<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="">Montreal Heart Institute apologizes for discriminatory language policy</h1>
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<a href="http://globalnews.ca/author/rachel-lau/" title="Posts by Rachel Lau" class="" rel="author">Rachel Lau</a> </span>
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Web Producer <span class="">Global News</span> </span>
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<cite>Joe Raedle/Getty Images</cite>
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<p>MONTREAL – A family from Ontario had the shock of their lives as they searched online for health resources at the <a href="https://www.icm-mhi.org/en" target="_blank">Montreal Heart Institute</a> (MHI).</p><p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1818390/universities-say-quebec-language-laws-make-it-difficult-to-hire-foreign-professors/" target="_blank">Universities say Quebec language laws make it difficult to hire foreign professors</a></p>
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<p>The language policy stated “employees work in French and clients are served in French.”</p><blockquote><p><strong>“Patients
who wish to be served in English are asked to contact another
institution in the Montreal territory that provides services in this
language.”</strong></p></blockquote><p>“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” said Antoinette Mercurio, President of the Unity Group.</p><blockquote><p>“It’s saying point blank, if you come here you’re going to receive service in just French. It was atrocious. Terrible.”</p></blockquote><p>The family confided in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Unity-Group-Quebec-civil-rights/619408914752897?fref=photo" target="_blank">Unity Group</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonjour-Hi-Qu%C3%A9bec/1413169865604829?__mref=message_bubble" target="_blank">Bonjour-Hi Québec</a>.</p><p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/2098033/language-debate-dominates-longueuil-city-council/" target="_blank">Language debate dominates Longueuil city council</a></p><p>As soon as the groups contacted the MHI, the message was removed.</p><p>“We had not seen it and we don’t want to associate with it,” Marie-Ève Arsenault, a spokesperson for the MHI told Global News.</p><blockquote><p>“It’s our mistake and now it’s corrected on our website. We are actually really, really, really sad about it.”</p></blockquote><p>Arsenault estimated the message was put up after the website got a facelift about a year ago, but said she could not be sure.</p> <div class="">
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<img src="http://vipmedia.globalnews.ca/2015/07/language_mhi-e1436380981310.jpg?w=720&h=317&crop=1" alt="The Unity Group posted this picture online showing the different text in the Montreal Heart Institute's language policy, Wednesday, July 8, 2015."></div>
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<p>The Unity Group posted this picture online showing the
different text in the Montreal Heart Institute’s language policy,
Wednesday, July 8, 2015.</p>
<cite>The Unity Group/Facebook</cite>
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<p>The Montreal Heart Institute is classified as a francophone
institution, but according to law that doesn’t mean they can refuse
service in English.</p><p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1894718/chum-superhospital-quebec-union-officials-say-too-much-english-on-work-site/" target="_blank">CHUM superhospital: Quebec union officials say ‘too much English’ on work site</a></p><p>“We have a lot of patients in English,” said Arsenault.</p><blockquote><p>“We don’t agree with it. It’s not our usual politics.”</p></blockquote><p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1969232/quebec-premier-wont-exclude-possibility-of-tightening-language-laws/" target="_blank">Quebec premier won’t exclude possibility of tightening language laws</a></p><p>Mercurio
acknowledged the fact that language has always been a hot-button topic
in the province, but said it saddens her to see that the situation is
not getting any better.</p><p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1779169/federal-languages-commissioner-wants-quebec-to-help-anglos/" target="_blank">Federal languages commissioner wants Quebec to help Anglos</a></p><p>“Is it getting better? Absolutely not,” she said.</p><blockquote><p>“It’s getting worse. People are getting tired of waking up every day and having to fight.”</p><p><br></p></blockquote><a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/2099226/montreal-heart-institute-apologizes-after-discriminatory-language-policy/">http://globalnews.ca/news/2099226/montreal-heart-institute-apologizes-after-discriminatory-language-policy/</a><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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