Anglophones in western Quebec leading fight against Bill 21

Anglophonesand their institutions in western Quebec are at the forefront of the pushback against Quebec's Bill 21, the proposed law that would ban some public employees from wearing religious symbols.

"The community's reaction has been, 'I can't believe that this is happening now,'" said LintonGarner, executive director of the Regional Association of West Quebecers.

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Because the region's anglophone and allophone communities are minority groups, Garner said they're particularly sensitive to the proposal, but he said individuals within those linguistic groups are generally opposed to the bill whether they're personally affected or not.

The association, along with the Western Qubec School Boardand the regional chapter of the Quebec Community Groups Network, have joined with other anglophone organizations across the province to oppose the proposed law.

"We want to be part of the discussion. We want [the government]to understand our sensitivities," Garner said.

'They're finding that they're somehow unwelcome'

6 years ago

Duration 0:54

Linton Garner, executive director of the Regional Association of West Quebecers, says he's heard from people who are concerned about Bill 21.

Poll suggests divide

Quebec Premier Franois Legault introduced the bill last month, pointing to a Leger poll commissioned by his party, the Coalition Avenir Qubec (CAQ), that suggested broad public support for such a ban.

According to the poll,67 per cent of Quebecers supported the notion of a ban wearing religious symbols such as hijabs and turbans for public employees in positions of authorityincluding teachers, police officers and judges.

A closer look at the findings, however, suggests a language divide,with 74per cent of francophones and only 43 per cent of "non-francophones," which includes anglophones and allophones who answered the survey in English, supporting a ban, according to Leger pollsterChristian Bourque.

"So the difference is quite huge, and statistically significant," he said.

School boards leading the way

GatineauMayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobinhas comeout in support of Bill 21, while the Western Qubec School Board (WQSB) has come out strongly opposed.

I think we've seen the larger part of the opposition coming from the English-speaking community.- Linton Garner, Regional Association of West Quebecers

The Montreal English School Board has gone onestep further, declaring it will refuse toimplement the law.

WQSB chair Alain Guysaid his board could decide to follow suit later this month.

"The more we are discussing with our stakeholders and parents and administrative staff, we are becoming more of a position that we will likely be not enforcing, not even adoptingthe bill because it's just ridiculous," Guy said.

English school boards in Quebec are already gearing up for a major constitutional battle with the province over the CAQ's pledgeto get rid of elected school boards.

Now the boards are banding together with other anglophone organizations to take on Bill 21as the legislation is considered in the National Assembly.

"I think we've seen the larger part of the opposition coming from the English-speaking community," Garner said.

He said the Regional Association of West Quebecers is meeting this week to decide its own plan of action.

The Legerpoll commissioned by the CAQ was undertaken between March 22 and March 26, interviewing 1,015 adults,including 224 non-francophones, online. A probabilistic sample of similar size would carry a margin of error of three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.