Charter of the French Language: "Some interesting measures, but the devil is in the details"
MONTREAL WEST, May 13, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The Association of Suburban Municipalities (ASM) is releasing its preliminary reaction to Bill 96, An Act Respecting French, the Official and Common Language of Quebec, tabled by the Minister Responsible for the French Language, Simon Jolin-Barrette. The ASM believes the bill contains some interesting measures regarding the continuation of the bilingual status of municipalities that have a significant proportion of residents who speak English as their mother tongue. The bill also contains a great number of measures to protect and strengthen the status of the French language in Quebec.
"It is an interesting bill, particularly because of the mechanism that will allow municipalities to retain their bilingual status. However, we will have to examine it more carefully to determine how exactly it will impact issues such as the language of communication with businesses. As everyone knows, the devil is in the details when it comes to legal matters. We therefore want to take part in the planned consultations to help achieve the desired balance between promoting the use of French in Quebec while respecting the rights of all our citizens," said Beny Masella, ASM President and Mayor of Montreal West.
The ASM supports the social and political consensus in favour of strengthening the status of the French language in Quebec. Moreover, according to the ASM, the legislation should maintain the bilingual status granted to certain municipalities, including in the case of demographic change. This possibility was protected by the government of René Lévesque when the Charter of the French Language was adopted in 1977.
Association of Suburban Municipalities
The Association of Suburban Municipalities is comprised of mayors from the 15 suburban cities located on the island of Montreal. Each one of them has their own voice and municipal management. The association represents the interests of over 250,000 citizens and contributes nearly one-fifth of the budget for Montreal Island. The association represents 13 of the 15 municipalities with bilingual status on the Island of Montreal.
SOURCE Association of Suburban Municipalities
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