Quebec sees sharp rise in federal language complaints amid Canada-wide surge
By
Canadians aren't staying quiet about language rights.
Across the country, there were 1,163 language complaints, compared to 847 during the previous period — a 37 per cent jump, according to the 2024-25 annual report of the Commissioner of Official Languages, published Tuesday.
Despite the surge, the total number of complaints remains below the 10-year average.
And it's far lower than the 5,409 complaints filed in 2021-22, when thousands of Canadians lodged formal grievances about an English-only speech in Montreal by Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau.
The number of federal language complaints filed in Quebec jumped by 21 per cent over the past year, newly released figures show — part of a nationwide increase.
Quebecers filed 211 complaints in 2024-25, up from 175 the previous year, the report said.
Seventy per cent of the Quebec complaints were about language used in public services, while issues related to language of work came in second at 27 per cent.
The complaints allege that federal institutions infringed on rights regarding English or French.
Canadians can ask the commissioner to investigate federal government institutions, airport authorities, Crown corporations such as Via Rail and some private companies, including Air Canada and Canadian National Railway.
Raymond Théberge, the Commissioner of Official Languages, is scheduled to discuss the figures at a news conference on Tuesday.
This story will be updated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
27 minutes ago
- Global News
Trades organization says Chinese contract for new ships ‘a stain on BC Ferries'
The organization representing construction workers across B.C. has written an open letter to BC Ferries regarding their decision to award a contract to a Chinese company to build four new vessels. The BC Building Trades, which represents 45,000 unionized construction workers in the province, said it is 'deeply disappointed' to learn about the Crown corporation's decision. 'Canadian jobs should always come first, but in today's economic climate, it is more important than ever that governments prioritize the spending of tax dollars locally and focus efforts on creating family-supporting jobs for British Columbians,' the letter states. 'BC Ferries has failed in the national call to action to support and buy locally produced goods and services. There were zero local content requirements in the bid — effectively freezing B.C. shipyards and B.C. workers out of the bidding process.' Last week, BC Ferries said it had chosen China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards (CMI Weihai), following bid evaluations, international site visits and third-party reference checks. Story continues below advertisement That announcement had already prompted some backlash, landing in the choppy waters of a global trade war and a surging 'buy Canadian' movement. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'While every other major Canadian industry is looking to reshore work, invest in local communities and deepen our autonomy, BC Ferries is moving in the opposite direction,' the trades organization wrote. 'Our members have been building ships on the west coast for over 100 years. The enduring quality of our work is visible in your very own fleet.' 1:52 BC Ferries contract awarded to Chinese shipyard According to BC Building Trades, the Queen of New Westminster was built in 1963 and constructed in Victoria shipyards. The Queen of Cowichan, built in 1976, was also constructed in Victoria while the Queen of Coquitlam and the Queen of Alberni, both built in 1976, were constructed in Vancouver shipyards. Story continues below advertisement All four vessels are set to be replaced by the newly built ships. 'A generation of BC Building Trades members earned their apprenticeships on these vessels,' the letter states. 'They stayed in their communities, invested in the local economy and spent the following decades building infrastructure across the province. 'A new generation of British Columbians were ready and eager to take on this opportunity to build these ferries at home. With the right procurement structure, BC Ferries could have easily leveraged B.C.'s world-class shipyards. Just recently, Seaspan expanded facilities to support federal shipbuilding contracts.' B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said last week that while BC Ferries is an independent organization that makes its own commercial decisions, he was 'disappointed (in) the fact that there is not more Canadian content' in the plan. BC Building Trades said it wants BC Ferries to reconsider its decision and develop a plan to build the ships in British Columbia. 'This decision, in this moment in Canada's history, will forever be a stain on BC Ferries,' the organization said in the letter. 'We stand ready to provide a local workforce to build components of these ferries in B.C. There is still time to do the right thing and reverse course.'
Toronto Star
32 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Donald Trump jabs Emmanuel Macron over comments about his early departure from G7
PARIS (AP) — What began with a handshake evolved into turbulence at 33,000 feet as one of diplomacy's oddest relationships took another strange turn. The political chemistry that once defined the Trump–Macron dynamic — immortalized by a famously tense 29-second handshake in 2017 — was nowhere to be seen in midair Tuesday when U.S. President Donald Trump blasted his French counterpart on social media.
Calgary Herald
42 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
Damien Kurek officially resigns Battle River-Crowfoot seat so Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre can run in byelection
Article content Battle River-Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek said Tuesday he has resigned his seat so Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre can run in a historically safe Alberta riding for the party. Article content Poilievre lost the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton to the Liberals' Bruce Fanjoy during the April 28 federal election. Article content Article content Kurek had announced before officially being sworn in that he planned to resign to allow Poilievre to rejoin the House of Commons through a byelection in Battle River-Crowfoot, which Kurek won with 82.1 per cent of the ballots cast in the riding. Article content Article content 'Today I am resigning my seat in the House of Commons so that a byelection can be called as soon as possible to allow for our Conservative Party Leader, Pierre Poilievre, to run in Battle River-Crowfoot and earn a seat in the House of Commons where he will continue fighting for Canadians and holding the Liberal government to account,' said Kurek in a Tuesday statement posted on social media. Article content Article content 'Their support and commitment to the Conservative movement and our mission to bring back hope and prosperity to this country has been unmatched,' said Kurek, who called Poilievre 'a man of principle and character' and 'the hardest working MP I have ever met.' Article content Kurek said he plans to work with the local Conservative team in Battle River-Crowfoot to get Poilievre elected and plans to run again in Battle River-Crowfoot in the next general election. Article content
