Kristina Ronnquist has lived in Quebec for five years, but now, following the recent reform of the Charter of the French Language, she says she's leaving the province.
"We definitely had plans to move [to the United States before Bill 96], but it definitely didn't help," the California native told Noovo Info. "When you see things like language inspectors and search-and-seizure without a warrant and making sure...that English is not being overused... I felt like a criminal."
The controversial Bill 96 was passed in Quebec's National Assembly on Tuesday, causing dissension among Indigenous and English-language rights groups in many sectors, including education, justice and health care.
"We are committed to protecting your access to health care in English," insisted Premier François Legault in response to criticisms.
Nevertheless, Ronnquist admits her level of French remains greatly insufficient.
She says she met her husband, a Quebecer, in Thailand in 2015 and after falling pregnant, decided to move to the province to be near his family.
Ronnquist recalls a time when she was at a doctor's visit and wanted to make sure she fully understood what she was being told.
She asked if she could call her mother-in-law, a francophone, and was met with the response: "I don't have time for that."
"It's hostile enough towards English-speaking people," she lamented. "This [Bill 96], for me, just feels like it's going to take it to this whole other level."
Her husband, Olivier Ratti, points out his family may not be the only one relocating in the near future.
"In a Quebec that's having a labour shortage, we're going to push people away," he said. "They're going to go to western provinces or Ontario because they'll feel more welcome."
The family says they are planning to move at the end of July.
