New census data showing a decline in French in Canada is “extremely troubling,” the prime minister said Friday, but added Ottawa still has a responsibility to protect linguistic minorities across the country — including Quebec. During a visit to Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Que., Trudeau reacted to data released this week showing that the percentage of Canadians who speak French primarily at home has declined in almost all provinces and regions. In Quebec, the percentage of people who primarily speak French at home fell to 77.5 percent in 2021 from 82.3 percent 20 years earlier. Trudeau said that while the data is shocking, “we could see this coming in the last few years.” “The numbers that have come out recently are extremely alarming and alarming, but not entirely surprising,” Trudeau said in Cap-aux-Meules, Que., where he was making an infrastructure announcement. That’s why, he said, the federal government introduced legislation earlier this year to increase the use of French in federally regulated private businesses. He said the government’s proposed modernization of the Official Languages ​​Act also recognizes Ottawa’s responsibility to protect French even in Quebec, something he said previous federal governments failed to do. This bill, however, allows federally regulated companies to opt out of being subject to Quebec’s strict language charter. The federal government has also not ruled out taking part in a possible legal challenge to the language reform recently passed in Quebec, known as Bill 96. Bill 96 expands strict French-language business rules, requires immigrants six months after arriving in Quebec to communicate with the government only in French, and restricts enrollment in English-language colleges. Trudeau said that while the federal government is committed to protecting the French language in Quebec, it is also committed to ensuring that linguistic minorities across the country have their rights respected. The protections enjoyed by anglophones in Quebec also protect the rights of francophones elsewhere in Canada, he added. “There are things that could happen if you protect French in Quebec in certain ways that could have a negative impact on French-speaking communities outside of Quebec,” he said without elaborating. “We will always continue to defend the official linguistic minorities,” Trudeau said, adding that such a thing “is not something that Quebec is focused on.” Trudeau visited Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, a small archipelago in the Gulf of St-Lawrence, to announce a $40 million investment over four years to demolish and rebuild a pier in one of the island’s ports. He said the pier at Cap-aux-Meules harbor is key to the local fishing industry, which is a major employer. Inspection reports showed the 50-year-old pier is deteriorating, forcing Transport Canada to implement restrictions on the use of the pier and install an additional temporary structure. National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, the region’s MP, said Trudeau’s visit was the first official visit to the islands by a sitting prime minister in more than 50 years. The last to visit was Pierre Elliott Trudeau — the father of the current prime minister — who came in 1970 to announce the port’s construction. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 19, 2022.

title: “Trudeau In The Magdalen Islands Today Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-31” author: “Eric Kamaka”

New census data showing a decline in French in Canada is “extremely troubling,” the prime minister said Friday, but added Ottawa still has a responsibility to protect linguistic minorities across the country — including Quebec. During a visit to Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Que., Trudeau reacted to data released this week showing that the percentage of Canadians who speak French primarily at home has declined in almost all provinces and regions. In Quebec, the percentage of people who primarily speak French at home fell to 77.5 percent in 2021 from 82.3 percent 20 years earlier. Trudeau said that while the data is shocking, “we could see this coming in the last few years.” “The numbers that have come out recently are extremely alarming and alarming, but not entirely surprising,” Trudeau said in Cap-aux-Meules, Que., where he was making an infrastructure announcement. That’s why, he said, the federal government introduced legislation earlier this year to increase the use of French in federally regulated private businesses. He said the government’s proposed modernization of the Official Languages ​​Act also recognizes Ottawa’s responsibility to protect French even in Quebec, something he said previous federal governments failed to do. This bill, however, allows federally regulated companies to opt out of being subject to Quebec’s strict language charter. The federal government has also not ruled out taking part in a possible legal challenge to the language reform recently passed in Quebec, known as Bill 96. Bill 96 expands strict French-language business rules, requires immigrants six months after arriving in Quebec to communicate with the government only in French, and restricts enrollment in English-language colleges. Trudeau said that while the federal government is committed to protecting the French language in Quebec, it is also committed to ensuring that linguistic minorities across the country have their rights respected. The protections enjoyed by anglophones in Quebec also protect the rights of francophones elsewhere in Canada, he added. “There are things that could happen if you protect French in Quebec in certain ways that could have a negative impact on French-speaking communities outside of Quebec,” he said without elaborating. “We will always continue to defend the official linguistic minorities,” Trudeau said, adding that such a thing “is not something that Quebec is focused on.” Trudeau visited Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, a small archipelago in the Gulf of St-Lawrence, to announce a $40 million investment over four years to demolish and rebuild a pier in one of the island’s ports. He said the pier at Cap-aux-Meules harbor is key to the local fishing industry, which is a major employer. Inspection reports showed the 50-year-old pier is deteriorating, forcing Transport Canada to implement restrictions on the use of the pier and install an additional temporary structure. National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, the region’s MP, said Trudeau’s visit was the first official visit to the islands by a sitting prime minister in more than 50 years. The last to visit was Pierre Elliott Trudeau — the father of the current prime minister — who came in 1970 to announce the port’s construction. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 19, 2022.

title: “Trudeau In The Magdalen Islands Today Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Olive Devore”

New census data showing a decline in French in Canada is “extremely troubling,” the prime minister said Friday, but added Ottawa still has a responsibility to protect linguistic minorities across the country — including Quebec. During a visit to Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Que., Trudeau reacted to data released this week showing that the percentage of Canadians who speak French primarily at home has declined in almost all provinces and regions. In Quebec, the percentage of people who primarily speak French at home fell to 77.5 percent in 2021 from 82.3 percent 20 years earlier. Trudeau said that while the data is shocking, “we could see this coming in the last few years.” “The numbers that have come out recently are extremely alarming and alarming, but not entirely surprising,” Trudeau said in Cap-aux-Meules, Que., where he was making an infrastructure announcement. That’s why, he said, the federal government introduced legislation earlier this year to increase the use of French in federally regulated private businesses. He said the government’s proposed modernization of the Official Languages ​​Act also recognizes Ottawa’s responsibility to protect French even in Quebec, something he said previous federal governments failed to do. This bill, however, allows federally regulated companies to opt out of being subject to Quebec’s strict language charter. The federal government has also not ruled out taking part in a possible legal challenge to the language reform recently passed in Quebec, known as Bill 96. Bill 96 expands strict French-language business rules, requires immigrants six months after arriving in Quebec to communicate with the government only in French, and restricts enrollment in English-language colleges. Trudeau said that while the federal government is committed to protecting the French language in Quebec, it is also committed to ensuring that linguistic minorities across the country have their rights respected. The protections enjoyed by anglophones in Quebec also protect the rights of francophones elsewhere in Canada, he added. “There are things that could happen if you protect French in Quebec in certain ways that could have a negative impact on French-speaking communities outside of Quebec,” he said without elaborating. “We will always continue to defend the official linguistic minorities,” Trudeau said, adding that such a thing “is not something that Quebec is focused on.” Trudeau visited Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, a small archipelago in the Gulf of St-Lawrence, to announce a $40 million investment over four years to demolish and rebuild a pier in one of the island’s ports. He said the pier at Cap-aux-Meules harbor is key to the local fishing industry, which is a major employer. Inspection reports showed the 50-year-old pier is deteriorating, forcing Transport Canada to implement restrictions on the use of the pier and install an additional temporary structure. National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, the region’s MP, said Trudeau’s visit was the first official visit to the islands by a sitting prime minister in more than 50 years. The last to visit was Pierre Elliott Trudeau — the father of the current prime minister — who came in 1970 to announce the port’s construction. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 19, 2022.

title: “Trudeau In The Magdalen Islands Today Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Ethel Anderson”

New census data showing a decline in French in Canada is “extremely troubling,” the prime minister said Friday, but added Ottawa still has a responsibility to protect linguistic minorities across the country — including Quebec. During a visit to Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Que., Trudeau reacted to data released this week showing that the percentage of Canadians who speak French primarily at home has declined in almost all provinces and regions. In Quebec, the percentage of people who primarily speak French at home fell to 77.5 percent in 2021 from 82.3 percent 20 years earlier. Trudeau said that while the data is shocking, “we could see this coming in the last few years.” “The numbers that have come out recently are extremely alarming and alarming, but not entirely surprising,” Trudeau said in Cap-aux-Meules, Que., where he was making an infrastructure announcement. That’s why, he said, the federal government introduced legislation earlier this year to increase the use of French in federally regulated private businesses. He said the government’s proposed modernization of the Official Languages ​​Act also recognizes Ottawa’s responsibility to protect French even in Quebec, something he said previous federal governments failed to do. This bill, however, allows federally regulated companies to opt out of being subject to Quebec’s strict language charter. The federal government has also not ruled out taking part in a possible legal challenge to the language reform recently passed in Quebec, known as Bill 96. Bill 96 expands strict French-language business rules, requires immigrants six months after arriving in Quebec to communicate with the government only in French, and restricts enrollment in English-language colleges. Trudeau said that while the federal government is committed to protecting the French language in Quebec, it is also committed to ensuring that linguistic minorities across the country have their rights respected. The protections enjoyed by anglophones in Quebec also protect the rights of francophones elsewhere in Canada, he added. “There are things that could happen if you protect French in Quebec in certain ways that could have a negative impact on French-speaking communities outside of Quebec,” he said without elaborating. “We will always continue to defend the official linguistic minorities,” Trudeau said, adding that such a thing “is not something that Quebec is focused on.” Trudeau visited Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, a small archipelago in the Gulf of St-Lawrence, to announce a $40 million investment over four years to demolish and rebuild a pier in one of the island’s ports. He said the pier at Cap-aux-Meules harbor is key to the local fishing industry, which is a major employer. Inspection reports showed the 50-year-old pier is deteriorating, forcing Transport Canada to implement restrictions on the use of the pier and install an additional temporary structure. National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, the region’s MP, said Trudeau’s visit was the first official visit to the islands by a sitting prime minister in more than 50 years. The last to visit was Pierre Elliott Trudeau — the father of the current prime minister — who came in 1970 to announce the port’s construction. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 19, 2022.