Opinion: We’re asking the wrong questions to young English speakers in Quebec

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I am disappointed with the suggestions made by Ronald G. McFarland in his recent opinion piece (“Young English speakers better leave Quebec” on August 22. Quebec’s young people are more connected to the province than he thought.

As someone whose family roots have been in Quebec for more than two hundred years, I feel this connection deeply. I have studied and worked outside of Quebec, but I have never forgotten that this province is my true home.

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I think many young people in Quebec today feel the same way, whether their families have lived here for a long time or have moved here recently, or whether they have come from somewhere else to study at our world-class universities and build their own network of friends and contacts.

Beyond its culture, atmosphere, and overall quality of life, Quebec offers many tangible advantages to emerging adults.

Rents are lower here than in many large Canadian cities, and tenants’ rights are well-supported by law and in housing court. Energy prices are among the cheapest in North America. Crime rates in major urban centres are significantly lower than in most other Canadian cities.

For those just starting to raise a family, Quebec offers a daycare system that has become a model for the rest of Canada. Our schools help children become fully bilingualYoung English speakers and English homophones have proven this for decades. Our CEGEP system makes higher education affordable and accessible.

With all of this said, the real question is: why do young English speakers and native English speakers want to leave?

Act No. 21 and Bill 96 is a major part of the problem. The CAQ government has launched an unprecedented attack on rights and English-speaking institutions under the pretext of protecting secularism and the French language.

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However, we must recognize that there is not widespread hostility toward the CAQ among French-speaking Quebecers. Fellow countrymen As co-workers, neighbors, friends, and spouses realize that the CAQ’s extreme views are not universal, I believe that as people gradually realize the harmful impacts of laws like Bill 21 and Bill 96, they will lose support.

Even the idea of ​​official bilingualism in Quebec is widely accepted, although this seems to have alarmed the Quebec government. A recent study by Léger found 55% of Quebecers agree that Quebec should become an officially bilingual provinceonly 37% of people are opposed. People are full of hope for the future.

Perhaps the greatest source of despair is the lack of leadership from those we count on to protect us.

Rather than challenging Bill 96, The federal government met this requirement through Bill C-13which amended the Official Languages ​​Act.

The Quebec Liberal opposition has said it will only amend parts of Bill 96 rather than repeal it, and appears obsessed with promoting its nationalist ideas of establishing an independent The Constitution of Quebec.

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This is so frustrating.

We must realize that we have the power to change this situation.

Young English and Anglophone Quebecers are confident in their identity. They are bilingual and trilingual. They are more capable than ever to defend themselves against damaging discriminatory laws. They have the power to make Quebec a better place for everyone.

I founded Language Policy Working Group Co-founded Quebec Canadian Party Give individuals a voice and say in institutions. Anyone can join, donate or volunteer to oppose Bill 96 and build a better Quebec – one that does not restrict rights or impose language laws, but focuses on real issues such as health care, education and economic prosperity. I found many others who share the same vision and are working to achieve this goal.

We can all organize protests. We can write letters to our members of Congress and our national aides. We can challenge laws in court. We can vote out legislators who don’t defend us for those who will.

So I say to all Quebecers, old and young, don’t leave.

Colin Standish is the founder of the Language Policy Working Group and co-leader of the Quebec Canadian Party.

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