Charter of the French Language Charter's provisions expanded upon the 1974 "Official Language Act" (Bill 22), which was enacted by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Parliament during the tenure of Premier Robert Bourassa's Liberal government to make French the official language of Quebec. Prior to 1974, Quebec had no official language and was subject only to the requirements on the use of English and French contained in Article 133 of the British North America Act, 1867. Bill 101 has been amended more than six times since 1977. Each amendment has aroused controversy over such provisions as the use of French on commercial signs or restrictions on enrolment into
Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms two changes were made to Manitoba's Public School Act (PSA) in 1966 and 1970 when French language instruction was once again recognized as an official language of instruction. Manitoba's minority French language instruction rights have developed since the introduction of the Charter and Section 23 to a point where they have allowed for the inclusion of a separate school board (La Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine DSFM) which is fully funded by the provincial treasury and operates throughout the Province. Significant with regards to the Province's (Manitoba) interpretation of section 23 is how the "number of Students" and not "mother tongue" is