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Bill 101: 'French in Quebec: it's a plus'

On March 31, 2005, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld Quebec's language law but ruled that the province must allow greater access to English schools. Back in 1977, when the Parti Québécois first introduced Bill 101, critics compared it to "lunatics taking over the asylum." Under Bill 101, even the "apostrophe s" in Eaton's, became illegal. The charter's defenders said such measures were necessary to protect the dwindling French culture and language from English dominance. CBC Archives looks back at the most debated law in Quebec.

Just a year after the introduction of Bill 101, Quebec looks and sounds more French, reports CBC Television. In order to address the lingering anxiety and anger of Quebec's English-speaking minority, the Office de la langue française has come up with a series of ads promoting French in Quebec. In this particular public service announcement, a father and son, whose mother tongue is English, talk about the importance and necessity of using French in the workplace.
• The term Bill 101 disappeared when the law was passed. Some Quebecers argued that the English media's persistence in referring to it as Bill 101 instead of the French language charter reflected a refusal to accept the law.

• The Office de la langue française is the provincial agency responsible for enforcing Quebec's language regulations.

Medium: Television
Program: City at Six
Broadcast Date: Sept. 12, 1978
Duration: 1:22

Last updated: February 20, 2013

Page consulted on March 26, 2013

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