Whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes, Solange Chalvin has dedicated her entire career to what she feels passionate about: promoting the French language.
At the start of her professional career in the 1960s, Solange Chalvin was one of the first women journalists at the daily newspaper Le Devoir. For nearly 20 years, she showed a keen interest in the French language. In 1962, with her husband Michel Chalvin, she published Comment on abrutit nos enfants, a flagship book of the Quiet Revolution. Ten years later, sociologist Guy Rocher recommended reading the book in an article entitled Éducation et révolution culturelle.
She continued her career in the senior ranks of the Quebec public service, where she left her mark through her outstanding contribution to the promotion and quality of the French language. As manager of the Office de la langue française, nowadays the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), Solange Chalvin’s actions and commitment played a large part in implementing the French language charter in the regions and in numerous companies by establishing French as the common public language. She also participated in the francization of the professional associations by drafting directives on the use of French as the language of work in technical manuals and official reports.
Her outstanding contribution helped to confirm the OQLF’s legitimacy and authority in work and public administration settings as well as with Quebecers in general.
In 2020, the Government of Quebec presented her with the Prix Georges-Émile-Lapalme award, the highest honour conferred on a person in Quebec for their exceptional contribution to the promotion and quality of spoken and written French.