Quebec protesters rally against proposed French language law
A protest took place in Sainte-Cecile-de-Masham, Que., a community north of Ottawa.
The group was pushing back against Bill 96, proposed legislation that seeks to affirm that the only official and common language of Quebec is French.
“There’s concerns about education, for health, for small businesses, for immigration, and certainly for how we live together in Quebec,” said Caryl Green, who was protesting against Bill 96.
The bill would require French as the only language in workplaces and municipalities.
"I think we also have the right to protect the French language in Quebec and that’s what we are wanting to do," said Rober Bussiere, a member of the National Assembly of Quebec. "It is to reassure the French language in the province, but it has no negative impact on the English language in Quebec."
The protestors want more languages and more cultures, not less. Some are worried about the potential impact on things like health care.
"Not being able to receive diagnoses and health care advice from a doctor in a language of ones choice, this is going to be really difficult not only for Anglophones, but for new immigrants to the province," said Gwendolyn Guth, who was protesting.
This week Quebec’s Premier tried to ease concerns about the new law.
"I want to reassure everybody speaking English, even if their fathers went to an English school or not... (providers) will not refuse to treat a patient in English if it's needed," said Premier François Legault.
"I want to be very clear, there is no change at all in the actual situation of services given to Anglophones and immigrants in English in our health-care system -- that's clear."
"If you go to the hospital, if you require any sort of government services, it will remain the way it is right now,” said Robert Bussiere. “No changes will be done."
The protestors in Sainte-Cecile-de-Masham say the government is playing politics with language.
"The bill continues to push division within the province and what people are saying is we live well together, why draw a wedge between the linguistic groups," said Green.
In just a month, they’ve had more than 11,000 people sign a petition opposed to the law.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.