Bill 96 ‘will not be tolerated’

First off, M. Legault said in an announcement at the beginning of the pandemic – it was in the Montreal Gazette – “You can speak English during a crisis.” Imagine.

I lived in Quebec in 1977 when the language issue hit the fan. I saw neighbours – as well businesses – just pickup and leave in an exodus. I chose to stay.

I’m an anglophone.

I worked as a nurse at the Heart Institute. We spoke English. I was raised in Niagara and yes we spoke English. I have two sons who went to French-only schools. I was proud to do that. My older son indicated that, “Mom, they don’t particularly care if you speak French… they want you to be francophone.” He will never be that.

I think Bill [96] was fortuitous in that it was introduced during the pandemic. People are distracted. He created a bill that is very long and circuitous, not easily accessible. I have seen politicians buy into bilingualism often changing designation.

I am sick and tired of being made to feel guilty. For decades my husband and I have paid taxes here. As I heard one person say, “they want our taxes but not us.”

A slippery tongued spokesperson stated that, “We are making things better for anglophones!”

“Imagine the “notwithstanding clause” — a unilateral move to declare Quebec a nation and to change the Charter. “It will be like a piece of France here.” Is he crazy? I wonder what France would think of this.

Another issue pertains to the well-known fact that the language spoken here is not in many instances the same as in France. I think they call that deviation a dialect.

In closing, I have loved living here in so many ways, but this is making me sick. I feel sorry for French-speaking people here. To make a career in this world, one needs to speak English as well. How dare the Premier try to influence the French-speaking students’ right to choose the direction of their education. This is just wrong in many ways. I think this will be taken to the Supreme Court and on to the UN if necessary. We are a minority. It’s an issue of Human Rights. Despite having invoked the withstanding clause, this will not be tolerated.

Marie Green has lived in Cantley for close to 40 years.