\u201cWe have no intention of having some kind of password or identification mechanism,\u201d Roberge said after the release of the report<\/a> last week. \u201cWe\u2019ll keep what I would call the good-faith mechanism that we currently use.\u201d<\/p>\n Phew. That\u2019s a relief for English-speaking Quebecers. The population can be trusted enough not to illicitly consult government web pages in English \u2014 otherwise anglos would soon have had to jump through new hoops to check out income-tax brackets on Revenu Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s site or find the operating hours of the local Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de l\u2019assurance automobile du Qu\u00e9bec succursale.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not simply a matter of \u201call\u2019s well that ends well.\u201d<\/p>\n Cumbersome \u201cidentification mechanisms\u201d are impractical, which is likely the main reason Roberge ruled them out. But that doesn\u2019t mean English information won\u2019t be surreptitiously scaled back in other ways. A retrenchment could still happen as \u201cdeath by 1,000 cuts\u201d rather than in one fell swoop.<\/p>\n Anglophones have to constantly be on the lookout for the rollback of our rights in ways that seem to become increasingly absurd.<\/p>\n Think of the Office qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de la langue fran\u00e7aise\u2019s attempt to make the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de transport de Montr\u00e9al change \u201cGo! Canadiens Go!\u201d to \u201cAllez! Canadiens Allez!\u201d<\/a> on hundreds of buses; a Montreal library\u2019s refusal of a room to host a book club<\/a> meeting partly in English unless simultaneous French translation was provided; or a directive published in 2024 that suggested anglophones should show their eligibility certificates for English education to obtain English health care<\/a>.<\/p>\n That latter case dragged on for weeks while Roberge denied what was written in black and white and gaslit English-speaking Quebecers<\/a> about there being any erosion of their rights. He eventually backed down<\/a>, but only after pushback.<\/p>\n To his credit, Roberge seems to have realized swift intervention can prevent a skirmish from blowing up into a battle (or at least avoid needless embarrassment).<\/p>\n He promptly stepped in to say the library had erred in rebuffing the book club and to OK the use of phrases like \u201cGo Habs Go.\u201d Last week, Roberge rapidly put to rest the possibility we\u2019d have to \u201cprove\u201d our right to get basic information online.<\/p>\n So why bother to write about this if it\u2019s now moot? Because if we don\u2019t stand up and say \u201care you kidding me?\u201d, then we\u2019d be quietly forfeiting our rights. If we just let things like this slide, we\u2019d be tacitly acquiescing to being treated like second-class citizens.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s not one thing, it\u2019s another.<\/p>\n The English-speaking community is on high alert over Premier Christine Fr\u00e9chette\u2019s plan to extend the provisions of Bill 101 to vocational schools. As many as 27,000 adult education students could become ineligible<\/a> to finish their high school studies or train to work in the health sector or trades in English.<\/p>\n Christopher Skeete, the minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, essentially said: Don\u2019t worry, anglophone rights will be respected<\/a> under this change.<\/p>\n But past experience has shown such promises often prove empty.<\/p>\n The divide-and-conquer strategy to draw a line between so-called \u201chistoric anglos\u201d and a broad array of others who avail themselves of English programs, services and institutions results in collateral damage.<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s immigrants. They now have just six months before they are required to interact with the government in French, whether they\u2019ve managed to access francization programs or not. (And by the way, Dubreuil also called for that grace period to be more stringently monitored and followed.)<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s vulnerable Indigenous students<\/a> being subject to onerous French-language requirements to graduate from college under Bill 96.<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s English institutions themselves, like the CEGEPs that were destabilized by enrolment caps and the implementation of curriculum changes.<\/p>\n English school boards are already warning of significant upheaval and harm<\/a> if 27,000 students are suddenly barred from their adult learning centres.<\/p>\n It\u2019s maddening and ludicrous that we can\u2019t let down our guard. When it\u2019s not the government directly, there are entire agencies and departments dedicated to promoting the French language that seem to look for ways to do it at the expense of the English-speaking community.<\/p>\n We can all agree French is fragile and deserves protection. But often the watchdogs overlook progress. <\/p>\n Recent inspection results from the OQLF found 98 per cent of businesses<\/a> on three major streets in Greater Montreal were able to adequately serve customers in French. But that stellar score still wasn\u2019t good enough<\/a>. Will it ever be?<\/p>\n The line between constructive measures to ensure the vitality of French and ridiculous overreach gets crossed often.<\/p>\n Some recent positive measures include Dubreuil\u2019s recommendation that organizations play music with French lyrics, preferably by Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois artists, to callers on hold, rather than instrumental tracks. Good idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is merit to mandating Netflix and YouTube<\/a> to include more French-language cultural content, preferably Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, on their streaming apps.<\/p>\n The OQLF\u2019s recent effort to encourage fans to cheer for the Habs in French<\/a> during their playoff run seemed a bit goofy at first glance. But it provided a lexicon of French hockey terminology that might come in handy for newcomers, bandwagon jumpers or anglos. Hey, why not?<\/p>\n But analyzing how often people consult Quebec government online resources in English or suggesting putting the English material behind secure walls to hide it from non-rights holders is really getting into the weeds.<\/p>\n Why would someone even bother to look at the English version of a website unless they needed to?<\/p>\n The fact there are already warning labels stipulating who does and doesn\u2019t have this \u201cright\u201d is silly enough. Luckily, Roberge stepped in to prevent this farcical proposal from becoming policy.<\/p>\n Sanity may have prevailed this time. But English-speaking Quebecers are no doubt already wondering: What next?<\/p>\n ahanes@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0601-hanes.jpg\")
French Language Minister Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Roberge seems to have realized the value of swift intervention in matters such as the OQLF\u2019s attempt to outlaw phrases like \u201cGo Habs Go\u201d on buses, Allison Hanes writes. John Mahoney \/ Montreal Gazette files<\/p>\n
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