EMSB chair says CAQ motion on Bill 96 criticism is an 'attack' on Quebec anglophones
The Legault government and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) are attacking each other in the lead-up to public hearings on Bill 96, a sprawling reform of Bill 101.
On Wednesday, the National Assembly passed a motion condemning the "contemptuous remarks about the Quebec nation" made by the EMSB on Sept. 1.
The school board's chair went to the press to say that he felt the motion was an "attack" on Quebec's anglophones.
Saying he was "deeply disappointed" in the government -- and in the Liberal Party which supported the motion -- Joe Ortona suggested it was unfair to criticize the Sept. 1 resolution since it has since been amended.
"This is another example of an attack on us, the school board, and the English-speaking community," Ortona said at a virtual news conference on Wednesday.
Last week, Premier François Legault called the EMSB a "radical" group.
The school board accused the bill of "unilaterally rewriting the constitution to recognize Quebec as a nation where the only language is French."
"Quebec is not a "nation,'" the Sept. 1 resolution said. "The Quebec intelligentsia deliberately uses the word 'nation' to evoke a reality that exists only in its own mirage. The only accurate word to use to define the reality of Quebec is 'province.'"
On Sept. 14, the EMSB sent out a press release saying that it had deleted the language about the nation from the resolution, but that it still opposed Bill 96.
Among other things, they argue that the use of the notwithstanding clause is not necessary to protect and promote the French language in Quebec.
The motion targeting the EMSB, adopted unanimously in the National Assembly on Wednesday, also denounces "any form of 'Quebec bashing' or Quebecophobia."
"Criticizing a bill in itself is not 'Quebec bashing,'" Ortona said. "The law is not unanimous throughout Quebec ... and we must be able ... to debate."
This does not make the dissenting minority anti-Quebecers, Francophobes or participants in the 'Quebec bashing', he insisted.
The study of Bill 96 begins next week.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 15, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'