CFN – Heather Villeneuve is the face of the language wars leaking out of Quebec right across Canada. She’s the victim of a system of hypocrisy.
The Cornwall girl, born and bred has spent over $30,000 on her education graduating as a Medical Lab Assistant in 2011. While the two other Cornwallites got jobs instantly Heather has yet to find employment. Her crime and fault? She’s not bilingual.
Bilingual advocates like Jean Lecompte will tell you the importance of bilingualism; but essentially that’s a political correct way of saying French. The levels of testing for French proficiency are secretive and frankly most native Francophones could not pass these tests. And there are no equivalent English language tests for most employment in particular with government agencies.
Official bilingualism in Canada has been a failure. In the forty years or so of its existence less Canadians speak French than before. Frankly this isn’t an issue any longer about protecting the French language and culture. It’s about an industry that’s evolved to spread Bilingualism that has led to situations where advancement and the ability to gain employment if one isn’t French or able to pass these tests is the life and death knell for communities across Canada.
When you can’t go over the rank of Major in the Canadian Armed Forces without being bilingual that’s scary. When nurses get suspended or fired for speaking out costing hospitals thousands of dollars while appealing to the public for funds that’s an issue.
And when someone who doesn’t want to leave her home after investing in her education locally has to move to find work that’s an issue.
Being bilingual is a wonderful asset; but should it be the deciding factor in someone gaining employment to the degree that it has across our great country?
It’s more about the definition of Official Bilingualism and what society finds acceptable or not and that’s a whole other issue as most of these issues are dealt with behind closed doors. The new buzz is that government employees are now going to have to be bilingual as there is a push for the them to have the choice of what language to speak with to each other. That it’s not about serving the public anymore.
You can get a few hard core political types at a remote government office in the West and bam. The entire team will have to be able to communicate at high levels of French.
While this debate is a much broader subject here in Canada and Ontario Heather Villeneuve is dealing with its injustice in her life. She’s working a minimum wage job trying to pay back her student loans. She’s not even sure she could afford to move when a job opens up hundreds if not thousands of kilometers away from her home.
And sadly she felt that she had to try and turn to a local politician for help and not even in her own town where the Mayor and City Council have ducked the subject entirely.
She wrote a letter to the media and to South Stormont Mayor Bryan McGillis:
My name is Heather Villeneuve, I am a certified Medical Laboratory Technician and I pump gas part-time at minimum wage for a living. Why am I not using my diploma and working in my field? It’s not by choice; it’s because of the discrimination happening in Cornwall and the surrounding area. I am very skilled in my field, but I am not being given the chance to prove what I am capable of, due to one simple factor: I don’t speak French.
For years, I have been discriminated about my appearance; I don’t look the way society generally dictates as “normal”. But it upsets me that I am now being discriminated against, because of a skill that I lack and don’t necessarily need. I was not raised French, and I honestly do not believe that it is a skill I need to possess to do my job properly. I have applied time and time again to hospitals and clinics in the area, for the end result of them all telling me that I am not what they are looking for, because of one small aspect. As someone who has lived in Cornwall my whole life, I have never come across a person that can’t at least speak enough broken-English to get the point across. And as a MLA, patient contact is so minimal that extensive conversations are not needed to be carried out.
I have tried to stand my ground on countless occasions and explain that I can still complete every task assigned to me with the upmost attention to detail, but unfortunately it all comes down to a specific way of thinking, a bilingual way of looking at things. A Census from Statistics Canada shows us that only 3/10 individuals in our province have French listed as their primary language spoken. This proves that more than three quarters of Ontario’s residents are English speaking. ONLY 14% of the French population in Ontario lives in our South/East region.
.
So here I am, stuck in Cornwall, with a college education and nowhere to go. I can’t afford to move with my large sum of student loans, and it will be a very long time until they are paid off from pumping gas at minimum wage. So here’s my question, when is this discrimination going to stop, so the residents of Cornwall will have a chance to better our small community?.
I would like to take this time to thank the South Stormont Council, and Bryan McGillis for advocating for people like me trying to make a difference in the health care system. I appreciate all of their support and efforts in helping me in this process.
We had a chance to catch up with Heather and Mayor McGillis at the Township offices.
Mayor Bryan McGillis:
Mayor McGillis and I spoke about the challenge of retaining young people in Eastern Ontario and the ability to gain employment after finishing education was a hot point.
Were the Heather Villeneuve’s of Ontario told that they’d need such a level of French to attain employment? Did St. Lawrence College inform her before taking her $30,000 locally that she’d need that level of French to attain employment?
Are we ready in Ontario to demand that our schools turn out students with those language schools so that they can fill jobs at home? Does it make sense to try and import people from Quebec purely for linguistic reasons? And are there even people from Quebec ready to fill those positions?
It’s time to look at these issues and talk about them clearly instead of some labeling those that do talk about them as bigots or racists.
Canadians that earn their educations should have the right to work where work is available; French, English, or any language.
You can post your comments below.
@stella
have noticed that you sometimes use the words compris or ca vas when you seem agitated. it bothers me that you resort to french wording in an english setence to intimidate or condescend?? concerned because of the recent violence at quebec metro station and on election night some might think you fit the profile of someone potentially violent due to your belief system. are you ok? dont agree with your posts but am worried about your mental health.
Hey cowboy Ed… Ah hem, shouldn’t we have the right NOT to have to learn French and yet STILL get those jobs in our own damn country where WE ARE the majority?
Seems to me that Quebec has it right. It’s French ONLY, and French is the “common” language here, and to hell with you English moudit, and you don’t have to know any other language but French to work and live here.
Maybe it’s time the English should adopt that concept except using English for all the ROC. How’d_ya feel about that idea there cowboy Ed
I am from a French family, went to French schools, volunteered for French organizations, worked for French companies and not once have I met someone from Cornwall who could not speak English. Never in my 27 years in this city have I found someone who was a REAL francophone from Cornwall and honestly most of the people who say they are bilingual aren’t. They just think they are because we don’t really have any REAL francophone here to compare too. If you go down the hall at Citadel at any given time of day the kids are speaking English and it is the same at Heritage and CAFE+ till they closed down and from what I’ve been told that school closed because they didn’t have enough people signing up. At the ALL FRENCH training school. Think about that for a second. I can’t think of any adult schools that teach French in Cornwall. So Heather would have to move to Quebec to learn a language she needs to know to work in Cornwall. How does that make any sense? Now don’t get me wrong I do think they should have some French staff at all times to accommodate visitors and that’s more than what most hospitals in Quebec do and I know this because of personal experience.
The directors of the hospital should be ashamed of them selves. Just think about the Canadian immigrants who dream of being Doctors and Nurses. They have there language, they had to learn english to move here and now they have to learn a 3rd language. Be reasonable people this is stupid and unrealistic.
Roxane Bouchard, you provide a very clear voice to the issue and that has been the echo. Not all jobs actually need to be “bilingual”. Over 200 institutions (hospitals, care centres, schools) have signed onto the Ontario French Language Services Act where they take money and “ensure” a high level of jobs to “bilingual”. It is only taxpayer money, who cares….
What we see along the Quebec border hospitals, is the Ontario taxpayer funded hospitals (remember the Ont. Health Tax at tax time) build bigger buildings to accomodate more Quebecers needing health services. Of course, we then need to provide bilingual services excluding residents then in many cases from jobs, but the hospital administration just see a cash cow.
I have no issue with providing medical services to Canadians who need it, but the western Quebecers should be demanding better health care for themselves, or at least pay the going rate here, Quebec only pays whatever rate they want and us stupid Ontario people accept it.
Roxane Bouchard
November 1, 2012 at 4:57 am
Very well said -its an illusion in Cornwall that there so much french.
Yes the Directors of the Hospital should be ashamed they should stick to operating the hospital; rather then pushing a political agenda,that clearly discriminates against the majority in the community.
@Roxane Bouchard RE: November 1, 2012 at 4:57 am POST
Roxanne wrote, “I am from a French family, went to French schools, volunteered for French organizations, worked for French companies and not once have I met someone from Cornwall who could not speak English.”
— Roxane, your comments seems to be the “voice of reason” beyond most I have seen so far. I believe that you are right that likely “ALL” supposed French in that area (and many areas for that matter) do speak English and understand English to varying degrees. Being exposed to the French and the French culture myself as well through my ancestry has given me some insight, and from what I have heard, it is a common occurrence now a days for the French NOT to speak English even if they can. It is sort of a passed on
— wink wink — “method of defiance” to show the English they will no longer revert to English to “accommodate” as they had in the past and thus force this issue that French MUST be used and therefore, NOT LOST as is so feared. I imagine this is the same type of fear that is also likely behind not allowing English and French kids to share the same school bus in certain areas. It is because of the (somewhat misguided and overblown, but appreciated) complete understanding of how easy it is to revert to English, so the French (especially the kids) will usually just revert to English and voila, according to some, their French is lost. But, doesn’t that just, show, or more accurately prove, how English IS a much easier language to pick up and thus should actually be revered as exactly that. An easy language that unites the whole world in trade and ease of communication when it comes to universal things like Air traffic control, health care and other such issues? After all, let’s be honest.. The “fear” is somewhat over blown. Even those kids on the bus, if well taught at home and school, would still retain their French as their mother tongue with English being a second language (which just so happens to be the “common language” of Canada.)
AND so, It seems this is precisely where your other well articulated comment would fit perfectly, “Be reasonable people this is stupid and unrealistic.”
Thanks for posting Roxane. I say again, I believe you are the voice of reason in this whole mess. Too bad “some others” who shall remain nameless, cannot open their eyes and their hearts and – be just as reasonable — and — just be realistic – so they can see that fairness and equality can work much better than attempted dominance and control. Getting along can indeed be much easier if both sides work at it realistically, and with reason and fairness. 🙂
There are plenty of French people in Cornwall but today’s generation speak both languages and only in a few cases do you see someone who is French who cannot speak English. Bilingualism is a very big asset but you have to learn it since kindergarden in a French school system.
I just read of an incident happening in Montreal between a passenger and a ticket agent and it went violent and there was a witness to what happened. Quebec is getting violent and they want French only. The article is on Sympatico. This is so crazy that it doesn’t even happen in France and places like that. Canada is really gone crazy in this language thing. If we shipped them back to France they would all be completely lost and that the French people of France would not accept them.
There are plenty of good nurses who are not bilingual and many just have the basic French. Well at least they would have an understanding to a point. The problem lies very deep when it comes to language and people can mistake one word for another very easily.
My daughter told me that there are plenty of French people in Cornwall but most speak English. Only the old timers have problems since they were not exposed to the education that we have today since many had to work to help support their families. Here in Ottawa we have Quebec across the bridge and there are plenty of anglophones who live there because the cost is much cheaper. People on this side of Quebec (west Quebec) speak English – the majority do.
Quebec is at it again especially now that Mme Marois is in Parliament and she may be hard line like Me Parizeau. I hope that it doesn’t erupt like the 60’s era or we may have to go and dig up old Pierre Trudeau to send in the army again. At least old Charles De Gaule is no longer around.
VIDEO – Yet another example of how institutionalized discrimination by a government (the Quebec government) trickles down to the citizens in the community who feel entitled and empowered to believe it is their duty to “tow the line” and discriminate JUST LIKE their own government does.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/10/31/montreal-stm-assault-savane-witness.html
I have NEVER supported the anti-Canadian stance of the Parti Quebecois and I have NEVER supported the Quebec separatist cause!
My husband just read the same article in Sympatico that I read and he said how terrible this is to happen. When we would go to Montréal and Québec City and elsewhere we always spoke French so the language was no problem for us. The only problem that we faced was when they saw an Ontario licence plate and then some of them would go nuts. My husband saw the woman’s name who was attacked and says that he thinks that she is Lebanese. I told him to look at her photo and she looks it.
In my husband’s country of Lebanon the large majority of young people and middle aged speak French. A lot of them are learning English and my husband’s nephew is teaching English as a second language there because English is the language of business. His wife has her doctor’s degree in IT (information technology) from the University of Southern California and teaches that subject in a university in Lebanon. She too is trilingual.
If you ever went to Europe or where my husband comes from and places like that there is no language discrimination and people are mighty helpful to others especially to strangers. What is going on in Québec is disgraceful and in my opinion this is all engineered. The world is in such a disaray nowadays that people are mighty stressed out and depressed.
“MAJORITY ONLY COUNTS AT ELECTIONS”
puzzled…..your moniker suits you but I will try to “unpuzzle” you OK? ca-vas?
First of all puzzled, what is puzzling, is that you are puzzled for nothing, there is nothing to be puzzled about….compris?
It’s your buddies that keep talking revolution, not I. My agitation level is getting quite serious and I am so agitated …….almost suicidal over this language issue and it’s making me become very vilolent. Thinking you would make a very good analyst your observations are acute. **smile**
and even with that stella, the majority of canadians didn’t vote for stephen harper, yet he wins a majority.
jules
November 1, 2012 at 4:40 pm
“The only problem that we faced was when they saw an Ontario licence plate and then some of them would go nuts.”
That saddens me do they hate Anglais that much ,that Ontario person could as well have been french …should you judge somebody just for a licence plate ? Racist !
stellabystarlight
November 1, 2012 at 4:49 pm
“It’s your buddies that keep talking revolution, not I. My agitation level is getting quite serious and I am so agitated …….almost suicidal over this language issue and it’s making me become very vilolent.”
Not to worry stella you just need to except you have a problem ,hell we all know you have many issues….. perhaps now you can except and hopefully contact a psychiatrist.
Diagnosis -OCD accompanied with delusion perhaps brought on hidden resentment for anglophones creating an acute psychosis .
Needless to say you need help! -Hate to see another Human being suffer in such a way!
Join us to support Heather & ALL the other professionals who have felt the sting of language discrimination!
Language Fairness for All Protest
WHEN: Wednesday November 7th, 2012 3 to 5 pm
WHERE: In front of the Cornwall Community Hospital
WHY: English is the working language of Canada, and much of the world. A grasp of ALL other languages should be considered an asset, but not mandatory. People are equal, but languages are not.
PROTEST FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
MISSION: Fair hiring practices for ALL Canadians through representation by population.
BRING: A positive attitude, and signs stating our goal towards EQUALITY and NO DISCRIMINATION!
Everyone is Welcome to join our protest. Make a difference today.
http://www.languagefairnessforall.org
108 Second St. West
PO Box 194
Cornwall, ON
K6J 1G0
613-363-7555
Tough sh*t to haul on this one friends. So far they are holding the cards with th command and demand for Frencg-A and nominal English in all government(3 levels) and health service.
Next it will be the police and fire departments where in order to get to sargeant and beyond dual languages are already required, but front lines will be next.
This is a sunami and Sandy hurricane all at once. You’ve seen Louise Beaudun on national US tv declaring 82% of Quebecors want unilingual french, so forget about a so called Canadian Constitution or Bill of Rights or even a UN declaration to change their minds.
All jobs wether you or I care otherwise, within 10 years will require some semblance of both languages even if in the privaate services such as retail shops, management at most levels, will require duplicity, spoken and written.
the only way to fight an elephant in the room in our case is to vote him out, then try, just try to level him out to accept a by the community numbers for hiring requirements, otherwise………………………….I wish I had a better solution at this stage.
@Dukers1 RE: November 2, 2012 at 11:15 am POST
Duckers1 wrote. “The only way to fight an elephant in the room in our case is to vote him out”
–Alright and, who on earth are we supposed to “put in” then? An independent on our side is the only thing I can think about.
And yes, you are right; we are in a tough spot. But, it was only by a number of small steps that we find ourselves where we are today. It was NOT just simply – ONE all encompassing event that MADE THINGS what we know now.
The one thing we (the English) have to our major advantage is that we are the majority. We SHOULD be able to use that to our advantage. We simply MUST use that to our advantage in light of those things you have pointed out. These bilingualism restrictions on jobs MUST be repealed/turned back/reversed. MUST…
Duckers1 wrote, “I wish I had a better solution.”
We must ACT… We can no longer sit on our duffs and wait for someone else. And, through this action we must find our leader.
Language should never be superior to education .
In this country it is !!!! Simply by not accepting a resume because of language disregards the education or experience one has.
Imagine the many lost opportunities foresaken because of language.
Imagine how many are not working in their educated feild just because they did not get an A- ????????
It is my understanding that MADAME Periard got her job as an appointment through her husbands networking with the city. Influence peddling matters, but what about CEO cerdentials,,,,what ‘ticket did she have over what a head hunted would have required for such a position………similar to a phony accreditation? Time to take her golden parachute handshake I think because the fan has spread far and wide since her ‘appointment” wink, wink.
There was an old saying and maybe its still around..something like ‘People who can’t find a real job become teachers. No offense intended. We love our ‘teachers’ and are thankful for them. I understand she was really appreciated for her career.
However, that causes one to wonder where the qualifications came from for running a hospital, especially one on fire as this one was under her tutalage.
Was personnel hiring of retired Mr. Alan G. now under contract to
CCH personnel to be their hatchet man for the sole purposes of installing an overloaded crew of French-A hires with standard English or less brought in under her tutalage ass well.
Was the purpose of telling the community that Cornwall General Hospital at 2nd and Marlborough was to be the cities designated only hospital a few years back due to its stronger English nature a way of screwing those staff because the longer plan was to switch to a more french oriental hospital in the first place?
Perhaps not, but we all know what happened to the majority of those valid and valuable staff members………dumped in favor of keeping the old Hotel Dieu staff, especially those who were well networked in the french and social sphere.
Raw resentment all around for far too many years have stressed this city far too long. Add to all that B.S. these three henchmen at the CCH have perpitrated even more undue and untoward stress on the staff and the citizens of this city………….over compesating towards a french only hiring policy.
Has anyone noticed that all departments have been pretty much transferred to the new CCH site EXCEPT the Psyciatry Unit…….for what may I ask, why or better yet where are they to fit into the grand scheming of things in the near future. Is this not considered an illness by the administration of CCH that they are the forgotten few?
MY GOD, WHEN IS THIS STUPIDITY ON THE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION GOING TO STOP?
This administration needs to be fired forethwith as they have caused a sham, a mockery on this fair and good city such as no other we’ve had occasion to be saddled with.
We the people VOTE!!!!!!!!
November 2, 2012 at 1:58 pm quoted….
@Dukers1 RE: November 2, 2012 at 11:15 am POST
Duckers1 wrote. “The only way to fight an elephant in the room in our case is to vote him out”
–Alright and, who on earth are we supposed to “put in” then? An independent on our side is the only thing I can think about.
In answer to your question, my comment was pretty much on a national scale and surely there will be many others who we could get behind, however personally I would vote for Chris Cameron in almost any national or independent party he choose. As you know no current party has the guts to stand up, be tall and do the right thing.
If you and I come out of our closets from these great blogosphere perhaps I would even support YOU. I’m so upset with this unfortunate turn on the English set of events, how our language and county men/women are being mistreated, I could just spit. (Makes a lot more sense than suicide).
Personally my English literacy is over punctuated and spelled in such away I would be sitting in a corner before my first day was up. All kidding aside, and aside from only having a minuscule or smidge of french I am also to into the higher nos. when counting my days. My history of dealing with stress would also take its toll to quickly. So, really I am out.
Chris would not only be not only in for this community, but would be a shewe’in or is that Shawinigan………for the counties, I think he and all party entries must go for the throat, the whole cow, that is MP not MPP because as we have seen, this sh*t runs downhill and that’s a damn big elephant, man..
Edudyorlik. A big, capital letter THANK YOU for your wisdoms and follow ups.
We the people………VOTE!!!!!!!
Then there’s Howard Galganov………who better than one so committed than he………….sure, lets all get together and hijack this dedicated, thinking of you and me, fine intelligent driving forse on behalf of fairness, as much as, or even more so than our good friend chris Cameron.
What says Howard…….proven and true. I now say Howard, sorry Chris….love your work and dedication too man.
All of a sudden everyone is quiet. What, did I hit a raw nerve with the truth on October 31, 2012 at 7:13 pm above?
Chalange me for gods sake. Tell me I am wrong, as if you would be bekievavble any more than I. Give it your best shot.
Convince me I;m out to lunch here, or did you suddenly wake up?
I’m from Montreal, Quebec. I speak French and English… French being my mother tongue. My GF speak English and French… English being her mother tongue. I truly beleive that the preservation of the French language and culture in North America require the soveringhty of Quebec.
We are a lot in Quebec not in favor of “le multiculturalisme” as it is damageable for both Quebec and the ROC… Just not for the same reasons. Let’s make Quebec a country instead of making Canada bilingual.
It would make things much simplier to have two countries, two languages. And why not being good friends.
@Simon Patry RE: November 5, 2012 at 4:44 pm POST
Simon wrote, “I truly beleive that the preservation of the French language and culture in North America require the soveringhty of Quebec.”
AND
Simon wrote, “Let’s make Quebec a country instead of making Canada bilingual.”
AND
Simon wrote, “It would make things much simplier to have two countries, two languages. And why not being good friends.”
— I agree with you Simon. Perfect… The French and the French culture are indeed distinct. Take Quebec and leave the ROC alone… We can enjoy each other from a distance.
It’s just THAT much easier. And, i suggest that you, —
(as i am told they say on some t.v. show)
— “Make it so number 1.”
@Dukers1
Sometimes I get what you are saying and other times I want to say, “Watchyou talking about Willis!”
I love Canada and my Canada includes Quebec! And I can tell you that any movement that doesn’t feel the same way will NEVER get my support.
Ah M. Simon Patry ma vieille branche, j’chu ben d’accord… presque.
If everyone is willing to accept the financial costs, the shared cultural loss, and all the inconveniences of a virtually partitioned Canada with Quebec in between, and moreover accept the risk that the United States of America will formally overwhelm us both, well then yeah.
Mais d’apres moi, ca ne vaut pas la peine…
@Simon RE: November 5, 2012 at 7:41 pm POST
Simmon wrote (or, should that be Simon said? 🙂
“If everyone is willing to accept the financial costs”
— It is actually ONLY Quebec that SHOULD bear any costs at all as they are the ones who have enormous amounts of Canadian public buildings, highways and infrastructure investment there which was paid for by the ROC over the years, and NOT the other way around.
“the shared cultural loss”
— S’alright. We’re close by, we can still visit to say bonjour every now and then 🙂
“and all the inconveniences of a virtually partitioned Canada with Quebec in between”
— Nope, it’s mutually agreed that these areas become “no mans land.” Neither party has ownership. They are mutually accessible and usable areas for ALL Canadians. YOU COULD actually say these areas will be the ONLY TRUE remaining “forced bilingual” areas as anyone working in gas stations or motels or whatever along those strips MUST absolutely KNOW both languages and I am not talking broken English for the French side either like what we see now being calling bilingual to the French side right now.
“and moreover accept the risk that the United States of America will formally overwhelm us both”
Fantasy stuff invented to as a scare tactic so we don’t entertain the reality that separation IS THE ONLY “REAL” SOLUTION.
And this is the perfect spot to add in…
@John Macdonald RE: November 5, 2012 at 6:32 pm POST
John wrote, “I love Canada and my Canada includes Quebec!”
— I love Canada too John, and lord knows I tried. I tried for years. I even went down to hold my candlelight vigil in 95 saying,. Don’t go… We all tried for years to appease Quebec and make everything all nice and warm and fuzzy for them. As a matter of fact, we are even still trying to this day with all the money the majority English people spend on various things to help the French and so on. But, all we have gotten in return is them removing our flag, spitting in our collective faces, prancing around in the thousands on Baptist day beating anyone who would dare hold a Canadian flag, not to mention passing fascist laws that make the lives of the English people still living in that province a virtual living nightmare. A province where they also feel like second class citizens.
NOPE, we’ve done enough. There is a limit… There is just too much difference in culture and we definitely cannot stand by and let this situation carry on with ALL jobs in Canada becoming bilingual only jobs so that we are then forced TO ALL learn French just to make a living in our own majority English country. NOPE. Ain’t gonna happen. Enough is enough…
I do love Canada. It has to be the best place on this planet to live but, sorry it doesn’t include the type of Quebec I see now that beats my fellow Canadians just because they speak English and passes laws that makes this country’s common language illegal.
Someone wrote, “I want to live in is the peaceful and loving Canada that it has always been, but unfortunately, some don’t like peace and harmony…….they want to control and change it to suit themselves no matter what it takes”
Ah yes, the days BEFORE the “non peaceful” “non loving” violent FLQ in Canada. Weren’t they into “control” and “change to suite themselves no matter what it takes?” YUP… they even murdered an innocent man in the name of their cause.
Sure, that may have been some time ago but, that was the precursor to things like the quiet revolution then Bill 101 which, correct me if I am wrong, is also about “control.”
Also, someone keeps saying, “so what about Quebec. It doesn’t matter what
they do. This is Ontario.” Well, I have news for that person
Ontario, Quebec, whatever. It’s all happening in MY country and what
they are doing in Quebec is affecting my fellow Canadians that still
live there and ARE STILL CANADIAN citizens who pay taxes in this
country and DO NOT deserve to be treated as second class in their own
country. They deserve our outcry as well.
So, just a friendly reminder … You know where you can stuff that “it
doesn’t matter it’s in Quebec.” Because, it DOES matter. It matters
to me, it matters to those that are being repressed in their own
country and it matters to many people here in this forum as well.
Oh, and further more, for whatever reasons, — we simply LET THEM do
what they have done and are doing in the “province” of Quebec. As a
result they seem to believe they can continue on and simply repeat the
process in other areas — OUTSIDE the “province” of Quebec, but I
have news… We ALL HAVE NEWS … WE ARE NOT NOT going to let that happen.
This is our country. And though we had the opportunity to take
complete “control” (if you never admit anything else YOU MUST ADMIT
THIS REALITY) over the French, we were nice and “tried” for some
semblance of fairness. And what did the French do? They took
advantage of it.
This arrogant “we are French thus we deserve more” and “we are French
and despite being the minority you, — the majority– are going to do
things our way” is nonsense and MUST STOP.
Oh and, have a nice day eh 🙂
Hi,
I am pretty much in the same situation as Simon Patry. I am separatist but I am able to enjoy the Canadian, American, French from France and Quebec cultures because I am able to speak and understand 2 languages.
To me, it does not make sense to obligate all governmental institutions from BC to New F to be able to answer in both languages. I know it’s not something that Quebecers are asking for either, it has been put in place by Pierre E Trudeau to pull the wool over the eyes of the Quebecers.
Let’s stop wasting our money in trying to make Canada Bilingual when nobody wants it.
@JF Carriere RE: November 6, 2012 at 9:33 am POST
Bravo JF Carriere. If i understand you correctly i say again A HUGE BRAVO…
JF Carriere wrote, “I am pretty much in the same situation as Simon Patry. I am separatist. To me, it does not make sense to obligate all governmental institutions from BC to New F to be able to answer in both languages. I know it’s not something that Quebecers are asking for either.”
That makes so much sense.
I guess you could call me “a separatist” (on the other side) as well. I believe the French culture is different and “distinct” enough to warrant Quebec being a separate country. And, even though i know French myself, I don’t believe it is necessary for all Canadians to know French. That is completely CRAZY to expect and push for ALL Canadians to know French in the ROC.
I am sure we could all get along just fine. Your “crew” could have “French ONLY (mostly)” Quebec and we could have “English ONLY (mostly)” Canada. I still believe providing Federal services to both respective places in their respective language is accomplishable and should be done.
There, problem solved. No more animosity and no more wasted billions of dollars.
Together, we have solved this problem JF. Let’s have a drink, Oui Oui 🙂
PS: COULD YOU PULLEEEASE have a chat with Tremblay and Stella (and a few others) 🙂 about this. It would be SOOooo nice if they would just understand and accept things just like you say here. Break it to them gently. Stella is a tad bit sensitive 🙂
JF Carriere, edudyorlik both voices of common sense. Too many polititians are pushing too many buttoms on Trudeau’s behalf, yet I am not so sure that Pierre wanted all this disruption, job loss due to unilingualism, disparity of incomes and anger amongsy Canadians, pited against each other.
This is not for polititians, it is for and has been desired by the rank and file that a voluntary selection for self of one or two languages of national interest.
One thing I recall P.E.T. alluding to and that was that the government had no business in the bedrooms of the nation. This linguistic issue is as much a so called bedroom issue as any.
I see my thoughts on French-A vs. English standard for hiring and future advance comparisons got cut. Oh well, sometimes the truth is just too much for some people.
I’ll take the message and sit tight for now.
Second attempt……
Dukers1 October 31, 2012 at 7:28 pm
We the people ……VOTE
French-A is the only accepted standard for hiring in a bilingual environment whilst substandard English is granted a pass.
Now WHY IS THAT.
Well I’m going to tell you that I just had an epiphany. The reason why is deliberate in terms of long term thinking. Where do you think these people will end up in 20, 30 years from now, or even earlier? Guess a logical pool to draw on from any internal rise to power would be those over educated French ‘people who were purposely placed, as these guys are the ones administrative, CEO stripes to perpetuate the French leadership in every segment of Canadian society. Do you and now all the others see the wool now, that is the wool being pulled over our eyes?
This is not only smart, but damned frightening.
Imagine the insidiousness of this snake like creeping in the grass that is going on in all aspects of government, business, life itself here in all society of our fair Canada.
Imagine the day when these SMART, FULL OF WISDOM NEOPHITE DICTATORS IN THIS NOW OLIGARCHY SOCIETY will rue the day that they finally come to their senses, once all is said and done and the ENGLISH and all others (Allophones) will be told that the bilingualism of Canada is NO LONGER AFFORDABLE.
Do you know what comes next dear Rosie? You guessed it, the decision will be made that English schools, English duplication of translations from french, English signing and any Allophones will be required to be unilingual FRENCH….YIKS…………for heavens sake and eureka I got it. THATS THE PLAN AAAAANNNNNDDDDDDD ITS WORKING, falling right into their hands, right up their sneaky sleeves.
There can be no other ulterior motive. First we undercut at every stage, then, when nobody is looking, when nobody is able to defend, they’ll let the hammer down. KAPOW, right in the groin.
The Muslims want to rake over the world by overpopulating it and by burning, killing and pillaging all non Muslims…….at least that’s what the terrorist entities have in mind…….subliminal and smart…….while the non Muslims want to fight for abortions, both family members striving for incomes……WHILE THE FRENCH ARE STEELING OUR OWN MONEY TO SUBLIMINALLY DOWNSIZING THEIR OPPOSITION BOTH IN NUMBERS AS WELL AS INCOMES.
How dumb have we been. Time to see the light now isn’t it. Everything else, this bitching and feuding is small potatoes to the world plan now isn’t it.
Time for all ‘Alliphones, be told that keeping their own culture/religion is fine but in order to gain full acceptance with benefits, they must learn and have a working knowledge in English.
Hey, only Quebec can speak for Quebec……English only please in the ROC, but all other languages on a personal desire and volunteer basis.
@Dukers1 RE: November 6, 2012 at 5:54 pm POST
Duckers1 wrote, “I am not so sure that Pierre wanted all this disruption, job loss due to unilingualism, disparity of incomes and anger amongst Canadians, pited against each other.”
— There is no way to REALLY know what he thought or wanted but, he has indeed left us with some interesting morsels to chew on while debating these issues and questions.
I hesitate a guess that maybe he just figured that having read the tea leaves and the personality traits of the English (compared to the French) correctly, he then surmised that we would all just simply, and sadly, do (and I include myself with somewhat of a caveat) what we have basically done for the past 30 some odd years.
AND THAT IS … NOTHING… We have sat idly by and let this all happen. What started out as a gesture of inclusion has been warped and hijacked into what we see today, and part of the blame for this is our own apathy. There is, of course, more depth to this story which does deserve a more profound telling but, that is best served in a different forum. What does need to be said here however is, we are now on the brink and MUST no longer bow to apathy and indifference. We NEED to heed the warning signs of this situation as it is literally threatening to consume the English of this country and position it under the umbrella of something “they” call bilingualism which in essence, is nothing less than EVERYONE MUST know French to be Canadian. And THAT is what is at stake here. If, for no one else, this “push back” must take place for our children and their children. If Canada must be divided then so be it, but SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.
PS: There is nothing wrong with having French as a second language in Canada. A language that we can all enjoy and learn “IF WE CHOOSE.”
JF Carriere
November 6, 2012 at 9:33 am
“To me, it does not make sense to obligate all governmental institutions from BC to New F to be able to answer in both languages.”
Let’s stop wasting our money in trying to make Canada Bilingual when nobody wants it.
I may agree with the above statements,but I must disagree that a separate Quebec would be beneficial to Quebecers .
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I think there can be little doubt that language skill can and should be a key factor in the employee selection process. To me, the real crime is how somewhere along Heather Villeneuve’s family tree someone decided to rob family members of their French language. Had her forebears acted responsibly, French would still be a cornerstone of the Villeneuve family identity.