The La Vergne Law (or Lavergne Law) of 1910, formally known as the ''Loi amendant le Code civil concernant les contrats faits avec les compagnies de services d'utilité publique'' (1910, Geo. V, c. 40), was an act of the
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec (French: ''Assemblée législative du Québec'') was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature from 1867 to December 31, 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, t ...
which made the use of both English and French mandatory on tickets, documents, bills and contracts issued by transportation and public utility companies. Prior to this, these were customarily in English only.
The law's primary sponsor was
Armand La Vergne
Armand Renaud Lavergne, or La Vergne (February 21, 1880 – March 5, 1935) was a Quebec lawyer, journalist and political figure. He represented Montmagny in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal member from 1904 to 1908 and as a Cons ...
(or Lavergne), a legislator representing the ''
Ligue nationaliste canadienne The Ligue nationaliste canadienne, also known as the Ligue nationaliste, was a nationalist and anti-imperialist organization in Quebec, Canada, during the early 20th century. Founded by Henri Bourassa and journalist Olivar Asselin, the newspaper '' ...
''. The law came into effect on January 1, 1911.
Although the scope of the legislation was very limited, it is remembered today as the first example of French-language rights legislation in
Quebec.
Text
The English version of the law reads as follows:
;Article 1
The following articles are added after article 1682b of the Civil Code as enacted by the act 5 Edward VII, chapter 28, section 1:
:"1682''c''. The following shall be printed in French and in English : passenger tickets, baggage-checks, way-bills, bills of lading, printed telegraph forms, and contract forms, made, furnished or delivered by a railway, navigation, telegraph, telephone transportation, express or electric power company, as well as all notices or regulations posted up in its stations, carriages, boats, offices, factories or workshops."
:"1682''d''. Every contravention, by a railway, navigation, telegraph, telephone, transportation, express or electric power company, doing business in this Province, of any of the provisions of the foregoing article shall be punished by a fine not exceeding twenty dollars, without, prejudice to recourse for damages."
;Article 2
This act shall come into force on the first day of January, 1911.
See also
*
Language policy
Language policy is an interdisciplinary academic field. Some scholars such as Joshua Fishman and Ofelia García consider it as part of sociolinguistics. On the other hand, other scholars such as Bernard SpolskyRobert B. Kaplanand Joseph Lo Bianco ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Office québécois de la langue française - Repères et jalons historiques(in French)
Quebec provincial legislation
Quebec language policy
1910 in Canadian law
1910 in Quebec
Languages of Canada
Bilingualism in Canada
Language legislation