Language Politics in Canada

Douglas Brown

St Francis Xavier University

February 2013

Language Politics in Canada: Outline

Canada pre and post 1960 Demographics of Language

Inequality Dealing with Linguistic Insecurity Language as Driver of Nationalism

and of Constitutional Turmoil Current Demographics and Tensions

Key Dates….pre 1960 1763 France cedes North American

territories to Britain 1774 Quebec Act guarantees French

language and RC religion 1840 United Province of Canada – power-

sharing between French and English 1867 Confederation – Quebec as home to

French majority (minority French populations outside Quebec)

Keeping the Lid On: 1867-1960

Federal union is manageable Elite accommodation works Social and institutional segregation of French

and English French Canadian society is Conservative and

anti-statist Church is a key institution in French Canada Demographic balance maintained (French

share of population is nearly constant at 30 percent )

Boiling Over: The Quiet Revolution in Quebec Rejection of old values and identity (rural,

Catholic, ethnic purity) “Post-colonial” ideology plays a role Rise of new Francophone middle class Significant worry over future of French

language Slow transformation to civic nationalism The special role of the Quebec state in

“épannouisement” of French society

Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism Report, 1965 Average annual incomes, 1961 census:

British origin $ 5918 English only 6049 Bilingual (44%) 5929

French origin 3880 French only 3107 Bilingual (52%) 4523

The Transformation to a Civic Nationalism in Quebec Declining emphasis on “Québécois de

souche” (the original ethnic population) Language as key remaining focus of

identity (if ethnicity and religion no longer) Embracing a multi-ethnic identity, but “in

French” French-speaking integration as

counterpart to English-speaking integration outside Quebec

Versions of the “Nationalist Project” in Quebec, 1960-1995

• Special Status• Deux-Nations (“equal to equal”)• Sovereignty-association (partial

independence?)• Distinct society• Secession from the federation (also

decribed as “sovereignty” or independence)

Quebec legislation on language, 1972 onwards

Objectives: 1) Linguistic security; 2) Economic and social equality

“Bill 101”– Charter of the French Language -- first passed 1977, amended since

French as the language of work, and an end to exploitation of francophones in Quebec

Reinforcing the French “face” of Quebec Dealing with the immigrant challenge in schools

Key Provisions of Quebec’s 1977 Charter of the French Language Establishes French as the only official language

in Quebec (applies to all provincial institutions, not federal)

Requires all larger employers to demonstrate that French is the language of the workplace

Requires that all public signage in Quebec be in French only (later amended to allow some English in some circumstances)

Restricts access to English-language schools (if you are an immigrant your kids must go to a French school)

Federal legislation and policy Defacto special status:

More tax room for Quebec alone Opting out of national programs Bilateral deals on immigration, culture, etc.

Reform of the federal public service Federal Official Languages Act, also New

Brunswick “French power” in Ottawa Closer Ties to Francophone World “Québécois nation” declaration in Parliament,

2006

The limits to accommodation

Resistance and backlash to federal bilingualism outside Quebec

Resistance to special status – finds expression in the rejection of Meech Lake Accord

French-English tensions: Concern for English rights in Quebec Perceived federal favouritism to Quebec Legal challenge to Quebec sign laws and other

aspects of Bill 101 Battles for provincial or municipal services in French

outside Quebec

Stéphan Dion argument, 1992

Linguistic insecurity explains a lot about Quebec nationalism and Quebec’s demands within the federation

Episodes of rejection of French status causes upward spikes in support for sovereignty

Key flash points: Gens de l’air controversy, 1976 Supreme Court judgment on Bill 101, 1988 Rejection of Meech Lake Accord, 1990 ….Vancouver Olympics, 2010

Current State of Affairs

Relative stability in federal-provincial relations Relative linguistic peace in Quebec and

elsewhere Slow effect of immersion movement in English-

speaking community Parti québécois once again the governing party

in Quebec, but Bloc québécois no longer a major force.

Current Demographics French-English income levels in Quebec

now are basically the same French proportion of population in Quebec

slowly rising (now 84%) Bilingualism and tri-lingualism in Quebec

at high levels (Fr =36%, Eng =66%, other = 52%; other trilingual = 49%)

French proportion of population in Canada as a whole is slowly declining (now 23%)