How does the Official Languages Act apply to Quebec?
The Official Languages Act applies to all federal institutions in all Canadian provinces and territories. In Quebec, this means that Francophones receive services from the federal government in French. The English-speaking community, which represents 13% of Quebec’s population, receives services from the federal government in English where the Act and Regulations require them to be provided. The Act also protects the right of English- and French-speaking federal government employees to work in the language of their choice. English-speaking employees in designated regions (the Montral area, parts of the Eastern Townships, the Gasp region and western Quebec) can work in the official language of their choice. However, some 62% of federal public service jobs in the province (excluding the National Capital Region) are designated bilingual. While the Charter of the French Language proclaims French as the official language of Quebec, members of the English-speaking community receive a variety
