Federal funding boosts English-language health services in Québec: $52M for bilingual staff training, outreach, and better access — through 2028.
Federal backing targets service gaps in Québec
In a bid to improve access to health care in English across Québec, the federal government announced Monday that it will invest $52 million over the next several years. The funds are specifically earmarked to enhance services for anglophone and allophone communities struggling to receive care in their preferred language.
Québec’s English-speaking communities face barriers
Members of Québec’s English- and non-French-speaking populations have long reported difficulty accessing health services in English. “I’ve heard multiple times from my constituents that … they’ve gone to receive health services and … have not been able to get answers or be understood,” said Peter Schiefke, MP for Vaudreuil. He emphasized that many anglophone and allophone clients “are currently not being met” under existing provincial systems.
Allocation supports training, outreach & recruitment
Of the $52 million, $20 million will go to McGill University, aimed at training health care professionals in English. The remainder is allocated to the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), which serves as an advocate and coordinator for English-speaking patients in Québec. Grants will fund programs including language training for frontline staff, efforts to recruit and retain bilingual professionals, and expanded community health access networks. The funding is planned through 2028, under the federal framework to promote and protect Canada’s official languages launched in 2023.
Local partners see federal role as critical
Jennifer Johnson, executive director of CHSSN, noted that the “double burden” faced by English speakers—navigating a French-dominant health system while already contending with health needs—is significant. Québec’s English community numbers some 1.2 million, many of whom live outside the Montreal region and see fewer bilingual resources. The federal injection is being welcomed by local organizations. Richard Walling, executive director of Jeffery Hale Community Partners, said the provincial government is doing its part, but “this is extra money … to help the community sector.”
Sylvia Martin-Laforge, leader of TALQ (formerly QCGN), called the investment “terrifically important” across many sectors, given existing gaps in services for English speakers.
National-language agenda underpins decision
Health Canada frames the funding as part of a wider commitment to official languages and equitable care. In its announcement, the department said “the ability to communicate with one’s health-care provider in their own official language is essential to receiving safe and effective care,” echoing remarks from MPs like Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne). The aim is to reduce language barriers, improve patient outcomes, and ensure safer, more inclusive health services in a bilingual country.
