Outaouais anglophones on identity, belonging, and the future

Tashi Farmilo

A new documentary exploring the experiences of English-speaking Quebecers in the Outaouais premiered at Motel Chelsea on June 6, drawing a small but attentive crowd, both anglophone and francophone. Regional Realities: Outaouais, directed by filmmaker and QUESCREN research associate Anita Aloisio, is the first in a new series of short documentaries produced by the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN), based at Concordia University. The film is part of a broader effort to document how language, identity, and place intersect for English-speaking communities across Quebec.

The 30-minute film features voices from across the region, including Low Down to Hull & Back News publisher Nikki Mantel and editor-in-chief Trevor Greenway, Connexions Resource Centre executive director Danielle Lanyi, Greg Graham, a farmer and literacy advocate, Paul Tonkin, executive director of Outaouais Wellness Learning (OWL), and Judith Anne King Matheson, a local elder affiliated with White Owl Outaouais Wellness Learning Wisdom. These individuals spoke from within their communities, reflecting on access to health care, shrinking English-language services, the impact of legislation like Bill 96, and the strain of navigating bureaucratic systems that do not always account for linguistic minorities.

In one scene, Greg Graham describes the Pontiac as “at the bottom of the bottle,” pointing to decades of underinvestment in rural health care and services. The film also addresses growing anxiety among anglophone students facing new requirements like the mandatory French Exit Exam to graduate from CEGEP. Participants spoke of the cumulative effect of language legislation—particularly Bills 96 and 101—on daily life, from restrictions on English schooling to barriers in accessing public services. Under Quebec’s language laws, only those with a Certificate of Eligibility may attend English public schools, a rule that excludes most francophone and immigrant families and has left some mixed-language households unable to choose the school system they feel fits best. This is not a matter of preference but of legal restriction, one that many feel reduces flexibility and deepens linguistic division.

The film also highlights how the laws, though not explicitly banning English-language services in healthcare, have contributed to confusion and uneven application. Some medical professionals, citing the new legislation, have refused to serve patients in English—even when it remains legally permitted. For seniors who have lived their entire lives in English, this shift has been especially difficult. Many now find themselves unable to access basic services, from transportation to medical appointments, due to their limited French. Others spoke of no longer understanding municipal notices or being able to participate in public meetings, including something as routine as garbage collection instructions. The result, several participants suggested, is not simply inconvenience but a growing sense of exclusion in communities they have long called home.

After the screening, QUESCREN's Patrick Donovan moderated a discussion with Aloisio and several of the film’s participants. Audience members echoed the concerns raised in the film, speaking of service cutbacks, inconsistent access to information, and a growing unease about where English-speaking residents fit in Quebec’s evolving linguistic landscape.

Still, the evening was not defined by frustration alone. Many participants pointed to the resilience of their communities and voiced hope for the future. There was broad agreement that the next generation—raised in bilingual households, fluent in both languages—could help foster a more inclusive future. Several highlighted the role of technology, particularly translation tools, in reducing friction where policy lags behind. One speaker described the present moment as part of a broader shift, a time when communities are being asked to come together in new ways. Another called directly for equality, reminding the room that English-speaking Quebecers should not have to choose between remaining in their home province and accessing their basic rights.

Others referenced the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canada’s official bilingual status, emphasizing that French and English are to be treated with equal respect. While the reality on the ground often falls short of this principle, the film and the discussion underscored the importance of holding on to it—not just as a legal framework, but as a shared aspiration.