Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

A new documentary exploring the experiences of English-speaking Quebecers in the Outaouais
premiered at Motel Chelsea on June 6, drawing a small but attentive crowd, both anglophone
and francophone. Regional Realities: Outaouais , directed by filmmaker and QUESCREN
research associate Anita Aloisio, is the first in a new series of short documentaries produced by
the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), based at
Concordia University. The film is part of a broader effort to document how language, identity,
and place intersect for English-speaking communities across Quebec.

The 30-minute film features voices from across the region, including Low Down to Hull & Back
News publisher Nikki Mantel and editor-in-chief Trevor Greenway, Connexions Resource Centre
executive director Danielle Lanyi, Greg Graham, a farmer and literacy advocate, Paul Tonkin,
executive director of Outaouais Wellness Learning (OWL), and Judith Anne King Matheson, a
local elder affiliated with White Owl Outaouais Wellness Learning Wisdom. These individuals
spoke from within their communities, reflecting on access to health care, shrinking English-
language services, the impact of legislation like Bill 96, and the strain of navigating bureaucratic
systems that do not always account for linguistic minorities.

In one scene, Greg Graham describes the Pontiac as “at the bottom of the bottle,” pointing to
decades of underinvestment in rural healthcare and services. The film also addresses growing
anxiety among anglophone students facing new requirements like the mandatory French Exit
Exam to graduate from CEGEP. Participants spoke of the cumulative effect of language
legislation—particularly Bills 96 and 101—on daily life, from restrictions on English schooling to
barriers in accessing public services. Under Quebec’s language laws, only those with a
Certificate of Eligibility may attend English public schools, a rule that excludes most
francophone and immigrant families and has left some mixed-language households unable to
choose the school system they feel fits best. This is not a matter of preference but of legal
restriction, one that many feel reduces flexibility and deepens linguistic division.

The film also highlights how the laws, though not explicitly banning English-language services in
healthcare, have contributed to confusion and uneven application. Some medical professionals,
citing the new legislation, have refused to serve patients in English—even when it remains
legally permitted. For seniors who have lived their entire lives in English, this shift has been
especially difficult. Many now find themselves unable to access basic services, from
transportation to medical appointments, due to their limited French. Others spoke of no longer
understanding municipal notices or being able to participate in public meetings, including
something as routine as garbage collection instructions. The result, several participants
suggested, is not simply inconvenience but a growing sense of exclusion in communities they
have long called home.

After the screening, QUESCREN’s Patrick Donovan moderated a discussion with Aloisio and
several of the film’s participants. Audience members echoed the concerns raised in the film, ​
speaking of service cutbacks, inconsistent access to information, and a growing unease about
where English-speaking residents fit in Quebec’s evolving linguistic landscape.

Still, the evening was not defined by frustration alone. Many participants pointed to the
resilience of their communities and voiced hope for the future. There was broad agreement that
the next generation—raised in bilingual households, fluent in both languages—could help foster
a more inclusive future. Several highlighted the role of technology, particularly translation tools,
in reducing friction where policy lags behind. One speaker described the present moment as
part of a broader shift, a time when communities are being asked to come together in new ways.

Another called directly for equality, reminding the room that English-speaking Quebecers should
not have to choose between remaining in their home province and accessing their basic rights.
Others referenced the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canada’s official bilingual
status, emphasizing that French and English are to be treated with equal respect. While the
reality on the ground often falls short of this principle, the film and the discussion underscored
the importance of holding on to it—not just as a legal framework, but as a shared aspiration.

Photo: Audience members watched attentively as Regional Realities: Outaouais unfolded on
screen, highlighting the challenges English speakers face and the hopes they hold for a more
inclusive future. (TF) Photo: Tashi Farmilo