Recruiting talent difficult in Quebec

Re: “Landing Amazon’s HQ2 would be a coup” (Celine Cooper, Sept. 12)

Celine Cooper presents a balanced, realistic view of the difficulties facing the city of Montreal as it competes for the new Amazon headquarters.

However, she does not give enough weight to the severe education restrictions that Amazon’s non-Quebec employees would encounter.

Having been involved in scores of searches for senior academic positions over the last 25 years, I can state from hard experience that many qualified individuals from outside Quebec do not accept lucrative employment here due to two family-related conundrums.

First, their often well-qualified partners will be unable to work in Quebec due to French-language demands as well as having their credentials questioned. Second, they will be forced to send their children to French-language schools.

Senior employees, especially at the management levels, often travel extensively throughout their careers with spouses and children part of the arrangement. The common world business language of English, the continuation of schooling along with respect for professional credentials are bedrock necessities for these families.

What is painfully clear is that Quebec’s goal of isolating itself, by language and professional regulations, will now have major detrimental side effects with Montreal’s attempt to woo Amazon.

Jon Bradley, Beaconsfield