Cascades Inc. | French as official language at Cascades

Status
0.71% votes in favour
AGM date
Previous AGM date
Proposal number
4
Resolution details
Lead filer
Mouvement d'éducation et de défense des actionnaires (MÉDAC)
Resolution ask
Adopt or amend a policy
ESG theme
  • Governance
ESG sub-theme
  • Diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI)
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Consumer Discretionary
Company HQ country
Canada
Resolved clause
It is proposed that the language of the Corporation be French, including the language of business in Quebec, as well as the language at annual meetings. Its official status must be formally recorded, in writing, in the by-laws of the Corporation.
Supporting statement
The head office of the Corporation is in the Province of Québec, a French-speaking state. The state of Québec has existed for over 400 years. Also, the official language of Québec is French. The state of Québec is the only French-speaking State in America. The language of a people is its most essential fundamental attribute, an existential attribute. The diversity of the world cannot in any way be reduced to questions strictly related to the biological nature of individuals or to the arbitration of individual privileges. The diversity of the world is first and foremost a collective issue based essentially on the culture of peoples. The people of Québec, through its territorial state and its public institutions, beginning with its national assembly, constitution, and charters, ensure the protection of linguistic diversity in the world by rigorously protecting the collective and public nature of its language. The spirit of the law is clear, including the spirit of the reforms to the federal and Québec laws. Respecting and promoting this attribute of global diversity is a matter of social responsibility for all companies. It is in the interest of all stakeholders, starting with the entire community, regardless of origin. Sustainable development and long-term performance cannot be conceived otherwise. It is the company’s duty to act in full respect of these sacred principles. It is perfectly possible to do business anywhere in the world with a headquarters that operates in the language of the state where it is located. For example, the annual shareholders’ meeting of Samsung (Suwon) is in Korean, Heineken (Amsterdam) in Dutch, Nissan (Yokohama) in Japanese, Foxconn (Taïwan) in Mandarin, Volkswagens (Wolfsburg) in German, and L’Oréal (Clichy), Danone (Paris), Christian Dior (Paris) and LVMH (Paris) in French. The content is translated into other languages. The principle is simple and clear. The French language is not a choice. It is the collective instrument for communication. Besides, for foreign languages, there is translation, simultaneous or not. French is the language of all of us. It is a collective issue of equity, justice, and dignity. A national issue.

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