In 1912, Ontario’s provincial government introduced Regulation 17, a directive limiting the use of French as a language of instruction to the first two years of elementary school (see Prendre la parole, 1910).

This decision provoked a crisis in Ontario, which transformed into a national crisis as French-Canadians in Quebec launched numerous campaigns in solidarity with their Franco-Ontarian “brothers and sisters.” Francophone politicians in Quebec, including Liberal Premier Lomer Gouin, urged counterparts in Ontario to abandon Regulation 17.

Franco-Ontarians, for their part, appealed to the Vatican and turned to the courts. They believed that section 133 of the British North America Act guarantees the right to education in French. However, the courts agreed with the Ontario government, ruling that section 133 only protects the right to denominational schools, whether Protestant or Catholic. Since Regulation 17 did not abolish separate schools, the regulation was not unconstitutional. The provincial government could indeed restrict the use of French as the language of instruction. As for the Pope, he merely appealed for peace between English-speaking and French-speaking Catholics, and did not criticize the province’s actions.

Face à ces échecs, les leaders et militants franco-ontariens cessent d’attaquer le Règlement 17 de front, mais continuent de militer pour son abrogation, argumentant que ceci est nécessaire au retour de la « bonne entente » entre les groupes linguistiques. Le gouvernement de l’Ontario abandonne finalement l’application du Règlement 17 en 1927 et l’abolit en 1944.

In its manifesto to Franco-Ontarians, the Association canadienne-française d’éducation d’Ontario aux Franco-Ontariens outlined the changes to the school system that came into effect on November 1, 1927. Henceforth, Franco-Ontarian students would attend schools where French and English would be the languages of instruction. Provincial officials would inspect these schools, but they must be bilingual. The provincial government would appoint a director responsible for French-language education, and would fund the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education for teacher training. The manifesto called on Franco-Ontarians to “welcome” these reforms, which put an end to the school crisis in Ontario.