Young Anglophones in Quebec are leaving the province in droves as the province struggles to find ways to keep them here.
In a study by Leger marketing performed for Journal de Montreal, 60 per cent of respondents said they have considered leaving the province.
More than half of those polled said that relations between Anglophones and Francophones are tense.
Respondents also cited a lack of bilingual signage and a belief that Quebec’s Bill 101 dealing with language rights needs to be softened.
The study was conducted in reponse to the bonjour-hi debate in which the government asked shop owners to greet customers with a simple “bonjour” instead of the oft-used “bonjour-hi.”
The motion passed unanimously when the reference to the English language as “an irritant” was removed.

And Quebec politicians wrack their brains trying to figure out why so many young Anglophones are heading for greener pastures?
Although the average income of Anglophones in the province is higher than that of Francophones, Jack Jedwab of the Association for Canadian Studies said that this is because a small and wealthy minority pulls those numbers upwards.
But figures from the Secretariat for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers show that a larger percentage of Anglophones live below the poverty line and a higher percentage are unemployed than their Francophone compatriots.
In 2016, 13.6 per cent of Anglophones fell below the poverty line compared with 8.3 per cent of Francophones. The province’s Anglophone population has an unemployment rate of 9.4 per cent compared with 6.9 per cent for the Francophone population.
So clearly, many Anglophones are struggling in a predominantly French-speaking province, and have chosen to move elsewhere.
So what is the solution from Quebec’s political class?
Why, more French, of course!
Parti Quebecois leader Jean-François Lisée suggested that these same young Anglophones who are leaving Quebec should have to do a semester in a French CEGEP.
He says this will give Anglos more of an opportunity to become fluent in French, which would give them a better chance of success in Quebec.
Lisée is basically telling Anglophones that they are the problem.
Instead of adapting to changing demographics and catering to linguistic minorities, Quebec has – shockingly – decided that the solution for Anglophones is to become a Francophone.
This seems like an absurd reaction.
Many of the Anglophones that are leaving are highly-skilled and highly-educated who have the means to re-locate. Many of the Anglophones who stay in the province are less educated as a result.
We constantly hear our politicians talking about a need to be competitive in the international job market for fear of a “brain drain.”
Well, Quebec is experiencing a brain drain right in front of them and it seems that their best solution will end up driving more English speakers out the door.
It makes sense to want to have as many bilingual citizens as possible – especially in a province like Quebec. So French education absolutely has to be a part of the education system and more Anglophones would do well to become more proficient at the language.
But are we seriously going to consider forcing English speakers into French education as a way to entice them into staying?
This is like convincing your child to finish their dinner by piling more broccoli on the plate.
Here’s to hoping some more sensible solutions get presented in the future.

Chris Lowrey