Anglo-rights activists blast Quebec for new language bill

Sun News, QMI Agency, by Giuseppe Valiante

MONTREAL — The Quebec government claims to be listening to the concerns of anglophones regarding a new language bill, but its actions don't reflect its words, two prominent Montreal anglo-rights activists say.

Brent Tyler, a prominent Montreal-based lawyer who often argues language cases, said Saturday that "the idea that the government's (new law) was meant to benefit the English community is hypocrisy of the rankest order."

[…]

Dan Lamoureux, president of an anglo-rights umbrella organization, told QMI that the ministers' letter would have had more impact if it were also published in French newspapers.

"Politicians say one thing to the French community and another to the English," Lamoureux said. "If you're going to say it, say it to both communities the same way."

Read more...

Lettre de Lisée et De Courcy: Les anglophones ne sont pas rassurés

Journal de Montréal, Giuseppe Valiante

Le gouvernement du Québec n’a pas réussi à rassurer les anglophones du Québec en leur adressant une lettre ouverte pour expliquer le projet de loi 14, affirment deux activistes montréalais qui défendent les droits des anglophones.

L’avocat Brent Tyler et Dan Lamoureux, président du Quebec Community Groups Network, ont dit à l’Agence QMI, samedi, que le gouvernement Marois doit jeter aux poubelles la loi 14 s’il veut véritablement convaincre la communauté anglophone qu’elle est respectée.

La ministre responsable de la Charte de la langue française, Diane de Courcy, et le ministre responsable de la région de Montréal, Jean-François Lisée, ont publié une lettre dans le quotidien de langue anglaise, The Gazette vendredi, pour convaincre les anglophones que la nouvelle loi linguistique ne compromettrait pas leurs droits.

Read more...

Le renforcement de la loi 101 ne passe pas, malgré la lettre ouverte du PQ

La Presse, Hugo Pilon-Larose

Les représentants de la communauté anglophone du Québec demeurent opposés à tout renforcement de la Charte québécoise de langue française, même s'ils saluent la publication d'une lettre ouverte des ministres Jean-François Lisée et Diane De Courcy dans le quotidien The Gazette.

«Personnellement, quand j'ai lu la lettre, j'étais contente. Ça démontre le niveau d'engagement de deux ministres sur les craintes des anglophones envers le projet de loi 14. Écrire ce qu'ils ont écrit, c'était courageux», confie la directrice générale du Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), Sylvia Martin-Laforge.

«Je ne suis toutefois pas certaine qu'ils pourront aller plus loin. Ils disent vouloir aller chercher l'appui de la Coalition avenir Québec, mais ils ne répondent pas, je pense, à leurs demandes», dit-elle.

Read more...

PQ woo anglos for Bill 14 support

Global Montreal, Elysia Bryan-Baynes

The Parti-Quebecois is on a campagin to get support for their new language law and they claim they’ve heard anglophone concerns about Bill 14 and are open to amending the controversial law. Elysia Bryan-Baynes reports. 

PQ's proposed changes to Bill 14 leave critics skeptical

PQ ministers reach out to anglophones in open letter
CBC News

Two Parti Québécois ministers have published an open letter outlining amendments to Bill 14, its controversial proposed legislation that aims to revamp the province's language laws.

However, critics are skeptical that the minority government is truly addressing concerns of the anglophone community.

The letter appears today in Montreal's only English-language daily newspaper, the Montreal Gazette.
In it, Language Minister Diane De Courcy and the minister responsible for Quebec's anglophone community, Jean-François Lisée, review several key issues that affect English-speaking Quebecers.

Read more...

Letter: QCGN continues to oppose Bill 14, but recognizes that PQ government’s outreach to anglos

The Gazette, by Dan Lamoureux 

Re: “We’ve listened to anglos on Bill 14” (Opinion, May 17)

For many, Bill 14 remains an emotional issue, and so it might be difficult to see the positive effects of the consultation process surrounding the proposed legislation. Although the Quebec Community Groups Network remains opposed to the bill — and its individual provisions — we recognize that we as English-speaking Quebecers gained greater recognition of our minority community from the government Quebec.

First, we have benefited as a community. We demonstrated that there is a vibrant English-speaking community in Quebec that is greater than the sum of its individual parts. We worked together in opposition to Bill 14, demonstrating a vital community that is prepared to fight for its institutions and the rights of its individual members. There were differences in approach, but the main message of opposition to Bill 14 was remarkably consistent and mutually supporting.

Read more...

QCGN seeks Board Members – Deadline : May 17, 2013

It’s that time of the year when the Quebec Community Groups Network seeks candidates to represent the community on its Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee is encouraging all QCGN member organizations and the communities that support them to look within their midst for movers and shakers who want to address the issues of strategic concern to Quebec’s English-speaking community. The Nominating Committee is looking for candidates who want to team to guide the QCGN and community with leadership and vision; provide oversight on the management of the corporation’s affairs; and act as ambassadors for the QCGN and English-speaking community of Quebec. Board members are expected to remain up to date on issues affecting the English-speaking community of Quebec; participate in board meetings; and serve on at least one committee of the Board where they can make use of their area of interest and expertise. To be nominated, community candidates have to go through one of the QCGN’s members. To read the call for nominations letter click here. To fill out a nominations form, click here. Nominations from members groups must be sent to sylvia.martin-laforge@qcgn.ca by May 17, 2013, by 5 p.m. 

Elected Board members will be announced during QCGN's Annual General Meeting on June 15. 

Extension of Bill 101 debated in Aylmer

Special to Le Bulletin by Sylvie Filion and Julie Murray

Since its introduction, Bill 14 has made waves across the province, especially among the Anglophone minority, officially bilingual municipalities, and cultural nationalists. The bill would amend the province's language laws, extending the use of French as the workplace language, and removing the bilingual status of municipalities where the Anglophone population has dropped under fifty percent. 

The law would also remove military families' exemption from language laws, an exemption that allowed families to send their children to English schools so that they would not face difficulties in their education when they had to move to a non-French-speaking country. It would also further restrict access to English cegeps. 

Read more here...

QCGN is looking for good people

Special to the Sherbrooke Record 

The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) is seeking nominations for its fifth annual Sheila and Victor Goldbloom Distinguished Community Service Award which celebrates individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Quebec's English-speaking community.

"Candidates for our distinguished community service award should have demonstrated leadership and commitment as a volunteer or as a professional in their chosen field of endeavour," explained QCGN President Dan Lamoureux, noting that contributions can be in any and all regions of Quebec and in any field from business to academia; from youth to seniors; from health to social services to arts and culture; and any other area such as heritage, the environment and sports. 

Read more here... 

Sherbrooke Record: QCGN calls for productive dialogue with English-speaking community

Special to the Sherbrooke Record 

Quebec City, April 11, 2013 –English-speaking Quebecers are opposed to Bill 14 and believe it should be scrapped. But that does not mean our community does not want to continue dialoging to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding that persists between the Government and its English-speaking minority. That was among the key messages the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) delivered to the Committee on Culture and Education that is studying Bill 14.

“More coercive measures will not promote or protect the French language,” said QCGN President Dan Lamoureux, noting that the government is once again failing to distinguish between English-speaking communities and the threat of English as a global language of commerce and mass culture.  “English-speaking Quebecers are not a threat.”

Lamoureux noted that, if passed, Bill 14 would restrict the right of municipalities and their citizens to decide how their own taxpayers will be served. It would revoke the right for French-speaking military personnel who may be transferred to other provinces to send their kids to English schools. It would place a greater burden on all small businesses – French and English – that will have impacts ranging from some enterprises deciding not to expand to others deciding to go to another province where the cost and irritants of doing business are less onerous.

Read more here...