English Montreal book club denied access to public library, must provide French translator

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    “Disappointed,” said Christopher DiRaddo, an organizer for the Violet Hour Book Club, about not being able to have meetings for his English book club at a Montreal library unless he provides a French translator. Gareth Madoc-Jones reports.

    A Montrealer hoping to host a book club in English in a Montreal public library has been told that he cannot use their space unless he provides a French translator.

    Christopher DiRaddo, who organizes the Violet Hour Book Club that focuses on 2SLGBTQ+ literature and has about 30 members, was looking for a larger space to host group discussions when he approached the Père-Ambroise public library in the Montreal Village. 

    “They got back to me saying that my book club needed to change. It needed to be a bilingual book club. And I needed to be able to present any conversation that was happening in English. I needed to present some kind of simultaneous translation for any francophones who would be present,” explained DiRaddo.

    Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal.
    Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal. (Photo: Christopher DiRaddo)

    DiRaddo, who is also an award winning writer, added that he was upset about the decision as he was hoping to offer more culture for English speaking Montrealers. 

    “At first I was really angry. I feel like these days a lot of people are trying to create divisions among English and French people and it felt like, it felt personal,” said DiRaddo.

    “After that, after the anger went away I started to feel disappointed because all I’m trying to do is to create more culture in the city.” 

    Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal.
    Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal. (Photo: Christopher DiRaddo)

    In an initial written response to CityNews Wednesday, the City of Montreal said that to comply with new provisions in the Charter of the French Language, services offered to the public must be available in French. The city added that they would like people who speak French to be able to participate in the activity and feel included as well.

    However, later in the day, the City of Montreal, clarified that their reference to the new provisions in the Charter of the French Language were invoked in a hasty manner, adding that, “it wants a person wishing to express himself or herself in French to be able to participate in the activity in question and have access to a free and informal version of the discussions.”

    Julius Grey, a Montreal constitutional lawyer, says that there are no laws in Quebec, including Bill 96, that would give the public library the right to prevent a private book club from having discussions exclusively in English. 

    “I don’t think Bill 96 says this, at least properly interpreted, but it shows the absurdity which Quebec nationalism has reached in the last few years, even that people would think that you can’t do it,” said Grey.

    “Remember, city property includes streets and parks, and there’s absolutely no reason why people couldn’t do something in English. In addition, imagine a Spanish club or a German club or a Russian club which meets to practice the language. You mean you can’t do it without an interpreter? And this is absurd.” 

    Grey adds that the book club could seek legal action to be given the right to have their meetings in a public library. 

    “I think that you could get a declaratory judgment from a court saying that [Bill 96] simply doesn’t mean that. It’s not even a question of charter. It doesn’t say that,” explained Grey, adding, “what it says is that the city itself, its own activities, can be in another language, but if somebody demands a translation, he can get it. Nothing in the world has come close to requiring that there not be a meeting of a book club. So you could get a judgment, but you also have to get a wake-up call.”

    In a written statement to CityNews, Quebec’s Minister of French Language confirmed that new provisions in the Charter of the French Language do not apply to the Violet Hour Book Club, “since the book club is only looking for a place to hold its activities, without providing services intended for the public for a municipal organization, it is not covered by the State’s duty to set an example. Therefore, the Charter does not apply in this situation.”

    Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal
    Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal. (Photo: Christopher DiRaddo)

    DiRaddo admits that he enjoys reading French literature, but that the decision to not allow an English book club just causes more division and creates more barriers. 

    “I love French. I speak French. I read books in French as well. I just think there’s more room for activities for anglophones like myself. I don’t really enjoy politics. I don’t really enjoy the divisiveness of it. And I think these things just create more barriers for people to access programs that they want.”

    “I’m going to be looking for partners who want to support the work that I’m doing rather than ones that don’t. So I feel like the library lost out.”

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