From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 30 of 36
French in Everyday Life
1977
In 1977, Québec passed the Charter of the French Language. This law gave French a bigger place at school, at work and in stores. In this bookstore, people discover words and stories.
Look together
Where do you hear French during your day?
An idea to try
Choose a French word in a book at home. Your child draws or acts it out. If your family knows the word in another language, share that too.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
On August 26, 1977, the National Assembly passed the Charter of the French Language, Bill 101, introduced by minister Camille Laurin in René Lévesque’s government. It affirmed French’s official status and strengthened its use in laws, work, business, signs and education, while providing exceptions, including for access to English-language schools. French had already been declared the official language in 1974 by the Official Language Act; the Charter went further and organized public life in French. Its rules have been amended several times since; this page evokes the 1977 milestone, not today’s rules.
For young children, the bookstore connects with the words we read, hear and share. Name the languages known in the family without setting them against each other. The books drawn stay blank to welcome imagination and colouring.
Sources and illustration notes (3)
An imaginary bookstore and characters; no sign text or detailed language-display rules appear in the drawing.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Gouvernement du Québec - À propos de la Charte de la langue française (in French)The Charter adopted in 1977; the role of French in institutions and public life; its rules have been amended since.
- Office québécois de la langue française - Repères historiques (in French)The difference between the Official Language Act of 1974 and the Charter of the French Language, assented to on August 26, 1977.
- Bibliothèque de l’Assemblée nationale — 1977, projets de loi 1 et 101 (in French)The Charter introduced by Camille Laurin; adopted on August 26, 1977.
Page prepared on September 15, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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