Easing Quebec’s language law helps the economy

The thought of the carrot is usually better motivation than the threat of the stick. Luckily for us, the Quebec government seems to have recognized that in adopting new guidelines for so-called “startup” visas that will allow some of the brightest minds in the tech world to move here without requiring knowledge of French.

For one, the mere existence of the program is good news for Quebec residents — particularly for Montrealers and even more so for young ones.

The economic benefits are readily apparent. Anything that aims to boost the economy is a good thing; the objective is to replicate the boom that the video game and film production industries have seen in Montreal.

It’s good for the city, because if any of the startups blow up — in a good way — that will bring foreign investment into the city and create hundreds, if not thousands of jobs for the local workforce.

For younger adults, there are even more reasons to be excited.

First and foremost, this is an indication that Quebec isn’t going to rest on its laurels. There has already been a lot of talk about positioning Montreal as the epicentre of the future of artificial intelligence — a natural sequel to the video game industry. There has also been interest in attracting and subsidizing financial tech startups, a lucrative and quickly growing industry.

And this new plan is something different. This is us saying that we’re ready for whatever comes next, without knowing exactly what it is. Got an idea? Great. Welcome to Quebec. For younger adults, that’s a great omen of what the future holds.

The best omen, though, may be that we finally seem willing to soften some of the rules when it comes to language, immigration, business and the intricate relationships between the three.

I say that despite the fact that I’m a firm believer that the French language is worthy of protection in Quebec. But, I’m also a firm believer that the way to achieve that isn’t through force, but through positive re-enforcement and by incentivizing the language’s adoption. Which is exactly what this new program does.

We’re opening the door to 25 individuals with bright ideas that gain the backing of Quebecbased universities or so-called startup incubators, regardless of what language they speak. (And French speakers can be admitted over and above that quota.) The Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion plans to encourage those individuals to learn French once they’re here, with the bet being that savvy business people will see the value of learning the local language.

Consider this: If knowledge of French is a prerequisite for foreigners looking to Quebec as the ideal launch pad for their startup, that cuts down on the potential candidates, leaving them to look at places like Waterloo — the Canadian Silicon Valley, according to some.

Personally, I’d rather not lose out to Waterloo.

It’s a long-term game, really. But it’s also a confident bet on the inherent appeal of Quebec and its workforce. The underlying message is that, if we facilitate things for startups, innovators will love it here. They’ll actually want to learn French, rather than feel as though it’s something they’re being forced to do. As everybody knows, motivated students tend to do best.

But there’s also some shortterm gain. In the immediate future, this new policy helps make Quebec a more inclusive place. Innovators from every corner of the globe are now welcome to set up shop here, regardless of what language they speak, so long as they can convince local partners that their idea is viable. And, there will also be nascent industries for locals to dip their toes into.

Of course, an election is just around the corner. This may just be the Quebec Liberal government pandering to both the antiBill 101 gang — in an effort to get them out to vote — and young professionals looking for signs that the future of the economy is a priority.

Regardless of the motivations, however, “startup” visas are a good idea. Who knows, maybe 20 years from now, a company born from the first wave of startupvisa-holders will be a bigger Montreal success story than Ubisoft.