Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec
Encyclopedia
The Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec was established under the Union Nationale government of Jean-Jacques Bertrand
on December 9, 1968.
parents in the middle of the Saint-Leonard Crisis, wished for mandatory French language education for allophone
s (immigrants and non-immigrants), whereas parents of Italian origin, supported by anglophones, created the Saint Leonard English Catholic Association of Parents to defend being able to choose either English or French schools.
On the subject of the language of work, the commissioners concluded:
On the subject of the language of instructions, it noted:
The report recommend the government to give Quebec a policy in which the general objective would be: "to make French the common language of Quebecers, that is to say, a language which, being known to everyone, could be used as a communication tool in contact situations between francophones and non-francophones." Thus far, English, the language of the majority in Canada and North America, the language of socioeconomic promotion for most workers, had been playing a much greater role than French as an interethnic language inside Quebec.
The commission recommended the Quebec government make French the sole official language
of Quebec and declare French and English the national language
s of Quebec. The report also included some 31 measures devised to reinforce the position of the French language in the workplace.
Following the presentation of this report, the National Assembly of Quebec
, then under a Liberal government, passed the Official Language Act
. The Act was ultimately supplanted by the 1977 Charter of the French Language
.
Jean-Jacques Bertrand
Jean-Jacques Bertrand was the 21st Premier of Quebec, Canada, from October 2, 1968 to May 12, 1970. He led the Union Nationale party.-Member of the legislature:...
on December 9, 1968.
Background
It was commissioned in response to conflicts within Montreal's Catholic school board in Saint-Léonard. The Mouvement pour l’intégration scolaire (MIS), created by francophoneFrancophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
parents in the middle of the Saint-Leonard Crisis, wished for mandatory French language education for allophone
Allophone (Quebec)
In Quebec, an allophone is a resident, usually an immigrant, whose mother tongue or home language is neither English nor French. The term is also sometimes used in other parts of Canada. The term parallels Anglophone and Francophone, which designate people whose mother tongues are English and...
s (immigrants and non-immigrants), whereas parents of Italian origin, supported by anglophones, created the Saint Leonard English Catholic Association of Parents to defend being able to choose either English or French schools.
Composition
Premier Jean-Jacques Bertrand appointed the following people as commissioners:- Jean-Denis Gendron, president
- Guy Frégault
- Madeleine Doyon-Ferland
- Edward McWhinney
- Nicolas Matesco-Matte
- Aimé Gagnon
Mandate
The commission was mandated to propose measures "to ensure 1) the respect of the linguistic rights of the majority as well as the protection of the rights of minorities and 2) the free blooming and diffusion of the French language in all activity sectors at the educational, cultural, social and economic levels." Linguist Jean-Denis Gendron presided the commission, which is often referred to in French as the Commission Gendron.Report
The final report of the commission was published on February 13, 1973. It consisted of three volumes:- Livre I, La langue de travail (Language of work), 379 pages
- Livre II, Les droits linguistiques (Linguistic rights), 474 pages
- Livre III, Les groupes ethniques (Ethnic groups), 570 pages
On the subject of the language of work, the commissioners concluded:
It comes out that if French is not about to disappear among francophones, neither is it the predominant language in the Quebec labour market. French seems useful only to francophones. In Quebec even, it is in the end a marginal language, since non-francophones need it very little. A great number of francophones in important tasks use English as often, and sometimes more, than their mother tongue. And that, even though francophones in Quebec are a strong majority, in the work force as well as in the total population.
On the subject of the language of instructions, it noted:
The immigrants arrived in Quebec to improve their material condition and to insure a better future for their children. They were obliged to work in English to live and they saw French Canadians give them the example. They observed that in Montreal at least, a part of the French-Canadian parents were sending their children to English schools and private schools, each time they had the financial means to do it. They therefore followed the same path. Their bilingualism seemed absolutely necessary to them, and they never stopped demanding neutral bilingual schools, so that their children could get the best possible training.
The report recommend the government to give Quebec a policy in which the general objective would be: "to make French the common language of Quebecers, that is to say, a language which, being known to everyone, could be used as a communication tool in contact situations between francophones and non-francophones." Thus far, English, the language of the majority in Canada and North America, the language of socioeconomic promotion for most workers, had been playing a much greater role than French as an interethnic language inside Quebec.
The commission recommended the Quebec government make French the sole official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
of Quebec and declare French and English the national language
National language
A national language is a language which has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A national language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country...
s of Quebec. The report also included some 31 measures devised to reinforce the position of the French language in the workplace.
Following the presentation of this report, the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
, then under a Liberal government, passed the Official Language Act
Official Language Act (Quebec)
The Official Language Act of 1974 , also known as Bill 22, is an act of the National Assembly of Quebec which made French the sole official language of Quebec, a province of Canada...
. The Act was ultimately supplanted by the 1977 Charter of the French Language
Charter of the French Language
The Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...
.
See also
- Demolinguistics of Quebec
- Languages of Canada
- Language policyLanguage policyMany countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. Although nations historically have used language policies most often to promote one official language at the expense of others, many countries now have policies designed to...
- Royal Commission on Bilingualism and BiculturalismRoyal Commission on Bilingualism and BiculturalismThe Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism was a Canadian royal commission established on 19 July 1963, by the government of Prime Minister Lester B...