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CHAPTER 1
A great Canadian law
Canada must end because it sanctions,
supports, and defends a discriminatory law.
What “great Canadian law” does the title of this chapter refer to?
The province of Quebec’s Charter of the French Language,
[2] also known as Bill 101.
Who said “Bill 101 is a great Canadian law”?
Stéphane Dion, former leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Dion says he is
proud to have made the statement and brags of repeating it.
[3]
Tell us about Bill 101.
As it states in the preamble, Bill 101 seeks to make “French the language of
Government and the Law, as well as the normal and everyday language of work,
instruction, communication, commerce and business.” In pursuit of this goal, it
touches on almost all aspects of life in Quebec, both public and private (the
following is not an exhaustive list):
- French is the official language of government, including the legislature and
the courts;
- The right to service in French from the civil administration, health services
and social services, public utilities, professional corporations, and the
associations of employees and all enterprises doing business in Quebec.
- Every person has a right to speak in French in deliberative assembly and
workers have a right to work in French.
- Consumers have a right to be informed and served in French.
- Everyone in Quebec has a right to receive instruction in French.
- French must take prominence in business and commerce in the following areas:
commercial signage, posters, advertising, firm names, contracts, catalogues,
brochures, folders, commercial directories, application forms for employment,
order forms, invoices, receipts and quittances.
- Public education until the end of high school is in French with exceptions
for, primarily, English-speaking Canadians.
- Businesses of a certain size are required to form francization committees in
order to “generalize the use of French.” These workers’ committees must make
sure that management personnel and boards of directors learn French; that French
be the language of work, communication, working documents, communication with
outsiders, and that French terminology, signs posters, advertising be used.
- An entity called the Office québécois de la langue française is created which
has the responsibility to ensure everyone complies with the Act, including
assessing penal penalties for non-compliance.
How do members of Quebec’s minority Anglophone community feel about such a
law?
Bill 101 was passed into law in 1977. Up until at least 1991, public opinion
polls demonstrated an ...
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