'Frustration and anxiety': thousands of Montrealers protest Bill 96
Thousands of demonstrators assembled in Montreal Saturday to protest provisions in Bill 96 and its amendments to the French-language law, Bill 101.
Protestors began gathering at 10 a.m. at Dawson College on Sherbrooke St. West and marched to Premier Francois Legault's office at the corner of Sherbrooke and McGill College.
"As it stands, Bill 96 will reduce and restrict access to education, health care, justice, and government services in English," reads a press release from organizers.
On Thursday, the Quebec legislature passed an amendment to Bill 96, easing rules slightly for the province's English-speaking college students.
Bill 96 is expected to pass this month, and would impose tougher language requirements on workplaces and municipalities.
It also seeks to limit the use of English in the courts and public services, grant powers of search and seizure without a warrant to Quebec's language regulator and cap enrolment at English junior colleges, where students would have to take more courses in French.
People take part in a demonstration against Bill 96 in Montreal, Saturday, May 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Russell Copeman, executive director of the Quebec English School Boards Association, says he supports efforts to promote and protect the French language, but describes Bill 96 as "discriminatory" and the cause of "frustration and anxiety" among anglophones and francophone business leaders.
"There's issues to access to justice, access to services in English, access to health and social services," he said. "There are lot's of reasons to oppose this bill."
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer said demanding that young people master a third language -- French -- carries colonial overtones and would make it harder for them to succeed.
"[It's] a heavy burden on our kids, and that's going to discourage them and make it harder for our people to get into professions," she said.
People take part in a demonstration against Bill 96 in Montreal, Saturday, May 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Politicians from both the federal and provincial Liberal parties marched alongside demonstrators, including Quebec Liberal (QLP) leader Dominique Anglade.
"We really believe that the French language can be promoted and protected, but in a way that is inclusive," Anglade said. "That is not what Bill 96 is doing."
But the Quebec Liberals have a complicated history when it comes to Bill 96: it was they who initially suggested students at English CEGEPS be required to take three core courses in French.
Following the outcry of English-language CEGEPs, Anglade would later offer a "mea culpa" for the proposed amendment, admitting the party should have consulted with them beforehand.
With this in mind, the head of the new Canadian Party of Quebec, Collin Standish, said English-speaking Quebecers have been let down by the Liberals.
"The Liberal party of Quebec and Mme. Anglade should not be present at this rally. The've made it worse," he said.
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: Tom Mulcair: How does the francophone media cover Bill 96?
COUNTER DEMONSTRATION
Not everyone in attendance was against the bill, however: a small group of counter-demonstrators also made an appearance Saturday, playing French-language music and waving the Fleurdelisé flag.
Counter-demonstrator Éden Bélanger said he came to the protest to show pride in the French language.
"We're here to celebrate French. We're here to celebrate our culture," he said. "We are for Bill 96, so we're here to show the beauty of French with some music."
In his view, the ends of Bill 96 justify the means.
"We have a social objective, and that's to protect French," he said, adding that he personally believes Indigenous groups should be exempt from the bill.
He said their goal isn't to eliminate English, but to ensure French is the predominant language in Quebec society.
-- with files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.