Toward Truly Equal Voice and Equitable Treatment: Quebec’s English-Speaking Minority Community and the Official Languages Act

The author argues that after more than fifty years in operation, the benefits that have flowed from the federal government's Official Languages Act have proven of far greater scope and positive effect for French-speaking communities outside Quebec than for the English-speaking community within Quebec. Simply put, she points out, after 50 years in operation the Act has failed to create a level playing field between Canada’s two minority-language groups. There are two reasons for this situation, the author contends. First, official languages policy is seen and treated within the federal government as code for supporting the needs and aspirations of Francophone communities outside Quebec. Second, Francophones in the rest of Canada have embraced the Act, adopting an energetic, assertive approach. Over the years they have strongly influenced the design and implementation of policies and programs as well as the evolution of the Act itself. In contrast, Quebec’s English-speaking community has not judged that the Act could prove equally powerful for it. The result is that the English-language minority ended up on the sidelines, generally absent from the conversation. The bulk of Canada’s official languages strategy, policy, and program spending continues to be focussed on and directed toward Francophone communities outside Quebec. The author concludes that while equitable does not mean identical, the Act as well as the regulations, guidelines, policies and programs that flow from it, must not favour one language or one official linguistic minority community over another.

Canadian Diversity/Diversité canadienne

Vol. 17

no. 1

2020

15-17

en