Montreal public library says it can't host English book club, citing Quebec's new language law
Confusion stirs as city and province interpret law differently
Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo says he's disappointed after a municipal library told him he's not allowed to hold his monthly book club there because it would violate Quebec's new language law.
According to the provincial government, the law wasn't applied correctly in this case.
The Violet Hour Book Club explores 2SLGBTQ+ literature, and though members read a mix of French- and English-language books, discussions are held in English, DiRaddo explained when reaching out to the Père-Ambroise public library in the Montreal Village.
"Instead of creating bridges, which I hope to do with my book club, I felt like they were putting barriers in the way," said DiRaddo.
The room he was hoping to reserve was booked already, but beyond that, the library told him hosting the book club there would be complicated anyway.
"The new Law 14 requires us to program activities held mainly in French," the library wrote in an email to DiRaddo, which was provided to CBC News. Law 14, also known as Bill 96, went into effect last fall.
The library wrote there must be a way for members wishing to speak French to participate in the activity and so, "all conversations in English must be translated."
DiRaddo says the library was friendly and tried to help him out with other options, "but I still felt the need to tell people about this because it's not the kind of city I want to live in."
Including French speakers is not the issue, he says. Most members are bilingual and if someone wanted to express a thought in French, it wouldn't be a problem. But it's the added requirement of having to hire a translator that would be "cost prohibitive," he says.
The club is free, open to the public and operates on a drop-in basis.
Ultimately, the library's decision is not the end of the world, says DiRaddo, as he'll simply find another space for the club.
"It's just sad that Montreal seems to be a place right now where it's very easy for people to be divided on certain issues, like books, for instance," he said. "As anglophones, we deserve culture, access to culture as well."
DiRaddo makes a point of selecting books by Montreal writers — renowned for their works in both English and French — to help members discover local talent. The last book the group read was Ce que je sais de toi or What I Know About You by Éric Chacour. Of the 34 members that month, half the group opted to read the book in its original French while some even read it in both languages, said DiRaddo.
"I really love that, especially when books are available in another language that allows for more people to discover them," he said.
City acknowledges it referenced law 'hastily'
In a statement to CBC News Tuesday, the City of Montreal said it must comply with the provisions of the new French language charter.
"According to the law, services offered to the public must be available in the common and official language of Quebec, French," it said.
But, in a Wednesday statement, the office of the Minister responsible for the French language, Jean-François Roberge, says that Bill 96 doesn't apply in this case.
"Because the book club was looking for a space to host its activity without 'providing services intended for the public for a municipal organization, it is not covered by the State's duty of exemplarity.' Therefore, the Charter does not apply in this situation," it wrote.
In an updated statement on Wednesday, the city said in this specific case, "the reference to Law 14 was indeed invoked hastily."
The city said it encourages events that represent all of its diversity, and it was in this "spirit of inclusiveness and openness" that its reflex was to ensure that anyone wanting to express themselves in French could take part in the activity and have access to a free and informal translation of the discussions.
Nicky Cayer, a spokesperson for the city, said Wednesday that the city has since been in touch with the ministry at the administrative level about this particular case, adding that it gives them an opportunity to highlight some of the challenges of applying the law.
For constitutional lawyer Frédéric Bérard, the conflicting interpretations highlight the need for the government to send out a memo to municipalities on how to apply Law 14.
There is nothing in the law that stands out to him as a directive that could have informed the library's decision and he's relieved the government agrees.
"It just doesn't make sense at all," he said. "If you think about it, I mean, that would have meant that there would be no cultural events in English, in a way."
He said the library's interpretation probably derived from the fact that it's located in a French-speaking borough.
The City of Montreal does not have bilingual status under Law 14 — only 13 per cent of its population indicated English as their mother tongue in the 2021 census, and just over one per cent in Ville-Marie.
"It's in the philosophy of the bill itself that makes sure that some people feel entitled to make that kind of decision," said Bérard.
Reading between the lines
The director general of the Quebec Community Groups Network, Sylvia Martin-Laforge, says the application of Bill 96 is still not clear. She urges people to ask questions and give thorough answers where Law 14 is concerned.
"Every case, unfortunately, will have to be treated separately until we have more clarity around the parameters," she said. "Often, it's a judgment call."
Bérard is currently representing the Town of Mount Royal in its challenge against Law 14. He says that although he agrees that the French language should be promoted, it shouldn't be done at the expense of others.
"The thing is that in prohibiting any other kind of exchange with the English culture, [I] don't think that we are moving forward," said Bérard.
After receiving some clarity from the province, DiRaddo still questions why as an anglophone he can't have access to to these kinds of services from libraries.
He's still looking for a new venue to host the club in April, which has outgrown some of the other places he's resorted to over the last six years. In February, members will read Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde, followed by Personal Attention Roleplay by Montrealer H. Felix Chau Bradley.
"I think people are looking for a reason to connect, especially post-pandemic, people are looking for opportunities to get together and engage," he said.
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With files from Gloria Henriquez and Cathy Senay