Quebec introduces motion to make French the only official language of the province

The Quebec government presented a new law aiming to strengthen the use of French.

This bill would make French the only official language of the province. Bill 96 called “An Act Respecting French, the Official and Common Language of Quebec.”

According to the Montreal CTV News, Simon Jolin-BArrette, the province’s minister responsible for languages, called it a “long-awaited and necessary bill” and that “it is time that this is reflected in all spheres of society. The French language is the soul of our nation, and when it advances, all of Quebec becomes stronger.”

If the bill is passed, it would create a Ministry of the French language as well as a French Language commissioner appointed by the National Assembly.

Additionally, it would make French the only official and common language and would be put in the Canadian Constitution. The bill will be stricter for businesses, especially when it comes to signage.

Municipalities with less than 50% of English-speaking residents will lose bilingual status. If they create a resolution, they can keep their status.

The Association of Suburban Municipalities, which represents those municipalities with bilingual status, said in a statement, “for us, balance means strengthening the French language without taking away the rights of citizens in bilingual municipalities.”