Unlike the New Brunswick government, which adopted an Official Languages Act in 1969, the Ontario government was content to increase gradually its offerings of services in French. A few ministries provided French-language services in certain regions, but the number of regions providing such services would only increase slowly over time. This approach was known as the “baby steps policy.”

While this policy suited the English-speaking majority, who were rather hostile to official bilingualism in Ontario, it displeased Franco-Ontarians, who were exasperated by the slowness of the government. For many activists, the time had come to speed up the implementation of French-language services.

The spirit of the time favoured direct-action movements. Franco-Ontarians decided to take attention-grabbing action to illustrate the second-class treatment they received when they requested services in French. Civil disobedience was deemed appropriate in these circumstances since it would attract media attention.

On September 11, 1975, the C’est l’temps (It’s Time) movement emerged in Ottawa; it would remain active for two years. Its spokespersons called for a genuine policy of bilingualism, denounced the Ontario government’s policy of taking baby steps, and demanded, as its press release put it, “the fundamental right” of Franco-Ontarians to “express themselves freely (i.e., without a translator) in provincial courts.” French-speaking people went to jail because they refused to pay tickets written only in English. Their actions attracted media attention.

In 1977, the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario called for legislation recognizing French as one of Ontario’s official languages. However, the Progressive Conservative government of Bill Davis did not change its policy on French-language services. In the end, it was the Liberal government of David Peterson that, without going as far as official bilingualism, adopted the French Language Services Act in 1986. It was implemented three years later