Canadian National to comply with Bill 96 on French; Quebec delighted

A CN Rail locomotive pulls auto carrier cars in Dartmouth, N.S. on Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Canadian National Railway Company (CN) announced Thursday that it has registered with language watchdog the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) in accordance with Quebec's Official and Common Language Act, known as Bill 96.

CN's president and CEO Tracy Robinson says the decision aligns with the company's history, headquartered in Montreal for over a century.

Robinson said French is Quebec's official and common language, and CN is proud to do its part to promote and protect it.

The rail company said that following the law coming into force last year, it entered into discussions with the OQLF to proceed with its voluntary registration. However, CN is subject to a particular context, as it is subject to Canada's Official Languages Act under its incorporating act.

The carrier states that its discussions with the OQLF over the past few months have been aimed at finding a way to reconcile the obligations under federal law with CN's desire to register with the OQLF voluntarily.

In a press release, French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge welcomed CN's decision to register with the francization process, as did most companies under federal jurisdiction with more than 50 employees. The minister believes that the adherence of a large federally chartered company is vital for Quebec and the French language, and he hopes that it will encourage the few remaining companies to comply.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 16, 2023