MONTREAL, September 2, 2026 — Green Party of Quebec leader and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce candidate Alex Tyrrell unveiled two election signs today bearing the slogans “Vote Green” and “Bonjour-Hi,” describing their installation as an act of civil disobedience against what he called the CAQ government’s increasingly restrictive and divisive approach to language. Speaking in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Tyrrell argued that Quebec should promote French by making it easier to learn rather than portraying bilingualism and the use of other languages as a threat. “For years, the CAQ government has been attacking bilingualism and trying to convince people that learning a second language is somehow a threat to the Quebec nation,” Tyrrell said. He emphasized that the Green Party strongly supports protecting and promoting French while criticizing cuts to French-language learning programs at the same time that the government criticizes anglophones and immigrants who do not speak enough French. “There are people here in Montreal and across Quebec who want to learn French but don’t have access to courses because of CAQ cuts. Instead of blaming people who want to learn, let’s give them the opportunity to do so.”
The Green Party of Quebec is proposing free French-language courses for everyone who wants to learn and an amendment to Bill 101 so that 25% of instruction at the elementary and secondary levels can be provided in a second language. Depending on the school and community, that language could be English, French, an international language or an Indigenous language. “Learning multiple languages is an asset. Everyone benefits when we speak more languages. We can protect and promote French while also giving young people the opportunity to become multilingual,” Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell also defended his “Bonjour-Hi” sign, describing the expression as a symbol of Montreal’s linguistic diversity and openness. “Bonjour-Hi is a Montreal greeting that allows the conversation to continue in the language in which the person feels most comfortable. It’s a gesture of openness,” he said. Tyrrell criticized political efforts to condemn the expression, arguing that turning an everyday greeting into a political controversy unnecessarily divides Quebecers. “When political parties start attacking the way people greet each other, they divide people. We’ve reached a point where simply opening your mouth to greet someone on the street has almost become a political statement.”
Tyrrell said the Green Party’s approach is to defend French while respecting the linguistic rights and diversity of Quebec’s anglophone, immigrant and Indigenous communities. He also criticized the Quebec Liberal Party’s record on anglophone rights, describing its approach to Bill 96 as weak and inconsistent. “We believe in Montreal’s diversity and in linguistic diversity. Learning French is important, but it has to be done without rolling back people’s rights. I want to be a better voice for the people of NDG and genuinely promote the learning and use of French throughout Quebec without attacking other languages or dividing people,” Tyrrell concluded.
