The French were the first Europeans to arrive in Montreal, and for more than a century, they built a culture and connection to this place. They crafted the French-Canadian identity. They made their lives here.
Then the British took control. They started operating the government and commerce in English, and eventually, English speakers outnumbered French speakers. There was a long period during which French-Canadians were discriminated against. They were forced to take low-level jobs with very low wages, and they were considered inferior citizens to Anglo-Canadians, or English-Canadians.
Both sides felt convinced they belonged here more than the other. The English perspective suggests that since the majority of the rest of Canada is English-speaking, shouldn’t Quebecers have to speak English too? The French perspective insists that they have the right to speak their own language, especially in their own province, and that not knowing English shouldn’t limit them in Quebec. What do you think?
The conflict rages on today, although now the power dynamics have flipped. Quebec's government limits services offered in English. It has created strict laws forcing immigrants to learn French fast or risk being deported. The policies of this government are anti-English, and also overtly racist, as new laws are meant to keep Muslim immigrants out of this area.
