Is it time for anglos in exile to come home?
Quebec needs educated, bilingual, people — of any mother tongue
Is Quebec ready for the return of anglophones to this province?
Over the weekend, La Presse published a feature about Quebec’s so-called anglophones-in-exile, and whether the time is finally right for them to consider coming home. The article acknowledges that more than 500,000 English-mothertongue Quebecers left the province between 1971 and 2011.
Given shorter shrift is how this migration flow was tied to the social, cultural and political upheaval of the 1960s and ’70s and the rise of francophone nationalism in the province, as well as the destabilizing impact of two Quebec independence referendums in 1980 and 1995.
As a native English speaker who migrated from another province to Quebec 10 years ago, the stories left me with more questions than answers. Anglophones are characterized in broad strokes as being educated, entrepreneurial and often bilingual. It’s noted that their increased presence would have an impact on the life of the province. But, the authors ask, “what place are we prepared to give them?” (Mais quelle place est-on prêt à leur laisser?)
It’s possible to read this another way: Do anglophones represent an asset or a threat to francophone Quebec in 2017?
The tacit implication here is that anglophones (whoever they are) are still a bit of a dodgy factor, or at least a “them” and not part of the “us.”
To be fair, there is a general acknowledgement that things are changing. Economically, Quebec is doing well. Montreal is thriving. People want to be here.
Recall that back in August, while giving a speech to the Liberal youth wing policy convention at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Premier Philippe Couillard invited anglophones who have left Quebec to return to the province.
Fact: Linguistic and cultural diversity is growing all around the world. Linguistic identity, which has long occupied a central place in political debate in Canada, is now part of a much larger mix of equally important identity markers. All of this requires a shift in the way we talk about language, people and place.
In Quebec, and in Canada more broadly, language goes a long way in determining the kinds of access you have to all kinds of resources — certain kinds of schools, jobs, scholarships, information, awards and grants, for instance.
It would be a mistake for anyone to infer that English speakers pose a threat to the dominance of French, the quality of language or social cohesion in this province.
There are other issues at play.
For example, on Monday, La Presse published a piece saying that, on their first attempt, approximately half of all future teachers in Quebec failed the obligatory French tests required to obtain their teaching certifications last year.
As this conversation continues to churn, let’s keep in mind that anglophones in Quebec and those thinking about moving here understand the importance of French-language skills, pretty much universally.
More and more parents are sending their children to French-language schools, instead of schools in the English system. There is empirical evidence showing that in Quebec the number of anglophones choosing French universities is on the rise. Admittedly, this may be less about feeling a responsibility to protect and promote the French language and more about improving their chances of staying in the province and getting a job.
Indeed, as the La Presse feature itself points out, it’s one thing to want to move to Quebec. It’s quite another to find a job and earn a living.
According to a 2016 study by the Réseau communautaire de santé et de services sociaux quoted in La Presse, the unemployment rate among anglophones is 9.5 per cent compared to 6.9 per cent of francophones.
Here’s my position: An increase in educated, entrepreneurial and bilingual people — regardless of what their mother tongue may be — is a good thing for Quebec. Let’s focus on that.