With adoption of Bill 96, reconciliation 'is out of the window,' say Indigenous leaders
Indigenous communities in Quebec say the language law passed Tuesday will harm the education prospects of their youth and undermine reconciliation in the province.
In Kahnawake, south of Montreal, members of the community are meeting daily to discuss ways of contesting the law, said Mike Delisle, a member of the Mohawk Council of Chiefs. Delisle said the Coalition Avenir Quebec government did not adequately consult with Indigenous communities about the reform.
"The word 'reconciliation' is out of the window at this point," he said in an interview Wednesday. "Those are just words on paper, it doesn't mean anything to us, because their words are not true."
Delisle said that for historic reasons, many people in his community learn English rather than French. He said young people are worried about a requirement that students at English-language junior colleges take three additional French-language classes. On Saturday, a group of Kahnawake students led a protest march, stopping traffic on a major bridge into Montreal.
The impact in colleges is also a concern for Sarah Aloupa, the president of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the school board in Quebec's northern Nunavik region.
"Many of our students go to school in English. There is no French immersion in our schools, so you study either fully in English or in French after Grade 3," she said in an interview Tuesday.
She said the additional French classes will be another burden for students who already have to travel long distances to pursue post-secondary education outside the region. She said the law may push young people to study outside the province.
The law shows a lack of understanding of the unique language and culture in the North, she said.
"As Inuit people, we're not even 20,000 people, and we are considered to be endangering the French language," she said. "I think we will have no choice but to go to court to be heard."
Delisle said people in Kahnawake are also worried about the effects of the bill on community-run health and social services agencies, as well as the impact it will have on the community's police service and access to justice.
The language law reform, known as Bill 96, forbids provincial government agencies, municipalities and municipal bodies from making systematic use of languages other than French.
It also requires court decisions to be immediately translated into French, forbids companies from pleading in court in other languages and gives the province's justice and language ministers the ability to decide which judicial postings require English, a decision that was previously made by the chief justice.
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador described the bill as a "major step backwards" that puts reconciliation "on hold."
"To deny the rights of others to assert one's own, to brutally assert one's supremacy over other nations that share the same territory is unworthy of a government that respects itself," Grand Chief Ghislain Picard said in a news release after the bill passed.
Federal Justice Minister David Lametti said Wednesday he's concerned about the law's impact on the rights of Indigenous people but said it is too soon to talk about federal involvement in a possible court challenge.
"We will keep all options on the table," Lametti told reporters in Montreal. "There are ways to implement the bill that would safeguard Quebecers' constitutional rights."
Any federal participation in a court challenge would be related to matters of federal jurisdiction, Lametti added, and would only come if a challenge starts in Quebec.
The law invokes the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Constitution to shield it from charter challenges. It also grants language inspectors the power to conduct searches and seizures of businesses without a warrant. Lametti said he has concerns that the use of the notwithstanding clause has cut short debate on the law.
"As a citizen of Quebec, I'm concerned about access to health care," he said. "I am concerned about ... the ability to conduct search and seizures and whether that violates charter rights. I'm concerned about the potential impact on immigration."
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2022. With files from Virginie Ann.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.