CFN – You have to love PQ leader Pauline Marois if you want language laws reviewed in Canada. Official bilingualism has cost our great country billions of dollars since implemention, but what it’s chiefly done is create this special class of civil servant which grossly favours those with a French background.
The question is why? In Quebec Ms Marois feels quite comfy not bothering to show up for the English leadership debates. Recently it was reported that Quebecers will have to prove they can speak French before gaining English language services. Something despicable and punitive especially against the elderly.
If many of what Quebec does to English rights occurred in Canada to Francophone rights could you imagine the outcome?
Maybe it’s time to simply say if this is what the largest French speaking population in Canada feels is best for its language and Culture that the rest of Canada do the same? If Ms Marois can’t learn English proficiently after 30+ years in Politics why should it matter if a Canadian Prime Minister should speak French unless they are seeking that Francophone vote? Why should we offer at great cost services in the manner we currently do in remote parts of the country to limited amounts of people at great cost?
With digital translation & communication improving all of the time does it make sense to build French schools in remote locations like the Yukon?
And while Ms Marois and her wacky party may be on the extreme when it comes to language rights the hypocrisy of the Provincial Liberals throwing bones by occasionally supporting small erosions of English rights in Quebec is vomitous.
And yet English culture still survives in Montreal and pockets of Quebec….maybe it’s time to let Francophone culture outside of Quebec sink or swim like the English in Quebec?
I don’t think we’ll see a Premier Marois, but it’s sad to read her quotes and watch the rhetoric during Quebec elections. It’s sad in many ways to see what Quebec has become; but it’s sadder to see its tentacles reach out and infect the rest of Canada.
I say keep Quebec linguistic politics in Quebec and keep it out of Eastern Ontario and the rest of Canada. It’s time for Quebecers to make some big decisions, and while most want to be a part of Canada there has to be change within Quebec and how it treats English residents and businesses or some big changes should occur in the rest of Canada.
What do you think my fellow Canadians? You can post your comments below.
(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of this site, their staff, or sponsors.)
Seems to me CFN dwells too much on Québec politics. Maybe they should change the name to CFN-and Québec. Anglos use Québec to justify the mistreatment of francophones throughout Canada..its ok if I’m unilingual anglo, in Québec there are unilingual francophones. Its ok if francophones don’t have service in their own language, representation by population, look at Québec. Well lets take a look at Québec:
– They have their own anglo universities, you can get service in english hospitals even in Québec city…. you can be a unilingual anglo in Montreal and live quite comfortably… you can’t be unilingual franco in Ottawa if you want to scrape out a decent living. Some Anglos leave Québec in Anger because they want to live only in english ..all the time.. thank god they represent the minority..and smart decent anglos remain in Québec…and our enriched by both cultures..and both official languages.
very well argued, Jamie
Thank you, Jamie. You make some really relevant comments about the inequality of treatment for English-speakers in Quebec and French-speakers in the Rest (Most) of Canada. For some strange reason, we have tolerated this systemic discrimination against the English-speaking majority, using as an excuse that the French-speakers are the minority that requires protection as they are being assimilated. Yet we ignore the fact that the English-speakers are being assimilated in Quebec and being forced to accept 3rd class status, denied all rights & service in English unless they make up 50% of the municipality in which they live. We have even accepted the fact that Democracy is about the rights of minorities, not the majority, dismissing the latter as “Tyranny of the majority”. Is “Tyranny of the minority” even more despicable?
THERE IS NO NEED FOR LANGUAGE LAWS;
THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THE 1982 CONSTITUTION;
THERE WAS NO NEED FOR JEAN CHRETIEN TO PUT “MINORITY RIGHTS” IN THE 1982 CHARTER;
CANADA NEEDS A NEW CONSTITUTION!
Ernest Semple, Montreal
Fully agree with you Jamie. Keep up the good work.
Couldn’t agree with you more….ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!! Eastern Ontario, LFA, CLF continue to stand up against discrimination….continue to stand up for Anglophone rights!!! Thanks for this article Free News.
“And yet English culture still survives in Montreal and pockets of Quebec….maybe it’s time to let Francophone culture outside of Quebec sink or swim like the English in Quebec”?
I can only refer to this statement as “GOLDEN”!!!!!! LMAO
What don’t you people understand? Canada has two official languages……HELLO!!! Of course the Gov. is going to put the money out there for people to learn it. If learning french means a better future for canadian students and better job opportunities that is great no matter where you live. Many after graduation had to relocate to find employment anyhow and it wasn’t only because of language.
Civil servants of all people should be bilingual. As far as the report that Quebecers are going to have to prove they can speak french before receiving english services…….OMG….that is funny!! We all know what reporters and the media can do or say to prove their point and it doesn’t always make sense to the average person.
The important thing to keep in mind (like you said) is that english culture still survives in Montreal and pockets of Quebec…….it can and will survive throughout Canada…..but only if people could accept the fact that our country has 2 official languages. Perhaps taking the initiative to work on getting ahead in one’s own personal life would be more advantagious instead of trying to fight the system.
Since the Official Language Act of 1969 French speakers have complained everytime their precious dying language is over-looked or if they didn’t get what they wanted. It is nit picking to a point of stupidity-imagine complaining that the Calgary Stampede did not contain a verse in French the National Anthem? And stupidly the Stampede appologized and corrected it. Is O Canada ever sung in English in Quebec? This minority group is out of control and it is time Canada asked them to leave. They cost too much to support and they never appreciate anything done for them.
They receice over 50% of the Federal yearly Transfere payments and they still want more. Official Bilingualism cost over $19 billion a year as estimated by a retired accountant and the total cost for the past 41 years is over 1.6 Trillion. Yes, it is a failure and we can’t afford to support that O.B. nonsense. The rest of the world honours the English language while we see it persecuted here in Canada, an English speaking nation my fore fathers chose to migrate in the late 1800. What a disappointment for them to see if they were alive today.
Dot Davies-Fuhrman in Kelowna
Pauline Marois is not required to speak English as, under the Constitution Act of 1982. Quebec is a unilingual French province. She knows that and is rubbing it in our faces…Pierre Trudeau’s dream come true. My concern is the other provinces, the money wasted on bilingualism and insisting on bilingual services. All of this reinforces Pauline Marois’ attitude and that of her followers. It is time for the other provinces to drop French altogether.
I find the most disturbing part of this whole mess is that the Conservative government appears to be leaning in that direction. I am a strong Conservative supporter, but I’m beginning to feel that Canada would be a far better country without having to pander to Quebec, whose citizens live better than those in the ROC because of the “inequalization” payments that allow their kids to attend university, etc. for what amounts to a pitance while my grandchildren in BC and their parents have to work, scrimp and save to be able to do so. Despite all of these perks, those in Quebec still complain that they aren’t being treated fairly. Fine! If you’re not being treated fairly, separate and become self sufficient. I don’t think they have the cajomes to do so.
@ Stella
Again you are misinformed,please read link below that clearly states the discriminatory policy against English in Quebec…
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Policy+shift+riles+English+advocates+Health+insurance+board+switches+from+bilingual+fran%C3%A7ais+service+centre/6967533/story.html
@ Jamie
Agreed-Canada wants a change,time for a referendum!!
DDF from Kelowna…….thinking from these blogs…..the french are being persecuted.
I think it is great that funding goes towards helping students learn french as it is recognized as an official language in our country…..whether you want to admit or not.
Separation IMO will never happen. We all know Pauline Marois is a hard core separitist . The intelligent folks in QC want to remain in Canada
@ Stella. This insane language fight has been going on for decades, and will go on for many more. Neither side will win. It’s a great distraction that keeps people from noticing the corporate take-over of the planet. The idea is to keep the masses squabbling amongst themselves, while the 1% rob them blind.
Excellent article…well said, indeed. It is truly a shame that any Canadians would think we are a bilingual Country. We are not bilingual, we simply have two official languages.
As Quebec is officially, unilingually French the Rest of Canada should be officially, unilingually English. Clearly, the ROC is English at an overwhelming 97% of the entire Country if you take Quebec out of the equation. If, you factor in Quebec then Canada is still a huge majority at 80% of the citizens.
To put it another way, if Canada was really bilingual then there would be no 97% English in the ROC…we would all be bilingual…right Stella!
Stella, the Official Languages Act was a federal act which applies only to federal institutions. Language is a provincial purview and only provinces can declare themselves officially bilingual. Quebec passed laws to make themselves unilingual French, N.B. passed laws to make themselves officially bilingual. Ontario is NOT officially bilingual.
In Ontario, Bill 8, our “French Language Services Act” was passed in a cloud of secrecy, on November 18, l986. With miniscule media coverage and no meaningful public discussion, no reference to a standing committee to take a look at what the implications of the legislation meant to Ontario, and with 70 of 125 members absent, and no recorded vote, residents of Ontario awoke to a done deal!
Never did the residents of Ontario give the former Liberal Premier David Peterson a mandate to proceed with this legislation. The Bill was passed almost entirely in the French language, and recorded in French in the Hansard Report (the public record), for the overwhelmingly (about 86% in l986) English-speaking residents of Ontario.
And only after permission was granted for an exception to the rule, was an English translation of the Bill provided, and it is hidden away under a different date!
So we have been betrayed by our Liberal leaders and we are still being betrayed by them to enable the 4% French-speakers in the province so much power that they can over-ride the rights of the majority English-speakers. Slowly but surely, as more English-speakers and some fair-minded French-speakers begin to understand the situation, change is coming. It won’t be fast as the minority French-speakers will fight tooth and nail to hang onto an undeserved advantage. But it’s coming!!! We have the number – we just need more English-speakers to wake up and smell the coffee!!!
Colleen…….excluding Quebec you said “Canada should be unilingual english” ……is that so!! As I don’t know you, tell me, are you an elected official, a member of Parliment? What makes you think you have the right or authority to dictate how Canada should be divided and what language should be spoken in each province?
Colleen…….Doesn’t my post at 11:19 say “we have two official languages? So what’s your point in bringing up that it’s shame that people think we are a bilingual country?
Kim very enlightening indeed……I heard it all before but I want to thank-you anyhow for your time and effort.
Thanks Jamie for the article.
The english national anthem is sung at every hockey game…
This makes me laugh all the time, 1.6 trillion. Dorothy you need a new accountant, at 2.1 billion times 41 years…that doesnt equal 1.6 trillion.To guarantee services to 500 000 people in Ontario is not a sin.
There you go jamie, Isnt there enough in Ontario for you to focus on ? You left Québec because in your opinion english people are being persecuted in that province… I could not disagree more.
Are you bilingual jamie? Can you carry a conversation in French ? Why dwell on Québec ? You left your anglo buddies in the dark. La belle province has no lessons to take from Ontario or any other province. There is a big difference between some anglos in Québec and francos outside of Québec. Some, maybe most anglos in Québec want to live fully as english only individuals…while us francos outside of Canada..we just want to have services where numbers require it.
Kelowna bc, alot of french haters there. Alot of stephen harper supporters. You could probably elect a donkey under the conservative banner in alberta and it would win. frustrating.
Hello Stella…nope, an not a member of government and I believe nor are you. As the French are the majority in Quebec, they have deemed that they have the right to declare themselves unilingually, officially French.
Clearly, by the same reasoning the ROC (which by the way, has a astronomically large majority of English) should have the same rights!
Obviously, I have stuck a bone when you would forego common sense in the matter of languages for the Provinces. Are you seriously suggesting that Ontario (as an example) should be bilingual or unilingually French? One would only have to
Hello Stella…continued….check the government stat’s to see that Ontario is 96% English with 4% French. Of this 4% French, 2% is unilingually French and the other 2% is bilingual.
Why should we (English) embrace French language, rights and culture…we have our OWN language, rights, culture, heritage and symbols to celebrate.
No one is telling you not to be French…we just want the French to stop demanding that we (the English majority of Canadians) be bilingual (French and English).
We are English and damn proud of it!!!
Mr. Gilcig, let me tell you that with the piece that you’ve written, you impress me less than ever. That’s all that I’m going to say about it for now. Like Patrick Boucher, I couldn’t disagree more with you.
So patrick you know better then a credited Government auditor?
Don’t give yourself that much credit your not that smart!
Your views on Quebec …..rather bias as your father is a separatist and clearly you have been brainwashed to his viewpoints!
French haters ?Really ? what people who do not want to be assimilated?
Know kelowna well there Richard -well I thought I knew Cornwall well ….not well enough to see the EHTNOCENTRIC values of Quebec has been transplanted in here good ol Cornwall.
RB: I kinda would not expect you to hug me for that piece. I think the HUGE problem is that people mistake debating official bilingualism with some sort of dislike or hate for the French language or culture; both of which I support. It’s time for the pendulum to even out.
Jamie,
Thanks for the article it well defines the many issues of Quebec and how their politics effects us in Eastern Ontario as well as the rest of Canada.
Your comment to blue fox clearly shows that some people believe talking about official bilingualism is an outright attack on french culture of which it is not.
Half of my family is french and I am just as proud to have french heritage but I do not agree that a language should take precedence over merit .
Our group has no interest in insulting any culture ,but our purpose is to inform ,as well make the public aware of the discriminatory Government hiring practices and advocate equal hiring opportunities FOR ALL.
LFA is looking forward to addressing Government inequality again!
I met a fellow at a municipal pool who recently moved from Montreal after his eldest child was to be forced to attend two years in french school before she could go to an English one. This story doesn’t surprise me.
What the hell is this…….We live in Ontario got that!!! Not Quebec…….ONTARIO. Now the english think they can run the country and dictate how the country should be run..LMAO
Colleen I am not suggesting anything, if you can’t understand, then don’t be assuming. You say we are asking you to be bilingual LOL…….no not at all. What you should be doing if you want to get ahead in a country that has two official languages then it would be to your advantage to be bilingual.
@ wow. What is wrong with that.. My grandchildren in Cornwall only got into French School because my daughter is bilingual and did do French immersion in QC. My daughter wishes her children to be bilingual.
Now Mr. Chris……
If you do not think language should take precedence over merit…..then why didn’t you fight it when you were turned down for a job? You were crying discrimination, having said that you could have saved the country and proved right there and then that the english were being discriminated against. You would been the BIG HERO….and nipped the language issue right in the bud. You damn well know why you didn’t fight it……as we all do.
BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT PROVE IT WAS DISCRIMINATION!!!!
You can claim all you want that you there is no hatred towards the french speaking people…but the over 2,000 blogs on language alone would prove differently.
I would be ashamed to claim my entire family is french, yet the head cook and bottle washer, Galganov and Trudeau, which is part of your group are passing out flyers on how to abolish french in onatrio. GIVE ME A BREAK!!! LOL
I think the Gov. should be applauded for the funding of french programs. It gives the students better opportunities to learn the language and will help them to find better jobs.
WOW……the guy from Montreal wasn’t doing his child a favor. Perhaps his child will be on the blogs saying she can’t find a decent job like many are doing here because they refused to learn french.
Holy crap! Someones got their panties in a bunch this morning!!
*s*
When will Canadians and politicians wake up to this travesty of unfairness and discrimination against the english speaking population in Canada. Bilingualism everywhere in Canada outside of Quebec, while Quebec enforces language laws (Bill 101, 178, 22 etc) which makes the unrestricted use of english against the law. And english speaking citizens are shut out of employment from the Quebec public service as well as the Federal Public Service to whom they support with their own tax dollars. “The Laugh is definitely on teh English in Canada”
Randy
Good morning Stella…wow, do you get paid by the post? Notice that you have not refuted my comments…thanks, glad that you agree!
As to assuming, you know what they say…YOU should not assume that I am not bilingual, as a matter of fact, on working on being trilingual…!
As to your comment regarding the English thinking they should run the Country. Canada is a democracy, don’t you know? Do you actually know what that word, even means?
Democracy is Majority (English) rule, instead of being Minority (French) governed!!!
Excellent article Jamie.
Jane Doe…..your daughter is a smart woman and doing the right thing for your grandchild, which will pay off in the end. This country has 2 official languages and anyone with common sense would know it’s to their benefit to learn both. Who knows…..maybe real soon we will have to learn a third language like they are bing told to do in BC……
cry discrimination when there is none..
and when the post gets stale admin writes about Québec, the province he abandoned years ago, because he wouldnt learn french.
Jamie wrote¨With digital translation & communication improving all of the time does it make sense to build French schools in remote locations like the Yukon?¨… by that I know that he is not bilingual…there is no such thing as a perfect computer translation, there are exceptions in french and in English that can’t be translated unless you use a person.
ex: On ne peut compter sur quelqu’un..
– Je peux compter jusqu’à dix.
Who’s to say the computer would know the difference between the two verbs..There are more exceptions that I won’t go into right now. Jamie, just because you didn’t learn french in Québec..doesn’t mean others don’t want too…this only adds fuel to the fire. Tu n’as aucune espèce d’idée comment les francophones se battent à tous les jours pour leurs droits, et une loi pour préserver notre langue et culture n’est pas trop exigeant..
In a democracy we may choose our place of residence,we may choose our educational accomplishements and we may chose our politcal direction…. i`ll take the choice of raisng the kids bilingually or trilingually or unilingually without COMPLAINTS and BLAME!! hoice is what its about without selfish excuses against a whole other viable culture have a nice life and apprciate the chances you have in Canada and especially Ontario,
proof to back up what you say please!
Stella don”t take it personally when people voice their views on unjust gov policy .
Defend to the death -even if its unjust /biased and discriminatory laws -but wait my french friends don’t agree with it either -It is not an attack on french -but on policy – capish!
OMG LMAO you sound like such a child with this .
If you have been LMAO so much you should not have any ass-keep regurgitating the same old stuff stella .
This government worker is NOT so smart! But got the job because she spoke the second language .
Touchez your right whole other cultures -perhaps we can mandate mandarin as it is the second most popular tongue in the world .
Perhaps our Gov can make Mandarin mandatory for Gov jobs !
Quebec does not accept bilingualism -the rest of Canada should not as well -but for the 4% outside Quebec maintain your language by teaching your kids -not by agreeing with policies that are basis of GOV discriminatory hiring .
So you bloggers believe that the Gov has a right to discriminatory hire not the 96% of Ontario’s population ?
All languages should be considered an asset -now with french (bilingualism) all other cultures and languages are suppressed so where is this inclusion that the francophone groups ask -wait !only inclusion with those ETHNOCENTRIC is french right?
ALL CULTURES SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY!
Please take the time to watch Chris Cameron’s You-Tube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMBl7ZOVfBg&feature=g-upl&context=G2ab7300AUAAAAAAAAAA
This is about discriminatory government hiring policy & affects many professionals and employees at CCH-Cornwall Community Hospital…
Most CCH employess do not speak up because they FEAR retribution.
LFA- Language Fairness for ALL is the voice for the oppressed!
Please visit our website:
http://www.languagefairnessforall.org
Mr. Piper……while playing your bagpipes……listen once again OK???
ROFLMAO!!!! you are truly funny. First of all let me reassure you that I definetely don’t take the comments on this site personally nor do I pay attention to most…..
Mr. Piper, no wonder we have to keep repeating the same thing over and over and over again……it doesn’t sink in…. You say it’s not an attack on french……so I will repeat myself again……so can can say again that I repeat myself…..read Galganov’s pamphlet about doing away with french in Onatrio……GOT THAT….or do I have to repeat so you can say I repeat….. Doesn’t abolishing french in Ontario sound contradict what you just said? Does that statement sound like a policy to you?
sorry about the typos….multi tasking.
Correction: Doesn’t abolishing french in Ontario contradict what you just said?
Thinking everyone is jumping up, dropping everything to get to the famous website……..LMAO!!!!
Stella I haven’t heard too many calling on the abolishment of French anywhere in Canada? There’s a HUGE difference between allowing French services in areas of Canada to where the criteria are for hiring of government positions; sign laws now outside of Quebec and even absurd suggestions as forcing Supreme Court judge decisions to be based on a judge being bilingual. There are more. If French Canadians want to develop their language and culture super. If it was’t for French Canadian Voyageurs shooting it out with Americans in the Fur Trading era Canada wouldn’t exist as we know it.
.
Targeting those who are not happy with the system in place and the artificial cultivation of the French Language at Tax Payer expense over other programs is not fair dinkum. It’s bullying. Here in Cornwall for example about $20K was spent of your tax dollars to bring in a music act from Montreal. A hundred or so people had a good time and some bureaucrats got to say they fulfilled their mandate. An utter waste!
“ROFLMAO!!!! you are truly funny. First of all let me reassure you that I definetely don’t take the comments on this site personally nor do I pay attention to most…..”
If this is true Stella, why then do you insist on repeating yourself ad nauseam and twisting whatever you don’t like into your own version up messed-upedness?
And just to make it all unoffensive and ok in your books, I’ll add one of these
*s*
stellanotsosmart-You continue to spread propaganda -are you payed for this?
You continue to write misinformation twist /turn comments into something that is not relevant.
I should just call you the propaganda Queen -because that’s what you are doing -simple !
Has anyone said abolish ? oh Howard I am not -do not paint all people by the same brush -it shows your ignorance !
BAD POLICY -why do you continue to make it a French vs English.
Thanks Jamie for your voice of reasoning …..it seems to be a lost art form for some!
jaime you probably havent read my post. The supreme court judges should be bilingual. With the language exceptions both in french and in english, exact computer translations are near impossible. Had you been bilingual, or had you stayed in Québec(leaving for fear of the big old bad french language) you probably would have known that. What you are doing jaime is showing a double standard…your advocating bilingualism in Québec…but now where else…thank god most canadians don’t share your views.
Jamie…..did you not get or read Galganov’s pamphlets? Is FLA not in cahoots with him? How can you say nobody wants to abolish French? Perhaps when you have time, because I know you are a busy man, go back into the archives then let me know if from the beginning the goal wasn’t to abolish french.
What is amusing is that, this group has changed their minds so many times and grasped at anything to try and prove discrimination. Finally they come to the conclusion it’s “policy” Who knows what it will be next week.
Do you not feel that gov spending on french programs is not a benefit to students who want to get ahead in life……especially when our country has 2 offcial languages?
As for bullying…….thinking it’s been done on both sides of the aisle.