were added to the program of a local celebration in Montreal called L'Autre St-Jean ("The Other St-Jean"). When it became known that they would be performing their songs in English, there were several complaints and later the musicians were barred from the celebrations. The Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste President, Mario Beaulieu, defended the decision to cancel these musicians' performances, by stating that the official language of the province of Quebec is French. However, after public outrage from both the anglophone and francophone communities, these two bands were returned to the program when it was clarified that the bands were free to sing songs in English as well as French. By government regulation, however, the St-Jean program must be conducted in French (even by such internationally and nationally famous anglophone artists such as Martha Wainwright and Patrick Watson). The festival has attempted to be more inclusive, as groups have sung in Creole and for the 2008 celebrations, Samian, "the world's first aboriginal Algonquin-language rapper", sang at Montreal's celebration. The Montreal Metro attempts to symbolize the inclusive nature of the celebration through the motto it displays on information screens on stations and on-board trains on Saint-Jean-Baptiste day: Bonne Saint-Jean-Baptiste à tous et à toutes avec surtout ce sentiment de se sentir membre à part entière de cette communauté québécoise diverse et fière! (English: "Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste to one and all and especially the feeling of being an integral part of this diverse and proud Quebec community!"). In 2017, there was a controversy at the Fête nationale parade when a float featuring white performers was performing a popular Québécois anthem, and pushed by several black youths dressed in beige. Spectators interpreted the sight as racist, and symbolic of slavery. Notes References In English Suzanne Thomas: Saint-Jean-Baptiste celebrations, in The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2013 Gouvernement du Québec. "National Holiday Act", in CanLII, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, updated to May 1, 2008 Gouvernement du Québec. "The National Holiday ", in the site of the Commission des normes du travail, June 17, 2008 Le Moine, James MacPherson, Origin of the festival of Saint-Jean-Baptiste ..., Québec: Morning Chronicle Office, 1880 (online) In French Joly, Diane. "Les processions de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste à Montréal", in Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l'Amérique française, July 21, 2008 RDAQ. "La Saint-Jean-Baptiste", in the site of the Réseau des services d'archives du Québec, 2001 Prémont, Donald. "24 juin 1834 – Le premier banquet de la