Question on Quebec
How does the Official Languages Act apply to Quebec?
The Official Languages Act applies to all federal institutions in all Canadian provinces and territories. In Quebec, this means that Francophones receive services from the federal government in French. The English-speaking community, which represents 13% of Quebec's population, receives services from the federal government in English where the Act and Regulations require them to be provided.
The Act also protects the right of English- and French-speaking federal government employees to work in the language of their choice. English-speaking employees in designated regions (the Montréal area, parts of the Eastern Townships, the Gaspé region and western Quebec) can work in the official language of their choice. However, some 62% of federal public service jobs in the province (excluding the National Capital Region) are designated bilingual.
While the Charter of the French Language proclaims French as the official language of Quebec, members of the English-speaking community receive a variety of services in English from the provincial government, other institutions in Quebec and the private sector.
For example:
- The Constitution Act, 1867
provides that English can be used in the Quebec National Assembly, that the laws and regulations of the province must be published in both English and French, and that cases in Quebec courts may be heard in either English or French. - In 1986, Quebec amended its Health and Social Services Act to require that each regional administrative entity adopt a plan for the provision of health care and social services in English to English-speaking citizens.
- More than 340 primary and secondary schools, 7 colleges and 3 universities provide education in English.
- Private schools that provide instruction in English, French or any other language can, under certain conditions, receive public funding.
- Businesses, the media and cultural organizations use English frequently. English can also be used on commercial signs, as long as French predominates.
It is interesting to note that there are more bilingual people in Quebec than anywhere else in Canada. Among Quebecers who consider French their mother tongue, some 36% speak English, while about 70% of Anglophones speak French. In fact, more than half of all bilingual Canadians (55%) live in Quebec.
