Premier Christine Fréchette offered an olive branch to anglophones on Monday in a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. Fréchette emphasized the importance of protecting and promoting the French language in Quebec but also recognized the fact that more than one million of Quebec’s population of nine million people are English-speaking Quebecers who speak more French today than they did before. Her speech, aimed at Montreal’s business community, was part of the chamber of commerce’s Provincial Political Series of talks with provincial party leaders. Protecting French is her “overarching responsibility” as premier, but she said “tone matters.” “As the Premier of all Quebecers, I hope to bring a different tone to these discussions,” Fréchette said in English. She pointed to Montreal’s bid to host the NATO Defence, Security and Resilience Bank as an example of Quebec promoting the English-speaking community. “We have highlighted the presence not only of a large francophone community but also an important anglophone community in Montreal, and the availability of English-language health and education services as well for them. That spirit of pragmatism will continue as we promote the candidacy of Montreal to host this important financial institution,” the premier said in her speech. “I firmly believe that the vibrant presence of our historically important English-speaking community, not only in Montreal but throughout Quebec, is an integral part of our ‘vivre ensemble.’” The Coalition avenir Québec has sometimes clashed with the English-speaking community in the past under Fréchette’s predecessor, François Legault, particularly with the passing of the controversial language law commonly known as Bill 96. Fréchette has already committed to renewing the notwithstanding clause to shield the law from Charter challenges. In recent weeks, groups advocating for the English-speaking minority in Quebec were upset after the CAQ said it wants to expand Quebec’s French language charter to include adult and vocational programs — a move that would move 27,000 students from the English-language system to the French-language system. There are concerns about the impact the change could have on English school boards since their funding is based on enrollment.
