Parc-Extension residents share concern about another term under Legault government

The CAQ and François Legault have been re-elected to form a majority government, but what does this mean for those in Parc-Extension, one of Montreal’s most racially diverse neighbourhoods with a heavy population of newcomers?

“Many people in Parc-Extension found their jobs on the line because of the implementation of Bill 21, which… also normalized an enormous amount of racism and xenophobia,” said Amy Darwish, the coordinator of Comité d’Action de Parc-Extension.

“With the CAQ having been elected, Bill 96 is going to oblige them, from the minute they arrived and six months later, to be able to communicate in French, which means to be able to read official forms from the government in French only,” added Juan Carlos Chirgwin, a family doctor with CLSC in Parc-Extension.

Roughly 66 per cent of Quebec’s six million-plus eligible voters cast their ballots in the election.

The CAQ’s new majority won 90 seats – the most seats any party has won since 1989 – earning them almost 41 per cent of the vote.

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A majority is something Chirgwin says he was sure he wouldn’t see happen.

“Mr. Legault seems to believe that not only is he not going to make a mistake and cannot make mistakes, but also the whole province does not have any issue or history with regards to racism and discrimination, which is really incredible. And he’s the guy who is leading the government now again,” said Chirgwin.

During the campaign, Legault and incumbent Immigration Minister Jean Boulet made controversial comments on immigration and those new to the province.

Those comments were something Kartik Makkar, a Parc-Extension resident, says he knows firsthand is not grounded in truth.

“I challenge you. If you say one day all the immigrants stop working, Canada will stop. It all depends on immigrants. They are working so hard,” said Makkar.

Many are calling for electoral reform, one that’s focused on proportional representation.

“The cities which have the highest density of the population, in this case, happen to be mostly allophones and anglophones. It’s tipped against their favour. And so that explains the landscape across Quebec. Montreal is a little red island surrounded by blue,” explained Chirgwin.

Some people in Parc-Extension told CityNews they’re not sure there’s even a place for them in Quebec.

“It doesn’t make the environment conducive for you, then I wouldn’t really have any big reason to stay,” said an international student. “I would definitely go to a place where my services would probably be delayed because language is a very big barrier to settling in a place.”