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Quebec language law debate grows

(The Globe and Mail) Pauline Marois, leader of the Parti Québécois, announced her interests in extending the rules of Bill 101 to English junior colleges, or CEGEPs. Bill 101, Quebec's language law, dictates that new immigrants to Quebec must attend French elementary and secondary schools but are free to choose between English or French CEGEPs. At an event on Jan. 30, Marois explained that she believes English CEGEP should only be available to students who have at least one parent who has studied in English somewhere in Canada. Maxime Bernier, member of the conservative party, said Quebec did not need the Bill to remain predominantly French. After this criticism, many other government representatives like Liberal MP Denis Coderre denounced Bernier's ideologies and said the Tory's thoughts on language laws make "Sarah Palin look like an intellectual."

1.

Bill 101: the story

CBC Archives
The CBC put together a background piece reiterating the development of Bill 101 in Quebec. The website displays various radio and television stories collected since the Bill was introduced by the Parti Québecois in 1977. From praise to criticism, the establishment of language laws in Quebec can be followed somewhat seamlessly. The "Did you know?" tab offers great insight into some of Quebec's attempts to renew itself. Although the CBC's timeline and coverage of this issue ends in 1989, there are a variety of interesting sidebars on the website, including Anglophones' hatred for Camille Laurin, the "father" of Bill 101, who was compared to Hitler.

2.

Angry French Guy and the English minority

Angry French Guy
Angry French Guy, also known as Georges Boulanger, is a French-language activist and a truck driver. His blog, which is written in English, is a compilation of opinionated rants and information. Boulanger's post on the "school law" version of Bill 101 describes the impacts of the law on English education in Quebec. His argument is clear: he believes that French-speaking Quebecers were assimilated by their English counterpart and thus developed a system to protect their mother tongue. Boulanger also discusses some families' choice to send their first child to unsubsidized English schools in order to transfer the rest of their children to the English public system in the next year. In a separate post, Boulanger explains his position on making English education available to children with at least one parent who has studied in Canada, concluding that Quebec may just be the only place on earth where English-speaking people are "a minority in need of special protection."

3.

Bernier defends his position on Bill 101

Maxime Bernier's blog
Maxime Bernier's blog offers great insight into the conservative MP's mind. Bernier, who once made headlines for leaving confidential NATO information at his ex-girlfriend's house, was also criticized for his own disapproval of Bill 101. On Feb. 6, the conservative MP took to his blog to explain his position and justify the comments he made in an interview with News 95.7, a radio station in Halifax. Bernier told radio host Jordi Morgan that Quebec did not need Bill 101. In his post, the MP expresses his beliefs that the people in Quebec "know who they are and that it's not the government's role to create and protect a national identity." Bernier says that, not unlike the people who have been criticizing him, he hopes Quebec will remain predominantly French.

4.

Government reps avoiding a feud

Deux Maudits Anglais
“Deux Maudits Anglais” -- French for “Two Damn Englishmen” -- is an editorial blog connected to Macleans.ca and run by freelance journalists Martin Patriquin and Phillippe Gohier. They discuss Quebec’s current affairs and infuse their personal opinions and biases. Patriquin talked to Dermod Travis, member of the Larose Commission on the State and Future of the French Language, about the viability of Bill 101’s expansion as proposed by Pauline Marois. According to Travis, there are two major issues with the expansion: the proposed language requisites for students who wish to attend a post-secondary English institution and the average age of CEGEP students. Travis says that “it will be legally difficult, if not impossible, to extend Bill 101’s requirements to individuals over 18.”

5.

A theologian’s ethical reflections on Bill 101

Independence of Quebec
Founded in 2002, this website offers various English resources related to Quebec sovereignty. The site hosts documents, articles and texts from original sources and prides itself on being unaltered and unfiltered. One text by Roman Catholic theologian Gregory Baum, who immigrated from England to Canada in 1940, visits his ethical perspective on Bill 101. The theologian lists a variety of reasons to explain why the Bill is, in his opinion, beneficial to Quebec. He claims that French language is still threatened by the “overwhelming presence of American culture and technology,” and that the Bill does not forbid English businesses from expanding within the English community.

(Note: although the format of this website is very similar, this is not Wikipedia)
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