By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Anglophone-rights advocates will gather at Dorchester Square in Montreal on Thursday, July 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a protest rally denouncing what they say is an escalating attack on the English-speaking community’s rights under Bill 96. The demonstration is being organized by the Coalition Against Bill 96, a group formed by members of the Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ) and the Task Force on Linguistic Policy.
The protest was triggered by a $30-million fine recently imposed on LaSalle College by Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education, citing violations of provincial rules limiting the number of English students enrolled in subsidized private institutions. As first reported by La Presse and CBC News, the fine stems from LaSalle’s intake of international students prior to new government caps taking effect. Critics argue the college had already committed to these students contractually before the policy changed and had little room to reverse course.
Claudia Maheux, a CaPQ member and one of the rally’s organizers, said in an interview that the situation with LaSalle College “is going to affect the very existence of their college because the fines amount to about $30 million and their revenue is only $79 million.”
“It’s not just about whether or not they obeyed the law,” she said. “The law is wrong.”
According to Maheux, the dispute reflects a broader pattern of what she described as “systematic attacks on anglophone rights to education” under Bill 96. She pointed to Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry’s recent interventions against McGill, Concordia, Bishop’s, and now LaSalle as examples. “She’s basically trying to disrupt the right to our English-speaking education,” Maheux said. “She’s cutting up accessibility for us.”
The Ministry has maintained that schools must comply with language quotas and other provisions under Bill 96, part of the CAQ government’s broader agenda to strengthen the French language. But Maheux contends that LaSalle was given no reasonable transition period and faced the impossible choice of either violating existing contracts or removing students mid-program.
“Some of these Anglophone students are paying their full fare,” she explained. “They’re not getting subsidized. And yet the government still wants to fine them. It’s nonsensical and inhumane.”
LaSalle College, a renowned institution with a large international and francophone student base, argues that it should not be penalized for decisions made before the cap was implemented. As Maheux noted, “Out of 4,000 students, about 3,300 are in francophone programs. So in order to stick it to the anglophones, they’re sticking it to their own on top of it.”
The rally organizers are calling on supporters to wear black and make their voices heard. “We’re hoping to muster a big enough crowd to get attention,” Maheux said. “People have to understand that this is not about loopholes. This is about a law that is unjust.”
The Coalition Against Bill 96 is composed of several English-rights advocacy groups and is coordinating speakers and outreach efforts through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
LaSalle College was contacted for comment but did not respond before this article went to print.