Quebec was originally colonized by the French, and despite coming under British control, the French speaking inhabitants remained. Lord Durham made a report to the Crown in 1838 which suggested, among other things, that French language and culture no longer be protected by law, and that English immigration be encouraged. This was largely not implemented in regards to Quebec (although immigration and other policies led to Canada west of Quebec largely becoming solely anglophone, despite for a period of time looking like a bilingual Western Canada might be plausible). The Durham Report is cited by committed separatists as proof that English Canadians/the Federal Government are and have always been hostile to the unique culture and language of Quebec.