English-speaking residents of Québec report feeling increasingly alienated and unwelcome due to restrictive language policies, according to a federal study by the Commissioner of Official Languages. Blacklock's Reporter says the study highlights the growing discontent among anglophones who feel pressured to abandon their language in favor of French.“Measures restricting English in Québec were seen as unnecessary and were a major source of disillusionment,” the report stated. “Many were frustrated at being criticized for using English even if only among themselves and for being made to feel like they don’t belong despite often trying to use French.”The study, titled Building Bridges: Perceptions And Realities About The English-Speaking Communities Of Québec, found that most anglophone participants were willing to use French but resisted being forced to do so or being criticized for their proficiency. “Most anglophone participants said they were happy to use French but they don’t want to feel forced to use it or to be told their French isn’t good enough,” the report noted.The findings, drawn from six focus groups and surveys involving 1,005 Québec residents, were commissioned by the federal Languages Commissioner at a cost of $119,187 to Environics Research Group.While the study noted that French and English speakers in Québec generally get along on an individual level, there is a “more pessimistic voice” that emerges, particularly among those who feel the government’s language policies are too harsh. “Some described a backlash among English-speaking Quebécers as a result of government measures that were seen as Draconian and felt this is causing some resistance to speaking French when it is seen as something people are being forced to do,” the report observed.The discontent among English speakers in Québec coincides with broader demographic shifts. Statistics Canada data from 2023 revealed that nearly 900,000 English speakers have left Québec since 1966. The exodus began during significant political events, including the 1970 October Crisis, the 1976 election of the separatist Parti Québécois, and the 1977 enactment of legislation making French the sole official language of Québec.“We count 672,903 English speakers and 220,448 people who had a non-official language as a mother tongue such as Greek or Italian who left Québec between 1966 and 2021,” Statistics Canada analysts stated. The migration, they noted, could have been larger if not for the relatively small size of Québec’s English-speaking population.Québec’s share of Canada’s population has also diminished, shrinking from 29% in 1966 to 22% today, according to Statistics Canada’s Population Estimates.
