June 1, 2023
Starting Thursday, small Quebec companies must tell the government what proportion of their employees are “not capable of communicating in French.” That information will be published in the provincial government’s searchable public registry of companies.
It’s one of several Bill 96 provisions that take effect on June 1.
The legislation, an extensive toughening of Quebec language rules, is part of a wide-ranging effort by Premier François Legault to further limit the use of English in Quebec. The government says French must be elevated because it is under threat.
The bill was denounced as excessive by anglophone rights groups, including the Quebec Community Groups Network. June 1 marks one year since Bill 96 started being incorporated into Bill 101, known officially as the Charter of the French Language. A slew of other Quebec laws are also being altered.
