 designated areas in which Ontario guarantees the right to be served in French. Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (in French only) The Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario was created in 2006, with the merger of the Association canadienne-française d’éducation de l’Ontario (founded in 1910) and the Direction de l’Entente Canada-Communauté Ontario (established in 2000). This non-profit organization represents the province’s Francophone community on all political levels, promoting and protecting Franco-Ontarians’ rights, culture and language, while creating one political voice for the community.

Office québécois de la langue française (in French only) The Office québécois de la langue française was established in 2002, with the merger of the Office de la langue française (founded in 1961) and the Commission de protection de la langue française (created in 1977). This government agency defines and conducts Quebec policy with regard to official language, terminology and the francization of the public and private sectors. Its mandate is to ensure that French is the normal, everyday language of work, communications, commerce and business in the public administration and in the private sector. It is also responsible for ensuring compliance with Quebec’s Charter of the French Language . Quebec’s Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes Created in 1961, Quebec’s Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes protects and promotes the province’s interests by advising the Quebec government on Canadian intergovernmental relations . It analyzes the federal government’s policies and programs with regard to how they affect Quebec. It is also responsible for relations with other provincial and territorial governments and for relations with French-speaking Canadians throughout Canada.

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick The Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick, a position created in 2003 under New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act , is an independent agent who investigates complaints and reports on compliance with respect to the Act. The Commissioner also promotes the advancement of English and French, the official languages of New Brunswick. Provincial institutions—including departments, Crown corporations, courts, police and hospitals—as well as cities and certain municipalities must provide services to the public in both official languages The Commissioner’s jurisdiction does not extend to educational institutions or the private sector. New Brunswick’s Francophonie and Official Languages Branch The Francophonie and Official Languages Branch of New Brunswick’s Department of Intergovernmental Affairs coordinates and promotes the provincial government’s activities within the provincial, Canadian and international Francophone communities. It also works closely with other government institutions, community groups and private sector organizations to promote the interests of New Brunswickers. Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick (in French only) Established in 1973, the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick is the political voice of Acadians in New Brunswick and works to protect their rights and promote their interests.

Representing upwards of 30 local and provincial organizations, the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick seeks to unite the province’s Acadian community and to foster its development. It is responsible for implementing the Plan de développement global de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick , a five-year strategic plan to help the Acadian community achieve equal status as an official language community in New Brunswick. Office of Acadian Affairs of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia’s Office of Acadian Affairs was established in 2004 under Nova Scotia’s French-language Services Act to provide advice and support to provincial government departments, agencies and Crown corporations so that they can develop and adapt policies, programs and services that reflect the needs of the Acadian and Francophone community of Nova Scotia. The Office of Acadian Affairs also acts as a liaison between the provincial government and the Acadian and Francophone community. Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman The Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman is an independent, non-partisan agency whose mission is to foster confidence in the public service by promoting the principles of fairness, integrity and good governance.

The Ombudsman addresses complaints from the public about unfair treatment or policy with regard to services provided by provincial or municipal government organizations. Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (in French only) Founded in 1968, the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse is a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of Nova Scotia’s Acadian and Francophone community. Its goals include ensuring that the rights of French-speaking Nova Scotians are respected, coordinating cooperation among its 29 member organizations, and promoting the growth and development of the Acadian and Francophone community in Nova Scotia. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Office of French Services The provincial Office of French Services, which falls under the Executive Council’s Human Resource Secretariat, was created in 1998 to coordinate the delivery of services in French by government agencies and to promote issues related to the language and culture of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community. The office acts as a liaison between the provincial government and the Acadian and Francophone community, and provides advice and guidance to the Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs.

Office of the Citizens’ Representative of Newfoundland and Labrador The Office of the Citizens’ Representative provides ombudsman services to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. This independent office investigates complaints from citizens who feel that they have been treated unfairly by a provincial government office or agency. The Citizens’ Representative cannot, however, address complaints about municipal governments, private companies or the courts. Francophone Affairs Secretariat of the Northwest Territories Established in 2012 as part of the Northwest Territories’ Strategic Plan on French Language Communications and Services, the Francophone Affairs Secretariat liaises with the Francophone community and provides advice and support to the territorial government’s departments and agencies. It also develops orientation programs for government employees about their obligations under the Northwest Territories’ Official Languages Act and manages Services TNO , a one-stop shop where the Franco-Ténois can access government services in French. Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories The Languages Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, a position created in 1990, ensures that territorial government institutions comply with the Northwest Territories’ Official Languages Act .

The Languages Commissioner is an independent agent who investigates complaints, reports on compliance with the Act and ensures that the rights, status and privileges of each of the territory’s 11 official languages are recognized and respected. Northwest Territories French Federation Established in 1978, the Northwest Territories French Federation represents the French-speaking community of the Northwest Territories at the federal and territorial levels. Its goal is to promote, encourage and advocate for the cultural, political, economic, social and community life of native and immigrant Franco-Ténois. In cooperation with its nine member organizations, the Federation provides political representation and support to French-speaking communities in the Northwest Territories to foster their development and enhance their vitality. Yukon Quebec’s War on English: Language Politics Intensify in Canadian Province | TIME.com Canada Quebec’s War on English: Language Politics Intensify in Canadian Province A controversial new bill proposed by the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois is stirring up tensions between English and French-speakers in Quebec. Send to Kindle ROGERIO BARBOSA / AFP / Getty Images Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois addresses supporters in Montreal on Sept. 4, 2012.

One person was killed and another seriously wounded when a gunman opened fire during her speech. Follow @TIMEWorld To live in Quebec is to become accustomed to daily reminders that French in the Canadian province is the most regulated language in the world. Try, as I did recently, to shop at Anthropologie online and you’ll come up empty-handed. The retail chain (which bears a French name) opened its first Montreal boutique in October, but “due to the Charter of the French Language” has had its site shut down : “We hope you’ll visit us in store!” Montreal’s transit authority maintains that under the present language law, its ticket takers must operate in French, which lately has spurred complaints from passengers. Last year, the city of Montreal erected 60 English safety signs nearby Anglophone schools in an effort to slow passing vehicles. The Quebec Board of the French Language and its squad of inspectors ordered that they be taken down; a snowy drive through town revealed that all had been replaced by French notices. Since the Parti Québécois (PQ), which calls for national sovereignty for Quebec, won a minority government in September, the reminders have become increasingly less subtle.

In February, a language inspector cited the swank supper club Buonanotte, which occupies a stretch of St. Laurent Boulevard, Montreal’s cultural and commercial artery, for using Italian words like pasta on its otherwise French menu. The ensuing scandal, which has come to be known as “pastagate,” took social media by storm. “These are problems we had in the 1980s,” says restaurant owner Massimo Lecas. “They were over and done with; we could finally concentrate on the economy and fixing potholes. And then this new government brought them all back. These issues might never go away now, and that is a scary sort of future.” It’s true: despite the nuisances and controversies generated by Bill 101, Quebec’s 1977 Charter of the French Language, the province had settled in the past years into a kind of linguistic peace. But tensions have mounted considerably since the separatist PQ returned to the fore. In the wake of pastagate, the language board allowed that its requests were maybe overzealous; the head of the organization resigned. And yet the PQ has prepared for the passage of Bill 14, a massive and massively controversial revision to Bill 101.

The bill’s 155 proposed amendments go further than any previous measures have to legislate the use of French in Quebec. Most English speakers see the changes as having been designed to run them right out of the province. “Definitely non-Francophone kids who are graduating are leaving,” says restaurateur Lecas. “If you don’t have a mortgage yet, if you’re not married yet, if you don’t own a business yet, it’s like, ‘I’m so outta here.’ But leaving is not the solution because when you leave, they win.” In a poll conducted by the research company EKOS in January, 42% of the Anglophones surveyed said they’ve considered quitting Quebec since the PQ was elected. If Bill 14 passes, military families living in Quebec but liable to be relocated at any time will no longer be permitted to send their children to English-language schools. Municipalities whose Anglophone inhabitants make up less than 50% of their populations will lose their bilingual status, meaning, among other things, that residents won’t be able to access government documents in English.

For the first time, companies with 25 to 49 workers will be required to conduct all business in French, a process set to cost medium-size businesses $23 million. French speakers interested in attending English-language colleges will take a backseat to Anglophone applicants. The language inspectors will be able to instantly search and seize potentially transgressive records, files, books and accounts, where currently they can only “request” documents that they believe aren’t in accordance with the law. And no longer will they grant a compliance period. As soon as a person or business is suspected of an offense, “appropriate penal proceedings may be instituted.” Jamie Rosenbluth of JR Bike Rental is among the business owners who’ve had run-ins with the ever more bold language board, which already has the authority to impose fines and, in extreme cases, shut enterprises down. A month ago, an inspector asked him to translate the Spanish novelty posters that paper his shop and increase the size of the French writing on his bilingual pricing list by 30%. Says Rosenbluth: “I told her, ‘You want me to make the French words 30% bigger? O.K., how about I charge French-speaking people 30% more?’ It is so silly.

Are they 30% better than me? Are they 30% smarter than me?” Since the encounter, he has covered the offending posters with placards of his own that say, in French, “Warning: Non-French sign below. Read at your own discretion.” The PQ is trying to reassure its separatist base of its seriousness as a defender of Quebecois identity. To pass Bill 14, it will need the support of at least one of the province’s two primary opposition parties. In other words, if the bill doesn’t succeed, Premier Pauline Marois of the PQ will be able to hold the opposition accountable and remain a hero to the hard-liners. The PQ knows that, in its present incarnation, it will never drastically expand its core of support, but it can galvanize its troops. Some of those supporters rallied together in Montreal last month to protest “institutional bilingualism” and champion the bill. Cheers and applause resounded when journalist Pierre Dubuc called out: “If someone can’t ask for a metro ticket in French, let them walk.” Public hearings on Bill 14 began in early March at the National Assembly in Quebec City and are ongoing.

“I can tell you that if someone came to Côte-St.-Luc to tell us we would lose our bilingual status, you will have chaos, you will have opposition of people you wouldn’t think of who will take to the streets,” testified Anthony Housefather, mayor of the municipality of Côte-St.-Luc, on the first day. “People are scared, people are very scared.” By the time Quebec’s largest Anglophone school board, Lester B. Pearson, came forward on March 19, it had already collected 32,000 signatures on a petition against the bill. “There are many ways of protecting French, and coercion isn’t one of them,” says Simo Kruyt, a member of the board’s central parent committee. “Fourteen of our schools have closed over the past seven years. We are getting fed up. We are getting tired of having to fight to be who we are. English is the language of commerce and we parents believe we are part of a world that’s larger than Quebec.” It’s hard yet to say if the bill will make it through. The opposition Liberals have flat-out refused to support the legislation.

The Coalition Avenir Québec, which holds the balance, has said that it might — if certain of the more controversial measures are “improved.” In fact, the Coalition has only come out against four sections of Bill 14, and these don’t include the provisions that would give the dreaded language inspectors new and extraordinary powers. In the face of such antagonism, it’s no wonder some are leaving. Kruyt’s eldest son, a bilingual 27-year-old engineer, is preparing to relocate to Ottawa, the Canadian capital that sits near Quebec’s western border. Says Kruyt: “There, they’ll appreciate his French and won’t hammer him because of his English.” In response to this story published April 8, Quebec’s Delegate General to New York submitted a letter to the editor on April 11 that can be read here . Subscribe Popular Among Subscribers Québec Language Policy - The Canadian Encyclopedia Government Québec Language Policy ​For almost two centuries, clerics, writers and journalists have said repeatedly that preserving the French language was the only possible safeguard for the survival of the Québécois nation.

For almost two centuries, clerics, writers and journalists have said repeatedly that preserving the French language was the only possible safeguard for the survival of the Québécois nation. However, it was necessary to wait until the 1960s and the Quiet Revolution for Québec to take action and for governments to legislate on the issue. Since 1974, French has been the only official language in the province, although several government services remain accessible in English. Québec has the distinction of being bilingual on constitutional and federal levels, while officially allowing only French in its provincial institutions. Creation of the Office de la langue française After the creation of the Office de la langue française (French Language Office) in 1961 by the Liberal government of Jean Lesage , who believed that "bien parler, c'est se respecter" (to speak well is to respect oneself), action in support of the quality of the French language increased. The first exchange projects between France and Québec began in 1965.

From 1966 to 1968, the Daniel Johnson, Sr government made every effort to position French as the dominant language in Québec: French became mandatory on food-product labels, and the foundation was laid for an immigration department that required newcomers to have a working knowledge of the language (see Québec Immigration Policy ). The law that formally created this department (Loi créant le ministère de l’Immigration du Québec) received the assent of the lieutenant-governor of Québec several weeks after Johnson’s death on 26 September 1968. The first language-law drafts appeared under the Jean-Jacques Bertrand government following the 1968 education crisis, during which a large number of Italian immigrants living in Saint-Léonard demanded education in English as well as French. This initial legislation (Bill 85), which allowed parents to choose their children’s language of instruction, was decried by the province’s francophone community, to whom it represented a new danger of assimilation from within Québec itself. Bill 85 was consequently withdrawn and the Gendron Commission (1968–73) was formed to analyze the situation of the French language in the province.

In 1969, legislation to promote the French language in Québec ( Bill 63 ) was enacted. It guaranteed parents the right to choose the language of instruction for their children, with the Ministry of Education simply ensuring that children taught in English acquire "a working knowledge of French." Consequently, non-French speakers were anglicized, and francophones united to form le Front du Québec français, which demanded that French become the only official language in Québec. Official Language Act (Bill 22) The report of the Gendron Commission, presented in February 1973 under the Robert Bourassa government, officially proposed that French become the only official language in Québec, while French and English would both remain national languages. As to the language of education, the decision was left to the government, which, faced with increasing social unrest, drafted Bill 22 , (the Official Language Act) in 1974. The new bill was intended to compensate for the shortcomings of Bill 63. Bill 22 made French the language of provincial government administration, services and labour, but its application remained vague. The Liberals , wishing to preserve bi-ethnicity and biculturalism , left room for ambiguity.

The wording stated that French would be the language of education, and that anglophones wanting schooling in English would have to prove through testing that it was indeed their mother tongue. This caused widespread dissatisfaction: francophones judged the program too moderate; anglophones and cultural communities felt unjustified in submitting to an examination in order to study in English. The issue of commercial signs in French was also broached, but no clear formal requirement was drawn up. The disfavour of the two camps had direct repercussions on the 1976 provincial election, which brought the Parti Québécois to power for the first time. Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) The René Lévesque government made the language issue its priority and enacted Bill 101 , the Charte de la langue française (Charter of the French Language), in 1977. The objective behind the charter was to allow the Québécois to live and assert themselves in French. This bill followed the publication of a controversial white paper (Bill 1) the same year.

Camille Laurin , the “father of Bill 101,” made it a very specific law endowing Québec with institutions like the Conseil de la langue française and the Commission de surveillance (which became the Commission de protection de la langue française in 1984). Bill 101 stipulates that French must be the language of legislation and the courts, administration, work, and business as well as education. Challenges to Bill 101 Although a significant number of Québécois were very pleased with the clarity and resolve of these new measures, there was no general agreement, and the law was considered in part unconstitutional by the federal government. The Supreme Court of Canada dealt the legislation a hard blow in the case of Attorney General of Québec v. Blaikie (13 December 1979) by confirming a judgment of the Québec Superior Court that struck down Sections 7 to 13 of the Charter of the French Language — provisions that declared French the language of legislation and the courts (Chapter III).

As a result, Québec adopted remedial legislation (An Act respecting a judgment rendered in the Supreme Court of Canada on 13 December 1979 on the language of the legislature and the courts in Québec). Québec was also obliged to amend the Chapter VIII clause on the language of teaching, which was judged too restrictive. Following another judgment of the Supreme Court on 26 July 1984, the “Québec” clause — stipulating that immigrants, including those from other Canadian provinces, had to study in French unless there was a “reciprocal agreement” between Québec and the province of origin — was replaced by the “Canada” clause, allowing children who had attended school in English in another province to continue their studies in English (see Bill 101 Case ). In December 1988, the Court judged, in the Ford case , that sections 58 and 69 of the Charter of the French Language — which required the exclusive use of French on commercial signs and in firm names — violated freedom of expression as set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

On 22 December 1988, the newly reinstated Bourassa Liberals voted in Bill 178 (An Act to Amend the Charter of the French Language). The law required signs to be in French, though in certain exceptional cases, (depending on business size and number of employees) two languages would be allowed on condition that French predominate. The dissatisfaction was palpable: Québec anglophones considered themselves betrayed and francophones feared the return of bilingualism . In 1993, Bill 178 was replaced by Bill 86 (An Act to Amend the Charter of the French Language, 1993), adopted 17 June. The Act reaffirmed the principle of bilingual signage with precedence given to French in public places. Following various demonstrations by antique dealers in the Eastern Townships in the spring of 2000, the issue of signs once again came before the Supreme Court, where advocates for both sides could barely reach an agreement. The Parti Québécois, which had been in power since 1994, called the Commission of the Estates-General on the Situation and Future of the French Language in Québec, chaired by Gérald Larose .

In 2001, the Larose Commission tabled its report, French, a language for everyone. On the heels of this report, the Bernard Landry government put forward Bill 104 (An Act to Amend the Charter of the French Language), which changed the name of the language office to the Office québécois de la langue française (Québec French Language Office). The Office was mandated to ensure compliance with the Charter of the French Language; it replaced the Commission de la protection de la langue française, which was dissolved. For its part, the Conseil de la langue française became the Conseil supérieur de la langue française, tasked with advising the language minister. Bill 104 also contained a clause to prevent a non-anglophone child enrolled at an anglophone private school from continuing his or her studies at a publicly funded anglophone school. This “bridging schools” clause was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2009, as it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Future and Challenges The language debates continue in Québec and Canada, arousing passions and igniting controversies. In particular, issues surrounding language of instruction and signage remain sensitive and topical.

For instance, in 2012, the Parti Québécois proposed barring francophones and other non-anglophones from attending anglophone CEGEPs . The proposal met with strong opposition and the PQ was forced to backtrack on the issue. In 2015, the Court of Québec confirmed the lawfulness of Bill 101 after the Charter of the French Language was once again challenged by a group of anglophone merchants who disputed fines incurred for failing to comply with sign laws. The Court of Québec underscored that while French is the language of the majority in Québec, it is a minority language in North America and must therefore be protected by the government. Despite the implementation and success of Bill 101 policies related to the francization of immigrants (the majority of whom now learn French before English), according to the 2011 census, one in five immigrants does not understand French in Québec. Further, several hundred francophone and non-anglophone families send their children to anglophone private schools every year with the object of enrolling them in the anglophone public system.

To date, the province has no regulation addressing the “bridging school” issue, despite several official recommendations to this effect. Although the French language is alive and well, managing to keep it strong and dynamic is still considered by many to be a daily challenge. Immigration to Canada: Quebec The Culture Capital of Canada Montreal, North America's Francophone metropolis For those considering immigrating to Quebec, it is important to note that its culture and arts are more representative of European sensibility. More than any other province in Canada, Quebec has a greater affinity to European culture, in part, due to the significant ties to France and its French speaking culture. Quebec is affectionately known as la belle province ("the beautiful province"), Quebec is bordered to the west by the province of Ontario, James Bay and Hudson Bay. To the north are the Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and to the south the States. Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. Quebec boasts a vibrant Immigration community and in recent years has seen a significant increase in Immigration, especially to the more urban centres.

It is the second most populated province, and most of its inhabitants live along or close to the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. The central and north portion of the province is sparsely populated and inhabited by the aboriginal peoples of Canada. The official language of Quebec is French; it is the sole Canadian province whose population is mainly French Canadian, and where English is not an official language at the provincial level. While the province's substantial natural resources have long been the mainstay of its economy, Quebec has renewed itself to function effectively in the knowledge economy: information and communication technologies, aerospace, biotechnology, and health industries and has sough to strengthen its skilled workforce through Immigration to Canada. Geography As a result of the boundary expansions, the province currently occupies a vast territory (nearly three times the size of France), most of which is very sparsely populated. More than 90 percent of Quebec's area lies within the Canadian Shield and includes the greater part of the Labrador Peninsula. The most populated region is the St. Lawrence River valley in the south, where the capital, Quebec City, and the largest city, Montreal, are situated.

North of Montreal are the Laurentians, a mountain range, and to the east are the Appalachian Mountains which extend into the Eastern Townships and Gaspésie regions. Quebec's highest mountain is Mont D'Iberville, which is located on the border with Newfoundland and Labrador in the northeastern part of the province. The Gaspé Peninsula juts into the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the east. The northern region a major hydro-electric project is found on the La Grande and Eastmain rivers in the James Bay region (the La Grande Complex) and on the Manicouagan River, north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Climate Quebec has three main climate regions. Southern and western Quebec, including most of the major population centres, have a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfb) with warm, humid summers and cooler winters and the climate will be familiar to those immigrants considering Immigration from Europe to Canada. The main climatic influences are from western and northern Canada which move eastward and from the southern and central United States that move northward.

Due to the influence of both storm systems from the core of North America and the Atlantic Ocean, precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with most areas receiving more than 1,000 mm (40 inches) of precipitation, including over 300 cm (120 inches) of snow in many areas. Severe summer weather (such as tornadoes and severe thunderstorms) are far less common than in southern Ontario, although they occasionally occur. Most of central Quebec Winters are longer while summers are warm but very short due to the higher latitude and the greater influence of Arctic air masses. Precipitation is also somewhat less than farther south, except at some of the higher elevations. The far northern regions of Quebec have an arctic climate (Koppen ET), with very cold winters and short, much cooler summers. The primary influences here are the Arctic Ocean currents (such as the Labrador Current) and continental air masses from the High Arctic.

Ethnic groups 1.24% Immigration Profile Canada and Quebec have had Immigration agreements since 1971, Quebec played a major role with regard to independent immigrants, that is, those selected on the basis of economic and social factors intended to assess their ability to adapt and to contribute to the province. For this purpose, Quebec enacted its own point system, which, while it has many of the same features as the federal system, nevertheless differs in some significant respects. The Canada 2011 Census enumerated a total of 974,895 foreign-born residents in Quebec, an increase from 851,600 foreign-born individuals in 2006. Quebec was the province with the second-highest share, of new Canadian immigrants who had arrived in Canada, the first being Ontario. Of the estimated 6,775,765 immigrants, 12.6% lived in Quebec. Government The head of government is the Premier (called premier ministre in French) who leads the largest party in the unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale, from which the Council of Ministers is appointed. The current Premier of Quebec is Phillippe Couillard.

Until 1968, the Quebec legislature was bicameral, consisting of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. In that year the Legislative Council was abolished, and the Legislative Assembly was renamed the National Assembly. Quebec was the last province to abolish its legislative council. The government of Quebec awards an order of merit called the National Order of Quebec. It is inspired in part by the French Legion of Honour. It is conferred upon men and women born or living in Quebec (but non-Quebecers can be inducted as well) for outstanding achievements. Population Centres Mauricie Economy & Immigration The St. Lawrence River Valley is a fertile agricultural region, producing dairy products, fruit, vegetables, foie gras, maple syrup (Quebec is the world's largest producer), and livestock. Immigrants from Europe will be familiar with the mix of rural agriculture and manufacturing that are primary drivers of the economy. North of the St. Lawrence River Valley, the territory of Quebec is extremely rich in resources in its coniferous forests, lakes, and rivers-pulp and paper, lumber, and hydroelectricity are still some of the province's most important industries.

High-tech industries are very important around Montreal and, as such, require a skilled workforce that is often supplemented by its influx skilled, newly immigrated workforce. It includes the aerospace companies like aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, the jet engine company Pratt & Whitney, the flight simulator builder CAE and defence contractor Lockheed Martin, Canada. Those companies and other major subcontractors make Quebec the fourth biggest player worldwide in the aviation industry. Culture Château Frontenac, the world's most photographed hotel, is iconic to the province of Quebec. Quebecers comprise the largest French-speaking society in the Americas. Most French Canadians live in Quebec, though there are other concentrations of French-speakers throughout Canada with varying degrees of ties to Quebec. Montreal is the cosmopolitan cultural heart of Quebec. Language Quebec is the only Canadian province where French is the only official language.

In the 2011 Census, Quebecers listed their mother tongue languages as follows: French speakers: 78% Language conflict in Québec | Thematic Tours | Musée McCord Museum Language conflict in Québec Funny and Moody: The Best of Chapleau's Cartoons Language conflict in Québec By Mathieu Noël, under the supervision of Dominique Marquis, Laboratoire d'histoire et de patrimoine de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal Québec is the only Canadian province in which French is the sole official language. This particularity is the result of a long series of language battles that are still having repercussions today. The roots of Québec's language tensions go all the way back to the Conquest of 1760, when the French colony became a British possession. English-speaking merchants, who formed a minority in New France, soon took control of the economy and would seek to impose their will on the French-speaking majority for the next 200 years. During that time, the language of business, the workplace and social integration would essentially be English.

It was not until the rebellious mindset of the Quiet Revolution and, more specifically, the reactions to the 1965 findings of the Laurendeau-Dunton Commission on Bilingualism, particularly concerning the extent of bilingualism in the federal administration, that French-speaking Quebeckers began to clamour for the right to live in French in the various spheres of their society. The situation became potentially explosive, and a conflict over language in the northeast Montreal neighbourhood of Saint Léonard provided the spark that set off the Québec language crisis of the 1970s. Battle of Saint Léonard In 1968, 40% of the residents of the Montreal neighbourhood of Saint Léonard were Italian immigrants, most of whom sent their children to English school. This immigrant preference was widespread in Québec, with 90% of new Quebeckers opting to educate their children in English. French-speaking residents of Saint Léonard feared their neighbourhood would become increasingly English.

To address this threat, francophone parents, led by lawyer Raymond Lemieux of the Mouvement pour l'intégration scolaire, demanded that French be recognized as the sole language of education, a motion their school board adopted on June 27, 1968. At the start of the new school year, all incoming elementary school pupils had to enrol in French school, which came as a great shock to the Italian community. Italian parents reacted by opening clandestine schools in private homes, which were inadequate and lacked the necessary supplies despite financial assistance from Montreal's English-speaking community. Anglophone residents also wanted to take possession of Aimé Renaud High School for use as an English school. French-speaking residents opposed this plan and occupied the school for 10 days. When the row made the headlines, the Saint Léonard language dispute became news throughout Québec. Demonstrations of support, both French and English, were quickly organized in the streets of Montreal. The language crisis had erupted. The provincial government no longer had any choice; it had to find a solution that would calm people down.

Toward language legislation In March 1969, 10,000 French-speaking students demonstrated to demand that McGill University be turned into a French-language institution. Later that year, on September 3, some 5,000 French and English demonstrators faced off in the streets of Saint Léonard. It was in this context that the Union Nationale government of Jean-Jacques Bertrand (1916-1973) passed Bill 63. This was Québec's first language law. While claiming to promote French, Bill 63 in fact asserted parents' right to choose the language of instruction of their children. It clearly favoured the demands of the anglophone and allophone communities, further angering French-speaking Quebeckers, who felt they had been betrayed by the government. Huge demonstrations of up to 30,000 people were held in Montreal and Québec City. In the 1970 provincial election, French-speaking voters expressed their dissatisfaction by electing a Liberal government led by Robert Bourassa (1933-1996), who had promised to settle the language question.

In 1974, following the recommendations of the Gendron Commission (1968-1973) set up by the previous government to examine language problems, Bourassa tabled Bill 22. This controversial piece of legislation proposed recognizing French as the official language of Québec but, in practice, it provided a certain amount of latitude to businesses with respect to the language of the workplace, and to parents with respect to the language of instruction, although children did have to demonstrate their knowledge of English to be allowed to attend English school. The Liberal bill didn't satisfy anyone and simply exacerbated the language conflict. The English community felt that its rights were being trampled on, as did the allophone communities, who didn't think their children should have to take an English aptitude test, even though the pass rate was very high. French-speaking Quebeckers viewed the bill as being too indulgent and too easy to circumvent.

Charter of the French Language and its opponents When the Parti Québécois was elected in 1976, new Premier René Lévesque (1922-1987) assigned Minister for Cultural Development Camille Laurin (1922-1989) the task of finding a solution to the thorny language question. The Charter of the French Language, better known as Bill 101, was passed on August 26, 1977. It stipulated that all signs in Québec must be in French, that all children must attend French school, with the exception of children whose parents had themselves attended English school in Québec, and that French was the language of the workplace and of Québec public administration. The bill was welcomed by Québec nationalists, but sparked anger among anglophones, allophones and even some francophone parents who lost the right to enrol their children in English school.

Among the chief opponents to the bill were Claude Ryan (1925-2004) and the Group of 326, made up of influential Québec figures such as Paul Desmarais (born 1927) and Claude Castonguay (born 1922). Alliance Québec, a group that lobbied to have English recognized as the province's second official language, was founded in 1982. After Bill 101 was passed, the language debate continued in the courts. In a series of cases, various provisions of the legislation were declared unconstitutional and invalidated by the Supreme Court of Canada. The first were those governing the language of public administration -- the Supreme Court again made Québec's laws and courts accessible in English -- and subsequently those concerning unilingual French signs and access to English school. In response to those Supreme Court rulings, in 1988 Québec's Liberal government passed Bill 178, which allowed the posting of signs in other languages in businesses, provided that French was given precedence. There was strong public reaction to the bill in the French-speaking community.

In short, while Bill 101 generally calmed feelings of dissatisfaction with the language situation in Québec, tension regarding this issue has still not disappeared. References Corbeil, Jean-Claude. L'embarras des langues : Origine, conception et évolution de la politique linguistique québécoise. Montreal: Québec-Amérique, 2007, 548 p. Dickinson, John A., and Brian Young. A Short History of Québec. 4th ed. Montreal, Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2008, 464 p. Dion, Léon. Québec 1945-2000. Vol. 1, À la recherche du Québec. Québec: PUL, 1987. Larose, Karim. "L'émergence du projet d'unilinguisme : Archéologie de la question linguistique québécoise," Globe 7, no. 2 (2004): 177-194. Linteau, Paul-André, et al. Histoire du Québec contemporain. Vol. 2.

Montreal: Boréal Express, 1986, pp. 595 to 607. Société Radio-Canada. "Conflit linguistique au Québec : Le Bill 63." 1 DVD, 49 minutes, Tout le monde en parlait, season 1, 2007. Société Radio-Canada. "Conflit linguistique au Québec : La crise de Saint-Léonard." 1 DVD, 49 minutes, Tout le monde en parlait, season 1, 2007. Société Radio-Canada. "Conflit linguistique au Québec. Le français, langue officielle." 1 DVD, 49 minutes, Tout le monde en parlait, season 1, 2007. Venne, Michel. "Les rendez-vous manqués entre la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, et les droits linguistiques au Québec." Special issue, Revue du Barreau (2006): 495-524.

Looking back at 40 years of French as Quebec's official language - Montreal - CBC News Looking back at 40 years of French as Quebec's official language Bill 22, passed in 1974, laid groundwork for province's most stringent language laws CBC News Posted: Jul 31, 2014 2:07 PM ET Last Updated: Jul 31, 2014 2:07 PM ET The passage of Bill 22 in 1974 may have been in response to language tensions in St-Léonard, a predominantly Italian-immigrant neighbourhood in Montreal. However, it fanned the flames between Anglos and Francos, leading to what is arguably Quebec's most hotly debated piece of legislation ever: Bill 101. (Radio-Canada archives) Related Stories Montreal Mayor wants to honour Robert Bourassa On July 31, 1974 — exactly 40 years ago — French became the only official language in Quebec. A war of words and principles raged between anglophones and francophones at the time.

Anglophones fought to preserve their rights while more and more French-speaking Quebecers lobbied for better protection of their language, particularly with regard to the francisation of immigrants. That edict, introduced by Robert Bourassa and his Liberal government, was meant to remove any ambiguity about language in the province. It was known as Bill 22, the precursor to Bill 101 that came three years later. “The 1960s were a time of major changes in Quebec, like elsewhere around the world. Here, we became aware of some gaps in the protection of the French language,” said Office québécois de la langue française spokesman Jean-Pierre Le Blanc. Groundwork on bills 22 and 101 was laid during the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. The Parti Québécois was created in 1968 amid the language turmoil; a year later, the Union Nationale government led by Jean-Jacques Bertrand adopted Bill 63, which would go on to become An Act to promote the French language in Québec.

St-Léonard Conflict The flames of language debates in the province were stoked by what has come to be known as the St-Léonard Conflict, which came to a head in 1968. FROM THE ARCHIVES | Riots in St-Léonard The conflict began when an act was passed to phase out English instruction from schools in the predominantly Italian-immigrant neighbourhood. Bill 63 was passed in 1969 as an attempt to smooth out thorny relations between Montreal’s Italian community, the province and Quebec francophones. That law had provisions promoting French in education, including offering French courses to new immigrants. It also permitted parents to choose whether their children received English or French instruction. That law was superseded by Bill 22. Bourassa between a rock and a hard place Robert Bourassa’s Liberals won 75 of the National Assembly’s 108 seats in the April 1970 election, inheriting with his win a mandate to table a bill to better protect the French language. An unidentified war veteran demonstrates outside the Montreal offices of the Quebec government's language commission in 1987.

Bill 101 and subsequent legislation have stirred passions and protests in Quebec - both for and against the laws. (Bill Grimshaw/Canadian Press) In 1974, despite persistent opposition from Quebec’s anglophone and Italian communities, Bourassa’s government passed Bill 22. Bourassa also expressed his intention to make French the primary language in public administration, public enterprise, the workplace, business and education. Still, not all francophones were pleased with the bill. Many sovereigntists said the bill didn’t have any teeth and that it didn’t go nearly far enough. FROM THE ARCHIVES Bill 101: Signs of the times Bourassa’s move would ultimately contribute to his defeat at the hands of the PQ two years later. In 1977, Bill 101 — also known as the Charter of the French Language — was passed by René Lévesque’s government, further restricting access to English instruction in Quebec. Nearly 40 years later, the bill remains a thorn in the side of many English-speaking Quebecers. Couillard marks anniversary Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard marked the anniversary of Bill 22 by issuing a statement noting its significance in the province’s history.

“The adoption of French as the official language of Quebec by Robert Bourassa was a key moment in our affirmation. We want to share our attachment for this distinct and unifying language. We celebrate the richness and splendour of the language that is at the heart of our society,” Couillard’s statement read. The premier vowed to continue fighting for the protection of the French language throughout his term. Report Typo or Error Send Feedback To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines . Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Question: What is the official language of the Canadian province Quebec?
Answer: French