The Quebec government announced on Friday that it is investing $1.5 million over three years to promote the French language in Montreal. The funding will be used to support a variety of initiatives, including:
- A francophone business event to showcase the economic benefits of using French in business.
- A communications campaign to raise awareness of the importance of French in Montreal.
- Programs to help new immigrants learn French.
- Support for cultural organizations that promote French.
The announcement was made by Quebec’s French Language Minister, Jean-François Roberge, at a press conference in Montreal. Roberge said that the investment is necessary to ensure that French remains the dominant language in Montreal.
“French is the language of our heart,” Roberge said. “It is the language of our culture and our identity. We must do everything we can to protect it.”
Montreal is officially a French-speaking city, but English is also widely spoken. The investment from the Quebec government is an attempt to reverse the trend of declining French usage in Montreal.
The funding has been welcomed by language advocates in Montreal. “This is a significant investment that will make a real difference,” said Jean-Marc Hamel, president of the Montreal French Language Council. “It is a clear signal from the government that it is committed to protecting French in Montreal.”
The investment from the Quebec government is part of a broader effort to promote the French language in Quebec. In recent years, the government has introduced a number of measures to protect French, including a law that requires all businesses in Quebec to have a French name.
The investment in Montreal is a sign that the Quebec government is serious about protecting French in the province’s largest city. It remains to be seen whether the funding will be enough to reverse the trend of declining French usage in Montreal, but it is a step in the right direction.