English Montreal School Board promoting French to start new year
The month of January at the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is going to have a big emphasis on French.
The school board has launched an initiative to promote the language and Quebec culture.
"We want to show people that the English-speaking community can be fully bilingual if they register their kids in our public schools," said EMSB chair Joe Ortona.
On Tuesday, the school board held a press conference exclusively in Quebec's official language.
This school year, the EMSB hired nine teachers from France.
"If you heard my press conference, it was all in French and I'm a product of the English public system," said Ortona. "I think my French is pretty good."
Professional cellist Stephane Tétreault attended two EMSB schools where he learned English.
"I think bilingualism is precious; it's really important," he said. "It's been an important part of my life, having to travel for my career."
Allison Grad is a Grade 6 student at Dante Elementary, and she knows speaking French is important for her future.
"It's fun because you get to communicate more with other people," said Grad.
The EMSB wants to show the rest of Quebec that anglophones are not unilingual but that the decision to promote French was not political.
"This has nothing to do with the government or the CAQ, this is completely an EMSB initiative," said Ortona.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6974328.1721750432!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
EXCLUSIVE Canadian company at the centre of alleged international pyramid scheme: authorities
Foreign governments say hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lost savings to a company headquartered in Canada. This investigation from the IJF and CTV News shines a new light on how Canadian shell companies and registries were used to pull off the scheme.
Plane crashes just after takeoff from Nepal's capital, killing 18 people. Pilot is lone survivor
A plane crashed Wednesday just after taking off from Nepal’s capital, killing 18 people and injuring a pilot who was the lone survivor.
Why Toronto is a special place for 'Deadpool & Wolverine' star Hugh Jackman
Toronto has a special place in Hugh Jackman's heart. During an exclusive interview with eTalk in front of dozens of fans gathered in the parking lot of 299 Queen Street West on Tuesday, the Australian actor shared that the city was where his Wolverine journey began.
Clip resurfaces of Vance criticizing Harris for being 'childless,' testing Trump's new running mate
Comments Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance made in 2021 questioning U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership because she did not have biological children have resurfaced, testing the young conservative senator in his early days campaigning as part of the Republicans' presidential ticket.
Laws that could get Canadians in trouble in tourism hotspots
There are some laws in popular tourist destinations around the world that could land Canadian travellers in mild-to-serious trouble if they're not careful. Don't let these local laws land you in hot water during your next vacation abroad.
Pennsylvania state police commissioner reveals stunning details about Trump shooting
A local law enforcement commissioner revealed during a House Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday stunning new details about the security failures that led to the near assassination of Donald Trump, raising more questions for the embattled U.S. Secret Service.
Canadian Olympic Committee offers 'heartfelt apology' after New Zealand accuses Canada Soccer of spying
The Canadian Olympic Committee offered a 'heartfelt' apology to New Zealand Football Tuesday after the New Zealand women's club accused the Canadian women's team of spying on them during a training session.
Jasper evacuees forced into B.C. to flee fires told to make U-turn to Alberta for aid
Thousands of wildfire evacuees forced from Jasper National Park into British Columbia along smoke-choked mountain roads Monday night were directed Tuesday to make a wide U-turn and head home if they needed a place to stay.
Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, scientists say
Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded, breaking global temperatures dating back to 1940, according to preliminary data from Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service.