By Murray Sherriffs
The United States declared that two Quebec language laws—Bill 96 (respecting French as the official language of Quebec) and 109 (affirming the cultural sovereignty of Quebec and respecting the discoverability of French-language cultural content in the digital environment)—broke talks last week between the U.S. and Canada.
Premier Fréchette says that that is a red line that cannot be crossed and that Prime Minister Carney was right to halt talks: “…our culture and language is central to our identity, and it is important to exclude that from the negotiation table.”
The Premiers of Quebec, New Brunswick, andPrince Edward Island have urged residents to seek out products made in Canada,
Following the failure of trade negotiations between Canada and the United States, Quebec is implementing two new programs for businesses. Premier Fréchette says that, starting next week, firms can apply for assistance from a program for small and medium-sized businesses with revenues between $1 million-$2 million; as well as for another for businesses with revenues exceeding $2 million.