By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Could Montreal get its own municipal office for the French language?

That is one of the recommendations of a volunteer committee led by former PQ MNA Louise Harel, a one-time mayoral candidate for Montreal, and interim leader of the Parti Québécois. The committee, created in February 2022, was put together as an advisory body for the city’s own French Language Preservation Plan, which seeks to reaffirm “the importance of French as an official and common language. With this plan, the French language is given pride of place while at the same time, honouring the rights of cultural and linguistic communities and Indigenous peoples.”

As part of the committee’s recommendations, the city would work with new Montrealers and acclimatize them to the French culture, giving them free or cheaper access to French cultural events. They also suggested giving Montreal a prominent place in promoting French and, of course, the idea of a creating a Montreal office for the French language. There already is a French language commissioner for the city. Noémie Dansereau-Lavoie has held the position for just over a year.

At a news conference last week announcing the committee’s recommendations, Mayor Plante tried to reassure Montrealers that access to services in English, or non-Francophone cultural festivals would not be affected. Harel echoed Plante’s words, adding that neither would elected officials be bound by the recommendations.

The announcement came on the same day that the federal official languages commissioner, Raymond Theberge, took issue with the Quebec government’s pressure on English-language CEGEPs and universities.

Theberge was specifically speaking of the proposed cap on the number of students who can register for English-language classes, and the rise in tuition for out-of-town students.

While Theberge does agree that Quebec should keep French alive, he urged the provincial government to “always take into account the impact of decisions on the vitality of its minority community.” n