Quebec will help francophones in rest of Canada, Legault says
Premier François Legault says Quebec is willing to do more to help francophone communities living outside the province obtain better services in French. But he conceded there are limits on what Quebec can do without appearing to meddle in the affairs of another province. “We cannot force the government of another province to do something, but we can help francophone groups in other provinces fighting to get more services,” Legault said, arriving for a meeting of the Quebec cabinet. Legault said he has asked his minister for Canadian francophone relations, Sonia LeBel, to improve contacts with the various lobby groups pushing for services in French. “I asked Sonia to get closer to them,” Legault told reporters. “I am open to meeting them and see how can we help these groups in other provinces fighting to have more services in French.” Legault’s comments Wednesday follow his direct intervention Monday with Ontario Premier Doug Ford during a one-on-one visit. Legault specifically asked Ford to reconsider his decision to cancel the creation of a French-language university in Ontario and eliminate the office of the French Language Services Commissioner. “Of course, he disagreed,” Legault noted after that meeting. Legault, however, dismissed the idea of a potential backlash in Quebec from groups, saying the English-speaking minority here is too well treated compared with francophone minorities. “I think we have to show the example,” Legault said. “That’s what I will continue to do.” Earlier, LeBel said she is up to the task and has been in contact with the Ontario minister responsible for the francophone community, Caroline Mulroney, who made herself scarce after the Ford announcements. “She was eager to assure me franco-Ontarians had a place and she was quite concerned,” LeBel told reporters. “I choose to trust her.” She has spoken to the federation of Ontario francophones and assured them of her support and is waiting for them to propose some avenues for actions to help. Meanwhile, mayors representing cities and municipal associations in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick on Wednesday published a statement in which they call for the recognition and protection of francophone rights across Canada. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume are among those calling for those rights to be fully protected and denouncing any political action that would see them infringed. The mayors say that any attempt to curb those rights is unacceptable in Canada — an officially bilingual country renowned internationally for its linguistic duality. The statement cites a decision by Ford to abolish the post of commissioner of French-language services in Ontario and cancel a planned French-language university. It also notes the election in New Brunswick of provincial MLAs openly calling for a reduction in language rights enjoyed by that province’s francophones. Other signatories to the statement include the president of the Union des municipalités du Québec; the president of the Association française des municipalités de l’Ontario as well as the Association des municipalités francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick.