The federal government has announced that approximately 20% of the $1.4 billion that has been added to the official languages action plan will be allocated to supporting English in Quebec. Although the government is unsure about how much money will go specifically to Quebec’s Anglophones, it has announced that $137.5 million over five years will support initiatives aimed at Quebec’s English-speaking community. Other initiatives will receive funding based on applications received.
At the same time that this announcement was made, the third reading debate on Bill C-13, which seeks to modernize the Official Languages Act, began. The government’s plan includes 32 measures, grouped into four “axes of intervention”: Francophone immigration, official language learning, community development, and government action.
In addition to funding for English, the government is also providing support for French in Quebec. Specifically, $6.5 million will go to the Council of Ministers on the Canadian Francophonie to promote French across the country, including in Quebec, and $5 million will fund arts and culture internships. There will also be funding for the production and dissemination of scientific content, as well as for French second language learning in Quebec.
It is worth noting that the $1.4 billion is in addition to the historic funding base of $2.7 billion for official languages, which is considered “ongoing and permanent.” While this announcement has been made at a time when concerns have been raised about the treatment of the English-speaking community in Quebec, the government has not yet disclosed how much of the new funding will be specifically allocated to Quebec’s Anglophones.