n. — French relations, Politics
popular reference to the Charter of the French Language in Quebec, which made French the sole official language of the province.
Type: 1. Origin — Bill 101 was passed into law in 1977 by the Parti Québécois government of the province of Quebec. It made French the only official language of the province, to be used in “Government and the Law, as well as the normal and everyday language of work, instruction, communication, commerce and business” (see Charter of the French Language reference, preamble). Bill 101 expanded on Bill 22, the (Quebec) Official Language Act of 1974. Since its initiation in 1977, it has been amended six times, mostly concerning the province’s stance on Anglophone education and commercial signage, which were also the two biggest areas of contention amongst residents of Quebec (see the first 1977 quotation and the 1993 quotations).
In Quebec, as in the rest of Canada, residents are legally entitled to federal services in either English or French. However, provincial institutions and most workplaces are required to function in and deliver services in French only and the law has placed restrictions on education in English and the language on public signage. The Charter reflects a widespread fear among francophones that French, a minority language in Canada and North America, would suffer attrition if bilingualism were the norm in the province, where around 78% of the population lists its sole language as French (2011 census).
See also the Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Bill 101", "Bill 101 Case", "Bill 178", and "Québec Language Policy".