QAHN's Position on Quebec's Bill 84 ("An Act Respecting National Integration")

QAHN turns 25 in 2025!

The following resolution was adopted unanimously by QAHN's Board of Directors on March 31, 2025.

MOTION IN SUPPORT OF THE QUEBEC COMMUNITY GROUPS NETWORK'S CONCERNS REGARDING BILL 84

WHEREAS the Government of Quebec has introduced Bill 84, which seeks to establish a framework for "national integration" and would be granted quasi-constitutional status, significantly reaching into all aspects of Quebec society;

WHEREAS Bill 84 includes proposed amendments to the Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, and would demand all Quebecers adhere to a so-called Quebec culture which is not defined; 

WHEREAS Bill 84’s lack of clarity and specificity raises serious concerns about its would-be   enforcement mechanisms, particularly with respect to government funding of organizations and events, and the subjective criteria that may be used to judge compliance with “integration” standards;

WHEREAS the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) has publicly raised four key concerns:

  1.  The near-total omission of the English-speaking community from the bill;
  2.  The use of financial leverage to encourage adherence to a narrowly defined model of national identity;
  3.  The characterization of Quebec as a quasi-sovereign state beyond the scope of the Canadian Constitution;
  4.  The subordination of fundamental rights to the proposed national integration model;

WHEREAS the QCGN has made clear the historic and continuing contributions of Quebec’s English-speaking community to the province’s social, cultural, economic, and intellectual development, and has repeatedly asserted that the community is not a threat to the French language, but rather a partner in building a strong, inclusive Quebec;

WHEREAS the vagueness of the bill may allow for discriminatory interpretations or implementation that could threaten the place and rights of minority communities, including English-speaking Quebecers and newcomers;

WHEREAS the English-speaking community, a community that has contributed greatly to the historical and contemporary character of Quebec society, asserts its full right to celebrate, showcase, and preserve its history and heritage unencumbered by state interference; 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network expresses its full support for the concerns raised by the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) regarding Bill 84.