The Santé Québec website remains overwhelmingly in French, a reality that advocates and community members argue creates a significant barrier to health care for the province's English-speaking population. This situation persists despite the legal right for Quebecers to receive health and social services in their mother tongue.
A Legal Right, A Practical Hurdle
The issue was highlighted in a recent Montreal Gazette report on December 16, 2025, which detailed how the lack of English on the official health portal impedes access to critical information. In response, a reader's letter published on December 17, 2025, offers a stark reality check: not all Quebec residents are functionally comfortable in French.
The letter's author, Goldie Olszynko of Mile End, contends that the apparent premise of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government and similar entities is that all non-francophones should be able to operate fully in French. Olszynko challenges this notion, separating the ideal from the reality on the ground.
The Spectrum of Language Ability
The reality, as described, is a diverse linguistic landscape. While many anglophones and allophones are fluently bilingual or multilingual, others manage only to "get along" in French. A portion of the population, for various reasons, does not understand or speak the language at all.
This diversity becomes critically important in official contexts. "When it comes to health care, taxes and other official areas, we all want and need to be absolutely certain that we fully understand," Olszynko writes. The author stresses that a lack of French proficiency must not result in de facto "punishment" by authorities through denied or complicated access to essential services.
A Call for Compassion Over Coercion
The letter concludes with a plea for empathy and pragmatism. Olszynko envisions a system where "compassion, understanding and good would trump the language factor" in the provision of services. The argument is for accommodation that serves all Quebecers—anglophone, allophone, and francophone alike—whether born in the province or having chosen to make it their home.
This sentiment reflects a broader frustration expressed in the letter, which opens by stating that anglo rights in health care, education, and other sectors "must be fought for at every turn" to receive and maintain legally entitled services. The Santé Québec website controversy is framed not as an isolated incident, but as a symptom of this ongoing challenge.
