Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo says he’s disappointed after a municipal library told him he’s not allowed to hold his monthly book club there because it would violate Quebec’s new language law. 

The Violet Hour Book Club explores 2SLGBTQ+ literature, and though members read a mix of French- and English-language books, discussions are held in English, DiRaddo explained when reaching out to the Père-Ambroise public library in the Montreal Village. 

“Instead of creating bridges, which I hope to do with my book club, I felt like they were putting barriers in the way,” said DiRaddo.

The room he was hoping to reserve was booked already, but beyond that, the library told him hosting the book club there would be complicated anyway. 

“The new Law 14 requires us to program activities held mainly in French,” the library wrote in an email to DiRaddo, which was provided to CBC News. Law 14, also known as Bill 96, went into effect last fall.

The library wrote there must be a way for members wishing to speak French to participate in the activity and so, “all conversations in English must be translated.” 

DiRaddo says the library was friendly and tried to help him out with other options, “but I still felt the need to tell people about this because it’s not the kind of city I want to live in.”

Including French speakers is not the issue, he says. Most members are bilingual and if someone wanted to express a thought in French, it wouldn’t be a problem. But it’s the added requirement of having to hire a translator that would be “cost prohibitive,” he says.

The club is free, open to the public and operates on a drop-in basis.

Ultimately, the library’s decision is not the end of the world, says DiRaddo, as he’ll simply find another space for the club. 

“It’s just sad that Montreal seems to be a place right now where it’s very easy for people to be divided on certain issues, like books, for instance,” he said. “As anglophones, we deserve culture, access to culture as well.”

DiRaddo makes a point of selecting books by Montreal writers — renowned for their works in both English and French — to help members discover local talent. The last book the group read was Ce que je sais de toi or What I Know About You by Éric Chacour. Of the 34 members that month, half the group opted to read the book in its original French while some even read it in both languages, said DiRaddo. 

“I really love that, especially when books are available in another language that allows for more people to discover them,” he said.

City says it’s respecting new law

In a statement to CBC News, the City of Montreal said it must comply with the provisions of the new French language charter. 

“According to the law, services offered to the public must be available in the common and official language of Quebec, French,” it said. 

The city said it encourages events that represent all of its diversity, and it was in this “spirit of inclusiveness and openness” that its reflex was to ensure that anyone wanting to express themselves in French could take part in the activity and have access to a free and informal translation of the discussions.

It said its libraries strive to adapt their services to meet the diverse needs of Montrealers and, when unable to approve activity proposals, they suggest alternative options or locations. 

“This is what was done in the case of the book club,” the city said. 

Meanwhile, constitutional lawyer Frédéric Bérard says there is nothing in the law that stands out as a directive that could have informed the library’s decision. He said the law’s interpretation probably derived from the fact that it’s a library in a French-speaking borough.

The City of Montreal does not have bilingual status under Law 14 — only 13 per cent of its population indicated English as their mother tongue in the 2021 census, and just over one per cent in Ville-Marie. 

“It’s in the philosophy of the bill itself that makes sure that some people feel entitled to make that kind of decision,” said Bérard. 

Reading between the lines

The director general of the Quebec Community Groups Network, Sylvia Martin-Laforge, says the application of Bill 96 is still not clear. She urges people to ask questions and give thorough answers where Law 14 is concerned.

“Every case, unfortunately, will have to be treated separately until we have more clarity around the parameters,” she said. “Often, it’s a judgment call.”

Bérard is currently representing the Town of Mount Royal in its challenge against Law 14. He says that although he agrees that the French language should be promoted, it shouldn’t be done at the expense of others. 

“The thing is that in prohibiting any other kind of exchange with the English culture, [I] don’t think that we are moving forward,” said Bérard. 

CBC News reached out to Quebec’s Ministry of the French Language but did not hear back at the time of publication.

DiRaddo is still looking for a new venue to host the club in April, which has outgrown some of the other places he’s resorted to over the last six years. In February, members will read Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde, followed by Personal Attention Roleplay by Montrealer H. Felix Chau Bradley.

“I think people are looking for a reason to connect, especially post-pandemic, people are looking for opportunities to get together and engage,” he said.