How will Quebec's French Language Law Affect Anglophones and other Quebecers in Montreal?

Bill 96, Quebec’s French language law, challenges Canada’s constitution to affirm Quebec as a nation and French as its official right. This law seeks to strengthen the language, but ultimately it can lead to a lack of privacy, a threat to doctors maintaining their license, and more.

Ultimately it will negatively affect a vast amount of Montrealers, as this metropolis is a hub for many languages outside of French, most notably English.

Activist & Montrealer Giovanni Bisciglia joins Local 514 discusses the privacy breach businesses may experience if Bill 96 becomes a law — and more!

Last week Michael Rousseau, CEO of Air Canada, came under fire after he gave an English-only speech to a Quebec business audience. Rousseau, who has lived in Quebec for 14 years, followed his speech by saying he does not have the time to learn French and there is the ability not to learn French in Montreal

Many French speakers have taken offence, and even some native English speakers. Some members of the National Assembly including MNA Ruba Ghazal and Marwah Rizgy said they have faced barriers coming to Quebec and worked very to learn French.

So how does this add fuel to an already heated language debate in province?

Some have said his comments are dangerous because they encourage that French is threatened in Montreal

So how does this connect to Bill 96, the French language law?

This bill intends to change the Canadian constitution to affirm Quebec as a nation and French as its official language. It includes 200 amendments that seek to strengthen French.

This bill first tabled in May of this year. It is an upgrade to Bill 101, Quebec's French language charter, which was adopted in 1977 by then-Premier René Lévesque.