Montreal is asking Quebec for clarity on language laws after an English book club faced rejection from a local library
Montreal: The city is reaching out to Quebec for some help with language laws. This comes after a local library turned down an English-language book club.
Christopher DiRaddo, who runs the Violet Hour book club, got some good news today. The city told him he can now hold his meetings at the library.
Initially, the library said he could only host events in French. They also mentioned that if he wanted to discuss books in English, he’d need to provide a French translator, which he found pretty unrealistic.
After DiRaddo shared his story publicly, the Quebec government stepped in. They clarified that the language laws didn’t apply here since the book club isn’t providing public services for a municipal organization.
DiRaddo is relieved by this clarification and might consider using the library for his gatherings. However, he’s still worried that the vague language reform from 2022 could lead to more cancellations of English cultural events in the future.
Meanwhile, Montreal is planning to train its staff on how to better understand these language laws, which have strict rules about using English in public services and other areas.
