Hi Folks ,
I would like to thank my fellow protesters for standing up for their principles; for their is no greater honour.
To make a stand on what is clearly discriminatory hiring policy and to encourage others to stand up against this social atrocity is our purpose.
Canada has been chastised by the United Nation with regards to language laws on a number of occasions. But Canada, feeling more SUPERIOR to the most culturally diverse political body the world has ever known – chose to ignore and chastised them for being involved in this Canadian issue!
We as a group, continue to grow and daily become more determined to advocate/fight for Government accountability in equitable hiring practices.
Many, many Government institutions have used the hiring policy as a political tool that unjustly discriminates against the majority of Canadians.
Therefore we promise to continue advocating for fair hiring practices for ALL through Activism and demonstration at the many provincial as well as federal institutions.
As for Bad government policy one must remember…….
It was not that long ago that excepted policy was……
1-Slavery!
2-Women were not allowed to vote!
3-Segregation in the United States -(we now have in Canada – French only clinics)!
4-Apartheid!
5-Native assimilation -residential school programs!
In my profession as a Registered Nurse I am to treat all people with the same respect and to advocate for patients in their best interest.
.
I feel its my duty as well as civic responsibility to advocate for responsible government .
It is only human nature to take advantage of a situation that benefits an individual or groups of individuals.
As in our Canadian case it is clearly language over merit; but when does MORALITY become part of that equation?
Take care my fellow Canadians,
Christopher Cameron RN
Cornwall, ON
(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.)
Refused by the bank? Call Dale O’Dair today
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Low….thinking you have to find some new ideas to ramble on about…..it’s getting tedious **s** Yep, donate towards the progress of radical activisim……
Wondering where Dave Windsor’s letter went?
Totally agree,why are we the 96% majority allowing the minority to govern the majority,just does not make any sense at all
Government is continually chipping away at our rights and freedoms…..bit by bit, day by day. Eastern Ontario is NOT a bilingual province, yet the 96% of the anglophone population in this province are not even considered for any government jobs. We have seen the Eastern Ontario Health Unit hire only 100% bilingual and Cornwall Community Hospital advertising for people to work in the morgue and must French. Our local St. Lawrence College(& Laurentian University) trains many extremely well qualified nurses, all to be forced to leave the city, even the country to find work. Not that there isn’t any employment in Cornwall, they are shipping nurses in from Quebec!
Then let us not forget the sign bylaws. Do people not realize that in Russell township it is ILLEGAL to post an ENGLISH sign…….YES ILLEGAL!!!!!!! People are losing their rights and freedoms!!!!!! We need to wake up the people to see what our liberal government is doing. Taking away our rights and freedoms and creating an illusion that everyone in Ontario is bilingual…..remember 4%!!!
I urge everyone to start standing up. Do whatever you can to speak up. Write a letter to your MP/MPP, get involved by taking the time to get out to a protest rally with the LFA(Cornwall) or CLF(Ottawa) or even if you don’t have time, make a donation to LGA, CLF or to Howard Galgonov that is still fighting this sign bylaw issue.
PLEASE take some time to consider how you can help protect your rights!
Obviously, the French Extremists can’t see past the end of their nose . . . and we most certainly need to continue to stand and fight for “Equality for All” in all issues !
It is only a few in Quebec that are racist extremist against English,most see through this atrocity of justice & support fair language by population.My many french relatives wish to be removed from this atrocity which they say is giving them a bad name
Beth Trudeau-Official Spokesperson of Canadians for Language Fairness interviewd this morning on Sun News.
Thanks Beth for speaking about CCH’s discriminatory hiring policies.
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/featured/news/868018287001/the-language-police-are-coming/1781717324001
If I could have one wish, it would be for EVERY CANADIAN to watch this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BceqgZjUgU8&feature=em-share_video_user
SILENCE=CONSENT
Please talk about language discrimination,we do live in a democracy-RIGHT????
This should be a wake-up call for all Canadian citizens.
It is this attitude of, ‘oh well, what can we do, that’s just the way it is?’ that got us into this mess to begin with. To echo Lolochuck’s comment, indeed, write to your M.P.P/M.P! Attend a protest with CLF or LFA to support us if you believe in equal employment opportunities for all.
This issue is nothing short of segregated poverty. Many of us are forced to leave our cities of origin just to find work. I find this unacceptable and will now begin to fight this tooth and nail.
If my next government job interview finds that I am not the successful candidate due to language issues then you can bet that there will be a Northern chapter of Language Fairness for All to fight for that Silent Majority.
People are waking up now to this. I give it 2 or 3 years before this policy is over with.
We will make sure of this.
Si je vais te voir chris et je suis malade, tu ne comprends pas le français…vas-tu aller voir un de tes collègues ? Si tu fais toujours ça, es-tu dans la bonne profession ? Peux tu comprendre la misère qu’un francophone doit passer à travers en Ontario ? Je crois que non. Tu blâme, tu critiques ton patron sur la voie public…pour 30 % de la population des services dans leur langue. Ce n’est pas trop demandé ??
C’est pas le sujet Patrick!
Le sujet c’est la chance d’avoir une position a temps plein pour les Anglophones. Tout les gens devrais avoir la chance d’avoir une position a temp plein, pas juste les gens francophones. Ce n’est pas trop demande aussi?
Patrick why don’t you ask the government to fund your own French website and you can babble on there.
Yes, fighting tooth and nail for fairness……toppling the ignorant here(ahem…throat clearing) and that crappy Liberal government!
Patrick you are the perfect picture of ethnocentrism indeed.
Why in God’s name would you ask Chris Cameron a question in french when you know dam well he’s English!!!
FRENCH FIRST,RIGHT PATRICK!!!
FRENCH FIRST!!!!
Well it could always be worse. We could have Mike harris friend and then we’d be in a REAL mess…and worse off. The advantage I have lolochuk is that your not the admin, and, It seems that logic escapes you and that i can speak and write in both official languages.
Cory, mais tu as la chance d’avoir l’emploi que tu veux… Peut-être ta conjointe devrait te parler plus souvent en français..c’est une question de pratique. Essaie toi. Tu vas te surprendre j’en suis sûr.
Fighting tooth and nail for fairness doesnt mean eliminate the rights that francophones fought hard to have…and they’ll fight doubly hard to keep.
It isn’t just the public office jobs that aren’t available for ALL this inscideous plan of frenchification is creeping into the private sector. It takes 20 letters/emails to an MP for it to be an issue for them. So write, write, write.
Yet 39 complaints out of an entire country has the language police at the airports.
Wow if its French related they will deal with it ,English get to the back of the bus -that’s your place.
Patrick they will fight for their rights but careful fight and push too hard ,they may not like the push back,for the more they fight for that superiority clause ,the more the majority wakes up to this.
It’s too bad they did not fight in WW 2 instead of cowarding in Quebec,they had the lowest enrollment in Canada.
Just a few questions:
Does anyone know if the money spent on bilingualism that has been publicly stated include education; such as to pay for french elementary and secondary schools? If it does than many in this group have misquoted what the money is being spent on!!!
If it is just for signage and to inforce bilingual policy then this is ridiculous. However, I highly doubt this is true and may be used as another scare tactic!
Also, Beth Trudeau shame on you for saying all of our children are fleeing out west because they can’t get jobs exclusively due to this language debacle…………….and then in another breath state the entire country is forcing all of its civil servants to be bilingual…………..WHICH ONE IS IT??????????
Thank You,
Mike Bedard
It’s abhorrent that bilingualism is considered essential for all gov’t jobs in Ontario.
This creates an elitist caste for any ethnic group where language is essential and other merits are not. If you can’t find someone amongst the majority to staff a position then you have to bring in someone from somewhere else to staff it! Are you telling me that 100% of employees need to be French (bilingua) for 4% of the population?
Any wonder English speaking people are upset at this situation. Whenever the parking lots of our gov’t offices are chalked full of vehicles who have licence plates from Quebec you can be rest assured that there is something wrong here…
It is no laughing matter that most of the young educated people have moved west. Think about this. How many wanted to move west in order to find jobs? I for one, would have loved to have settled in the town where I grew up in. I have been socially and economically impacted by these gov’t policies.
Time to change things up here a bit.
Mike the bilingualism policy is not enforced fascist like out there……..yet!
As of June of this year, it is illegal to have a private business sign in English only in the Province of Ontario – French must be included!
I am wondering how other ethnic groups excluding English and French speaking Ontarians feel about this?
It behoves us to stand up for our God given rights, because if we do not, then we do not deserve our freedoms. The words of Patrick Henry in St. John’s Church, Richmond, VA “GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!” on March 23m 1775 ring out loud and clear.
PrOEnglish has me on many ads on their website.
Regards.
Ken
COrey, come on what a complete crock!!
First off mike the numbers of beth trudeau are a complete fabrication. Add is up yourself, the true figures of official bilingualism are 2.1 billion a year. Now, add it up since 1982..or even 1969, they don’t add up to 3,3 trillion. Even if you factor in the fact the it didnt cost 2.1 billion in 1969. IT IS NOT ILEGAL to have an english only sign, just in Russell. ANd I applaud their decision. They know how tough it is for francophones in Ontario, Mr Brisson and Mr Crack know that it good economical policy to promote the two most spoken languages in their town. You can’t put up a french only sign either, and I’m ok with it. The population of russell is roughly 55 % to 45%, ce n’est pas trop demandé. And NO it is not a case of freedom of expression because even that has limits.
Cory……..had you stayed in your hometown you would be in the same demise you are in now. Cornwall is a blue collar town like in mill town….got that??? You would have had to move anyhow……so quit saying people had to move because they could not speak french. Don’t blame all your problems or the world problems on french language **s**
It is extremely shameful that the parking lots of the government offices are full of vehicles with Quebec licence plates . . . when there’s plenty of folks right in your own area that could be working there instead. Years ago, Quebec had a stupid policy of not allowing folks from other provinces to work in Quebec – not sure if that’s still in force today or not but really – why are Quebec folks allowed to work in Ontario ? – Shouldn’t they be working in the province that they live in . . .
Good morning Patrick,
Thanks for making my job so so easy this sunny morning…
You wrote:
“They know how tough it is for francophones in Ontario”
Really eh? How tough is it? What planet are you living on, Moonbeck?
Preferential hiring treatment…for 4% of the population
Gov’t services in the French language to appease you…for 4% of the population.
“IT IS NOT ILEGAL to have an english only sign, just in Russell. ANd I applaud their decision.”
You don’t get it….It should be up to the individual business owner on whether or not he/she/they decide to have whatever language they want to on their signs. Don’t like it Patrick, don’t shop there buddy!
“You can’t put up a french only sign either, and I’m ok with it.”
Again, should be up to the individual. Going for the gusto here with you this morning though….Here goes!
“And NO it is not a case of freedom of expression because even that has limits.”
You would limit a business owner as to what language they advertise in Patrick? Thank Christ you’re not in power, Heil Patrick! What!? Are you saying that this little bit of advertising in someone’s language of choice has as you say:
“…NO it is not a case of freedom of expression because even that has limits.”
As if, man!
Stella Cornwall has not been a mill town for over a decade now.
Patrick, Francophones have not fought hard for “rights”, they just ask and get their way.
There are 4 townships in Ontario not one, that have restricted use of English signs. And stopping a business or a person from putting up, or walking with a sign, within community standards of course, is wrong!
Man made the rules, man can change them!
Stand up for your rights for another will take them away .
As in economics for one to gain another loses ,the same can be said for language rights .
The minority has more rights then the majority ,Its very simple If you don’t speak up someone else will speak for you !
Therefore when these language laws were passed -nobody spoke up therefore the government assumes you agree -yet that was not the majorities intention .
When the french services language act was passed -very few knew about it.
The act was passed by 55 out of 125 members -in french and in the middle of the night .
Check it out its all official in gov documentation -Hansard report 1986 -but a small fraction of people knew of this -And we have the nerve to call ourselves a democracy?
***smile***
Am reading the comments, this morning am astonished with the prevailing attitude of the language gestapo (French minority) on this site. Guess, the attitude is…so what, if the language polices discriminates against the English majority (your fellow citizens/neighbours). Afterall, they benefit me and mine and f***k the rest, right?
First of all, Official Bilingualism (OB) and Official Languages Act (OLA) serves as a Franco job affirmation action. OB and OLA policies and agendas, also serves as a means and tool of “frenchifying” the Rest of Canada (ROC). Originally sold to English Canada (by Trudeau) as ensuring that across Canada, French and English citizens could receive Federal Government services in both languages.
As you well know, OB and OLA has morphed into all segments of Government (Municipal, Provincial and Federal). Increasingly, it is also being adopted by private industry.
The reality is that Government should not be dictating what language, a business provides services in. Afterall, if the majority of a businesses customers are English or French, it would make good business sense to provide English or French services. If, business is in the business of making money, it behooves them to provide services in the language of their customers. Otherwise, they will not be in business for long, right?
As customers, you have the right to choose where you shop and spend your monies. For example, I put my monies where my politics are and choose NOT to shop Quebec (merchandise, exports, goods and services) or French only, businesses. That is my right, to endorse and financially support my fellow English countryman. Not to mention, why would I shop in a French only business, as my preferred language is English???
Would encourage everyone to endorse and financially support the business and services that best reflects YOUR language of choice! That way, everyone (English and French) would be happy.
Instead of forcing bilingual signage on private industry, the business should have signage that reflects the language of services and goods provided…it only makes sense! Anything else is implying that services are available in both languages, which is not necessarily or likely the case.
Surely, the French have the capacity to financially endorse a business of their choosing, as well. Am sure that the French businesses will be the ultimate losers in this game, as they need the English customers/money. Whereas, the English do not need to cater to such a small minority to survive. It’s really that simple…put your money where your mouth (or language) is!!!
I believe in Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression…afterall, this is Canada NOT Nazi Germany.
Canada should be majority (English) ruled and not minority (French) governed.
Patrick ,
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Dead in Canada
It should be up to the business owner
what he/she wants on their sign !
The only limitation should be defamation of cultural or religious !
I don’t think you can comprehend what “freedom of expression ”
means -that or you do not believe in freedom of expression!
So true Highlander! Individuals investing their own money should be allowed to promote their business as they see fit. Wether it be in French, English, Italian, Spanish,etc. It is their right and their option to serve a certain clientele.
Quebec forcing their citizens to stay in a French School and trying to force all employers to remain as french only if they have more than 10 employees (currently 50 but 10 is waht the Party Quebecoise is promoting) is not only backwards thinking but scares away foreign investors and even those from English speaking Canada!
We must ensure we do not sink to this level and ensure we are as neutral and as bountiful as possible!!!
Please stop saying everyone is leaving Ontario for the West!!! Most people in a small urban City such as Cornwall migrate to bigger metroplis for work! This is commun due to simple demographics!
Also a clear argument can be that more youth have left the City of Cornwall and stayed in Ontario or Quebec more so than moved out west! Stop publicly stating false information. Please you have great topic worth proving but jump all over the place with inconsitent statements and draw too many false conclusions which are killing your cause!
P.S. – Please do not assume that I am a francophone due to my last name!! My father is but my mother is Anglophone and I speak french but not extremely well!
Thank You,
Mike Bedard
Jamie…..you are absolutely right!!! But what is left since the mills closed? Except for teaching, nursing and a few good jobs here and there, Cornwall did not have much to offer therefore people had to move in order to get good opportunities and a better life. To blame it on language alone is not fair nor is it true.
Hello Karen Harris…your post is right on the money. Just to clarify, Quebec residents have NO restrictions to work in Ottawa or Ontario. Quebec, however, does restrict Ontario workers to work in that Province. Quite right, it should be mandatory to employ Ottawa or Ontario residents for ALL jobs in our City or Province.
We should also mandate/endorse that all: services, goods, merchandise and exports originate from OUR Province or City, before seeking same outside the Province of Ontario.
It’s not just Government offices/departments that have a massive number of Quebec plates, in their parking lots…it’s also all the hospitals and clinics!
These plates represent the vast amount of Quebec residents that are employed in Ottawa but also the huge number of Quebec citizens who are seeking their health care in Ottawa/Ontario. Another component to this discussion, is that Quebec should be providing health care to their own residents…NOT Ontario!!!
IF, it is so “special” in Quebec…one would have to wonder why Quebec residents continue to flood Ottawa and Ontario, on a daily basis!
So in a sense I could have a sign outside my business saying.. how to exterminate the franco ontarien culture…oh, no mr galganov did that.
-so I could put sexual pictures, swear words on my signs and that would mean freedom of expression.
my freedom of expression = La Liberté d´expression
(qui appartient au domaine public) oblige son auteur à toute réserve offensive. So having signs in front of your store saying boycott french stores wouldnt be ok in my book.
– ¨monsieur galgavov n’avait pas qualité d’agir, il n’aurait même pas du partir le bal, il est prouvé que l’affichage a un impact sur la langue, les francophones perdent du terrain et promouvoir la langue peut aider¨Ronald Caza.. the man is a genius
Yes Stella, hospital jobs, government jobs, which is why so many that have lived here all their lives want fair access to them, no?
Let me say this: It is easy to blame another or the system for one’s failures or problems. There is no law that restricts anyone from finding gainful employment in another province or city. One should not condemn people who have the initiative and fortitude to get ahead in life……it’s all about determination and the will to succeed. Instead of blaming a culture and trying to brainswash people about your woes and pounding the pavement to garner support, your time would be better spent trying to get your own life in order and bite the bullet like so many of us had to do…..**s**
Stella I bite the bullet each and every day. However in the distant past I was a victim of language BS over a gig with the Census. They tested my French three times; essentially until I failed for a position that didn’t require bilingualism. Not cool. And yes, this was here in Cornwall.
There’s a real issue and the less it’s dealt with the stronger the position of the real zealots. Petty injustice leads to grave injustice.
You can pooh pooh it all you wish, but the more this impacts more people the more people will take a stand….
Jamie……..there are just so many good jobs available in a city of 46.000 population. If we were talking about a larger population, then perhaps I could agree with you to a certain point. There is no way in hell those FEW good paying jobs would be enough to support everyone……that is why so many had to relocate…..not enough good jobs for everyone.
Again Stella, because there are not enough “Good Jobs” there is more impetus to remove unfair language policies across the board. If you want a bilingual work force make sure the schools turn out bilingual graduates. End of.
We need to stop being hypocrites and swing the pendulum back to the centre.
There are alot of things I don’t understand..too many to name. You could write books and forget a few. How is it that a man that went to school in Québec, took french in school, is not fluently bilingual ? And what is the problem with offering 7 million people service in their own language where numbers warrant it ? Should all the french speaking individuals conform to the will of the majority ? It saddens me every time I meet a person with a french name and they can’t express two words in french. (other then their name)
Hello Mike Bedard…thank you for your thoughtful and well presented argument on the subject, at hand.
Found myself, surprisingly, in complete agreement with the first three paragraphs on your post. The succeeding two paragraphs is where we differ, in interpretation. Agree that it is possible that a very small minority MIGHT have relocated to other parts of Ontario and Quebec, for employment opportunities.
Am sure that the Government statistics, do not indicate same. Government stat’s clearly indicate that there is a vast influx of easterners to the West! We are losing our best and brightest to the West, where they will be able to flourish without restrictive and oppressive language laws.
Can speak for me and mine, that the restrictive and discriminatory language laws of Quebec have made it totally and completely undesirable to relocate or even travel to Quebec.
Afterall, why would we want to be treated as second class citizens in Quebec…where the use of OUR language is restricted and even outlawed, depending on the context.
As the Rest of Canada is clearly and overwhelmingly English, the question of bilingual (as it relates to French/English) is virtually non-existent except for Government Offices.
Really is no small wonder or surprise that our youth are flocking out West. As employment opportunities are based on merit, experience, training, knowledge, education and skill vs minority language skills unlike Ontario.
The real shame is that the loss of our young means that our families are split by geography and our youth will help maintain the West, as the economic powerhouse of Canada. We, will soon be populated by the very, very young or the older segment of society. This impacts us all, as we lose our vibrancy and future generations to the West. I believe that we all lose, in this scenario.
Just my interpretation, of course…thank you, again!
Jamie…..I will be honest with you. I really don’t care if people take a stand on any issue. That is our right. However I feel it is wrong to put another culture down and drag them through the mud like many have done on this site. Even today it is still being done….
If anyone feels they were treated unjustly or feel wronged, deal with it in a professional manner and cut the BS. We are all Canadians and we should respect each other’s culture. Do we want to become like the middle east where they are killing their own. Even Mike Bedard was bashed for his views and so many others who wrote respecful letters were shot down. It’s absurd.
Why are we not more concerned about Gov. funding (billions) going to foreign countries that are still killing our soldiers and not spending the monies to rebuild their country like it was intended for? The list goes on and on. Yet the funding for language in a country that has two official languages is an abomination…….
The way this language thing is being done is a disgrace and trust me I am not alone with these thoughts. I could go on, but I would be here until midnight……
Stella it isn’t putting the French culture down by saying that there should not be a bilingual requirement for positions at CCH or the government.
Sorry, that’s doesn’t equate.
That’s called spin darling.
Mike,
Thank-you for saying it and seeing it for what it really is. If it was up to them and their radical activist leader french would be abolished completely which certainly would move this country backwards instead of forward whereas no one would benefit.
Jamie…..
I said that the people who post here have dragged us through the mud and put us down my sweets……
Don’t play with words jamie **s**
One for the road…….they have fabricated stories and played with numbers so much that if it wasn’t so pathetic it would be funny.
Bottom line……they are fooling no one but themselves, besides they will be all dead and buried before changes ever take place (if ever) **s**
If you really felt that way why do you write so prolificly in defence?
Someone said here in this column that here in Eastern Ontario it is not bilingual. Well I have news for the one who said that. I worked with people from Eastern Ontario whose language (#1) was French and they stuck to that language. I am fully bilingual and I worked with this particular woman from outside of Ottawa by 45 minutes by car and she had a bone to pick on people like me who were completely bilingual but not 100% French to satisfy her. I see Anglophone people even here attacking Francophones because they write something in French. The priest who married my husband and I 38 years ago told my husband that Cornwall has a majority of French people and my husband was talking about that the other day. I saw that one day about a completely Francophone medical centre in Cornwall and I was shocked. The French have been put down for many years and now they are standing up for themselves. People have to have a lot more than one language nowadays and even in the past it was very much needed. Most people have no choice but to leave Cornwall for jobs whether unilingual english or not. Cornwall has not progressed. I have even found out that Peterborough Ontario is without jobs now and becoming a retirement town. When Peterborough is dying you can imagine Cornwall. These will be retirement towns and people of working age have no choice but to leave.
Never say “ever”, Stella. Nobody saw Berlin Wall coming down… <>
stella get back to work -my taxes do not pay for you to support unjust policies ,do that on your own time!
Agree but representation by population -mother tongue at home .
Gig smile -yes what an amazing time the people spoke!