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.
Arguing over how much it is costing the majority English tax paying citizens of this country is getting old and also going nowhere. How about we just accept that IT’S a HUGE UNNECESSARY amount of the majority citizens’ money going to a relatively unnecessary minority cause.
What is REALLY the HARDEST part to swallow about all this is cr@P is
— it is so damn blatantly ANTI ENGLISH and also, right in the face of the English majority.
We have to wake up and smell the rose’s people.
This French element could care less about the English language and Canada in general… They believe they are distinct and NOT Canadian but Quebecers. In that vein They Do just about everything AGAINST the English with that oh so familiar
— “Jean Lecompte style friendly handshake while stabbing you in the back — type feel to it.” —
While at the VERY SAME moment with that same sense of smugness, they demand that the English and all of Canada cater to them hand & foot in just about every possible way.
* French are treated well in Canada = English treated like second class citizens in Quebec.
* French language only (or bigger size letters) on signs in Quebec = Yet the French DEMAND French AND English language (equal size letters) on signs all across unilingual majority based Canada.
* Less English presence in Quebec = Yet DEMAND for MORE French presence in Canada
* French only in Quebec = Yet DEMAND for more French and bilingualism across all of Canada
* Removal of Canadian flag from government buildings and offices in Quebec = Yet Franco flags flying everywhere across Canada
* Bilingual NOT required (new – check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWwejJg5jhQ )
to work in Quebec = Bilingual required for practically ALL jobs in Canada
* French only services in parts of Canada = Yet French restrict English only “anything” in Quebec.
* French boasting about language and culture during Canadian holiday events (Canada day etc) = French restricting anything Canadian during French holiday events.
Now, don’t get me wrong folks. I am IN NO WAY suggesting that we should accept what THEY WANT as a trade off if they were to stop doing what they are doing across the board. That would be WAY to unfair, unreasonable and completely unjust.
ANY direct comparison of the “province” of Quebec to the country of Canada OR direct comparison of the French minority language to the English majority language are not feasible and SHOULD NOT be done in a real world practical way.
What I was doing here was just a demonstration to SHOW the insane inequity.
Thanks for that Highlander. The Canadian Taxpayer Federation and The Fraser Institute are well known as far-right organizations that regularly skew numbers to suit their purposes. I don’t know much about Jim S Allan, but after a quick web search and reading some of his stuff, I doubt like hell that that he came up with those crazy numbers with impartiality.
You know Highlander, edudyorlik,
We state facts everyday here. There is no arguing anymore. Most often we give practical examples which by the way, the three of us did just that today.
The problem as I see it is how the public chooses to accept this one-sidedness of Official Bilingualism. Yes, it does seem like Canadians are waking up. Now it should be the goal of Canadians to do something about this issue. Write to their MP’s , MPP’s, Letters to the Editor, etc. It is no longer our responsibility to argue with the likes of these Stella’s and Richard’s who come on here and blog in defence of this highly restrictive policy. It’s not doing them any good nor is it doing us any good by being sidetracked anymore.
Let them rant and rave and after me proving today that Richard is a bigot I no longer feel the need to go on with the likes of him. I cannot stand a person who not only sees with blinders on but who also fully endorces such an ethnocentric policy that Official Bilingualism has come to entail. I am reminded by a comment a blogger once wrote on here having to do with the fact that people are smart and can see for themselves what’s going on. Now the trick is to get them to act on it!
Cory
Highlander is making much sense when he mentions the Taxpayers Fed. and Fraser Institute and Mr Allan who have presented the monies squandered on O. B. No one is taking numbers out of a hat- $18 Billion yearly and or $1,169 Billion or
$1.6 Trillion for 41 years.
It has been years of research and expence to come up with those figures of just the cost of teaching French to Anglophones. Nothiong to do with teaching English to anyone.
One small example : top Federal executives who need to improve their French are given a year off with full pay and the relief person is paid full of taking the job until he or she returns. Example 2: Thousands are sent to every school district across Canada for Frencdh Immerson class rooms or schools supplied with top equipment, and small classes with French teachers having to be brought in.
“The Canadians for French “founded and fiananced by our Federal government in 1977 has done an effective job across Canada to include French of all levels in all our schools. Winnipeg even has a French Univerisity with very low tuition fees like all seven Quebec Universities. How about all the French Cultural Centers staffed across our land.
The list of monies spent goes on and on. No request is refused or we would here about it. Mr. Simon and Ed. and who ever else are still in doubt -please pay attention to what has and is going on around you. Dot Davies
First it was about language discrimination when Cameron was turned down for a job. Then it was not about language, discrimination was at the forefront…….then it was language again and today the other C says is not about language………..go figure. Thinking there is some confusion among your gang members.
Wondering how many english speaking people will learn an Asian language when both French and english people become the minority in this country. The ring leaders for the english cause should start looking into that right away…..it may come sooner then you think. Students would be wise to make the right choices now, so they don’t end up like the ones who refused to learn french in a country that has two offficial languages FRENCH and english.
Today the C, the cory himself, says it’s not about language……..it’s about the gov. funds going towards the french programs. Again, how will reducing funds for french language change anyone’s life personally? I will answer that for you because I know you don’t have an answer. IT WON’T CHANGE A THING!!! The gov will spend your tax dollars whenever and wherever they see fit. If this group thinks they will have the authority to dictate how tax dollars should be spent…….come out of your fantasy world……NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!! Majority means nothing except in elections.
So that being said and whereas, on a personal level. no one has anything to gain, why the BS? The only thing one can deduce from this is………..trouble maker, hatred of the french and the need to control.
And you would know howard, weren’t you the one in front of the clinic with a sign. Everyone is refused at the clinic unless your a regular. They have no more room for clients. Its at full capacity.
– jim allan is not a proper source, if we were to take his figures, every cent of the education budget goes to bilingualism and teaching the french language…hogwash.
– If the french language is protected and promoted like you said, what is wrong with that…well worth the cost. at 2.5 billion out of a budget of 240 bill…that is barely one percent of the budget. What is wrong with that.
Howard, HOGWASH again on your quote, please provide me the link that says the fraser institute says bilingualism costs 3 trillion. It such a made up figure even you must think its ridiculous…then again with the pamphlets you have been handing out…i wouldnt put it past you.
Corey, I am not for segregation nor am i a bigot. YOu know what i said is true, the french language is in constant decline even in Québec. Also, in a playful environment or even bus rides, you will hear mostly english, even if the bus is 50 % anglo and 50 % franco. We deserve our french educational environment.
ED:
“Seriously Dot, who is this retired accountant who came up with the $19 billion/year cost of bilingualism? ”
“I don’t know much about Jim S Allan, but after a quick web search and reading some of his stuff, I doubt like hell that that he came up with those crazy numbers with impartiality.”
Ah sir you have been provided with the accountant and his figures Yet you question this professional’s research and conclusions .
-Now you are the one that shows your partiality ,not willing to accept a government research accountant.
-I did not know you had more credentials in the field then he ,to debunk his research.
Stella said:
“So that being said and whereas, on a personal level. no one has anything to gain, why the BS? The only thing one can deduce from this is………..trouble maker, hatred of the french and the need to control.”
Equality is to gain Stella equality -I guess when someone stands up against inequality -they are labelled french haters .
You see people out there quietly reading these statements but not posting .
Oppression of a group without the measures of a gun by making them feel shamed by calling them racist ,french hater ,bigot ect,
for simply standing up for their rights.
Its unfair and discriminatory Government hiring practices that LFA fights.
Wake up people see how a population chooses to be oppressed rather then get called a racist /bigot/FRENCH HATER over 43 years .
Standing up for your rights should not make you feel ashamed!
stellabystarlight
October 30, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Get back to your government job I and others do not pay taxes for you to spread propaganda about a group you dislike and intentionally attempt to slander.
The more I read about Jim S Allan, and I have been, the more apparent it becomes that this guy is an extreme nut-bar.
Carry on.
Hey Richard, you wrote:
“Corey, I am not for segregation nor am i a bigot. YOu know what i said is true, the french language is in constant decline even in Québec. Also, in a playful environment or even bus rides, you will hear mostly english, even if the bus is 50 % anglo and 50 % franco. We deserve our french educational environment.”
What does it matter if the French and English kids play together or ride together on the school bus? Sir, if the issue wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable. But it is dead serious. You don’t believe in segregation but yet, your own words here remember, look up top now, okay….
You wrote, “Corey, I am not for segration…We deserve our french educational environment.” To part the kids sir is by definition, segregation.
Here you go, Richard. As to your comment that the French language is in decline, even in Quebec:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/French+danger/7460588/story.html
The title of the article is:
French is not in danger Why is a nationwide rise in French speaking described as a decline? It’s an old habit, writes William Johnson
I will provide a brief synopsis of the article; as there are those who support French supremacy over all other languages and cannot be bothered by those of us who provide links. The article states sir, the following:
“Across Canada, between 2006 and 2011, the number of people of French mother tongue rose by 327,775.
The number of people who reported speaking mostly French at home rose by even more: 428,530. This is decline and recul?
In Canada outside Quebec, the number speaking French at home increased by 91,640. This is decline?
But most significant are the figures for Quebec. The number of French mother tongue rose by 273,735. The number speaking French at home (around the family table!) actually rose even more, by 336,890. They call that decline?”
Now I trust those are the true figures as reported by the article. Now though, for all of this increase in French, what was the overall benefit? Are you telling me that the increase of French language practicioners cost milliions every year?
I would think that a few thousand high school students seeking their 40 hours of community service they now need to graduate would have probably led to more of the French language being spoken. By the way, what does it matter to spend all of this money for the cause of having more French language speakers anyway? Is there an angle here? An agenda if you will? Methinks there is and now there is no denying it, right?
To expand on the idea if French is to be pushed…
Why not have those French high school students tutor English kids in all English schools as part of their required 40 hours of community service? Who knows? Maybe after that the kids can talk with one-another on the sammmmeeeeee bus?
Who would have ever thought that one day there would be a perceived danger of a group of parents having kids travelling on the same school bus? 😉
Ridiculous,
Cory
Richard I have family members who speak French without any problem whatsoever, they grew up with one French parent and one English parent and they spoke English when they were with their English families, and French when they were with their French families but today, these same people who now have children speak French to their children while in the company of their English families. They are paranoid and why? because of what people like you say. Yes, keep the children apart, don’t let them speak to their English neighbour, don’t let them ride the bus with the English kids from their neighbourhood, build new schools away from the English school, take away the friendly soccer matches and so on. And to think 10/15 minutes speaking English on a bus will absolutely be the end of the French language. You also mentioned before, you hate seeing the students leave the French high school and start to speak English the minute they leave, because you fear they will lose their French too. If you really honestly think that Richard why do think all English people should be able to learn French, when there is no French environment for them one they leave school.
Sorry guys,
I got trapped again trying to educate one of our less fortunate….
I should have sticked to my own advice and not even have responded to him.
Cory
Richard tremblay
October 30, 2012 at 2:18 pm
“Corey, I am not for segregation nor am i a bigot. YOu know what i said is true, the french language is in constant decline even in Québec. Also, in a playful environment or even bus rides, you will hear mostly english, even if the bus is 50 % anglo and 50 % franco. We deserve our french educational environment.”
Richard you clearly are a bigot ,you already said prior you believe in segregation -then as above first line say you do not-but then your last statement says that you clearly do agree with segregation.
Look in the mirror buddy you are a R*c*sT and Bigot .
Or would you prefer Vichy french? Ethnocentric a __ h**E
My country is excepting of all cultures with exeption of Quebec and Richard I am embarrassed to admit that you are Canadain or is it Quebecois ?
Howard, you haven’t providing any link for what you claim. Now jim allan works for the government. PLEASE mr highlander, stop making up stuff, or at least follow cory, if your going to make up stuff, make it believable.
piper…….like I said before, you have no control on when and how the Gov. spend their taxes **s** We know what slander is all about piper……we’ve been through it for a year now.
Piper you say equality is to gain? The question was how will it benefit you PERSONALLY? I will answer that for you….IT WON’T.
OK so five people apply for one position…….would equality guarantee them all a job? How can one interpret equality or fairness. That being said, the four other applicants could claim discrimination or lack of fairness….right? Then what? What you guys don’t seem to understand is that there are only so many jobs to be had. EQUALITY OR FAIRNESS WON’T GUARANTEE ANYONE A JOB NOR CAN IT BE MEASURED. The whole darn thing you are fighting about guarantees NOTHING. Your point is pointless.
When reading posts on another site, something caught my eye someone wrote “LFA” “Lacking French Abilities” hmmmm!!! just wanted to share with you all.
Highlander wrote: “Wake up people”
“Standing up for your rights should not make you feel ashamed!”
here here Highlander, well said yet again…
Thanks Mr. Highlander, your one of the good thinkers in Canada who recognizes Canada is becoming a divided land because of the efforts of a small minority who want to take control through a language and a second rated one at that. English is revered all over the civilized world but Canada.
Dot Fuhrman
If this —
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWwejJg5jhQ
— is acceptable in the “Nation du Quebec” (oops, i mean “province” of Quebec) then it seems it should be just as acceptable in the country of Canada.
There is a constant attempt by Quebec to do things their own way (pro French ONLY) and as if they are a completely separate entity from Canada while at the very same time a constant demand by Quebec that the ROC NOT do (anything pro English ONLY) like what Quebec is doing in reverse.
And, despite the FACT that Canada (which includes the “province” of Quebec) has two official languages, Canada (which again, includes Quebec) also has what is called “a common language” AND THAT IS English. This is where the problem originates.
It is within the misguided fantasy that Quebec believes they are indeed a country of their own and thus they believe they have their own “common language”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhYSHgiay6w
HOWEVER, this is incorrect and is part of the misconception. They need to be reminded that, their common language is actually “ONLY a common language for Quebec, the “province” which may very well be French for that province but NOT, “a common language of the country” because — MAJOR NEWS FLASH — there is ONLY ONE COUNTRY — the “country of Canada” whose common language is ENGLISH.
This is EXACTLY why this province / country arrangement will NEVER WORK. This is also why we must become two. They can have their common language for their country, and WE CAN HAVE our common language for OUR country. Tout fini. Cest bon. It seems EVERYONE will be MUCH happier that way. And in the immortal words snatched from a great Monty Python movie. Time to gooooo, Time to goooooo…
Ed, here is the back up you asked for.
François Vaillancourt and Olivier Coche in their study “Offical Language Policies at the Federal Level in Canada: Costs and Benefits in 2006”, May 2009, pages 34-35, confirm Jim Allan’s numbers on the costs of bilingualism (federal, provincial, municipal and private):
“The second study on the costs of bilingualism (Canadian Taxpayers
Federation, 2008) was completed by Jim S. Allan. He evaluates the costs of
language policies for federal, provincial, and municipal administrations in
2000/01. Allan estimates the federal expenses at $520 million. He applies Reid’s ratio of 1:20 (government to private-sector costs) to estimate the private sector’s expenditures related to the OLA. He then adds the provincial
expenses, estimated at $780 million. Allan has hence evaluated the total cost
of language policies in Canada at $16 billion for 2000/01. While it is correct
to ascribe some costs to the bilingualism practices of Canadian businesses,
such as the bilingual web site of Imperial Oil noted above, these are not the
results of the OLA but of private decisions based on there being two major
language groups in Canada. ”
http://www.fraserinstitute.org/research-news/display.aspx?id=13265
Paul :
Thanks for the documentation.
16 billion in 2000-2001 -that could do a lot of social services FOR ALL.
We the people…..VOTE
RICHARD
said: ‘we deserve’, ‘we deserve’. ‘we deserve’.
Kind of has a ring too it doesn’t it. How many years have you and your ilk been preaching that SONG Richard. Is it like you deserve that somebody else pays your way…that’s a welfare attitude….what about trying ‘we earn and take responsibility for ourselves. Mothers tit is long gone and the English are tired of this drivel. I tire of it RICHARD.
I am learning french, as a retiree, along with my wife and loving it, such a beautiful language full of love, kindness, fun, great laughter, joy and song….but this difference is that I volunteer to study your beautiful language and like anyone learning another language it was a matter of timing and choice, NOT A REQUIREMENT AND CERTAINLY NOT A GOVERNMENT PAY, PAY, PAY FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT OF 80% OTHER PEOPLES MONEY ‘Richard’.
STELLA
said ‘The only thing one can deduce from this is………..trouble maker, hatred of the french and the need to control.’
Did you have a bully Anglo ex husband or something Stella. Take that dame railway tie out of your own eye sweetheart before you say such things about the tooth pick in that of the English dear Stella. Get off your high and mighty horse girl. Gosh darn it anyway.
I hurt for you guys, really I do. I understand where you are, really I do, but commanding and demanding constantly that SOMEONE ELSE PAYS YOUR WAY IS JUST WRONG AND THAT IS THE BOTTOMLINE OF THIS WHOLE ARGUEMENT…..IT IS NOT PITTING YOU AGAINST ME, THE ENGLISH AGAINST THE FRENCH, IT IS ALL ABOUT WHO PAYS. ‘WHO PAYS WITH JOB LOSSES FOR AN INQUITABLE HIRING RETENTION PRACTICE ”” WHERE THE NUMBERS OF ONE LANGUAGE IN A REGION DO NOT AGREE WITH THE NUMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN STEALING THE PAYROLL FROM THEM. No bloody wonder there is so much frustration, so much anger,
The most common sense and practical method shown has been the one studied or discovered in trait d’ union (U.S.A.) and that has proven far less expensive, far more acceptable to all keeping staff fulfilled and happy about their work environment.
Bleaching and bleeping out the English as is being done in our very Canadian parliament, all provincial parliaments as well as all hospitals, health units is totalitarianism at its worst.
No one is calling for English only anywhere. ONLY kabec is demanding unilingual french and demeaning OUR Canadian flag be discriminated against. Because you are french does not mean you are any less Canadian………….demanding the blue and white fleur de les, demeans all french who hold to it, proud as you may be of it. NO Pauline Marois, you will not be Prime Minister, nor President of kabec, only dictator, and that is a kind word here.
Spending enormously expensive mega millions) french only schools across the country at the expense of the English rather than from your own pocket books is wrong…….17 million dollars for a french only school in Yellowknife for gods sake where only 45 students came for instruction in a city of 45,000 is dead wrong extravagant. Building two schools in New Brunswick at a cost of 4 million plus each where one, one, has 12 students while the other has ZERO was extreme, extravagant and stupid. Did the french pay for it 100%,,,,,NO, they stole that money through spend thrift bureaucratic grants from the coffers belonging to the entire country…………WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. OH, AND STUPID stella and richard and your steeling ilk. That is the resentment. That is why all these will change in the next round of elections. Again, it has NOTHING TO DO with bias, bigotry or as Stella said………..trouble maker, hatred of the french and the need to control.’
For heavens sake Stella, look in the damn mirror…..me thinks in your case it is jealousy, pure and simple, which overrides your common sense parameters.
I don’t ascribe to name calling unless it fits the crime and guys, those kind of examples do go on in this way and much more when it comes to power building the french force du kabec. It happen in every community this country. Isn’t it any wonder the English have been pissed off with the ‘build it and they will come’ mentality. Yes, it worked for baseball once or twice but not here, this way.
the 45 and the 12 students and those in this near )/zero percent of a community ‘should have been required to take responsibility to go to English schools. Yes, I dare say that.
I believe my numbers are true, yet I will suggest at the very least they be seen as nearest to true as I recall. I will tell you one thing for sure they are not too far off of what typifies what has been going on in this great country that just happens, now that is just happens to be running a deficit of a few billions of dollars more, Is this fools gold YOU FOLKS ARE DEMSNDING BE SPENT SO WILLY NILLY?
PAY YOUR OWN WAY you beautiful French, kiss, kiss, kiss.
HEATHER:
You should have taken your own responsibility as well as the entire country full well has known about the growing French push. You my good dear have NO ONE to hold for your tardiness in this regard. Honestly you should consider one or both of two quick study courses you can learn at home ½ to 1 hour per day and that would be the USA course ooo, PIMSLEUR APPROACH, INITIAL 4 DISC SET FOR JUST $9.95 WITH A FOLLOW UP OF 16 DISCS FOR $199.00. The second one that also come very highly recommended for adults id the Rosetta Stone course with one for the computer that gets you so much great online support for written and verbal ‘metered sounding’ and three ‘listening disc’s for sounding out syllables, words and phrases. There are also a fair number of hands on courses being taught ‘for adults’ at St. Croix
School here in Cornwall. Bon chance. Heather………..don’t give up.
@Cory Cameron RE: October 30, 2012 at 3:52 pm POST
Cory wrote: “Sorry guys, I got trapped again trying to educate one of our less fortunate…. I should have sticked to my own advice and not even have responded to him.”
— Not to worry Cory. Your attempt served a purpose. I was glad to check out the link as I learned a few things. I also got to see that oh so telling picture of the supposed “welcoming sign” coming into Quebec which showed the English words “welcomes you” spray painted over. Things like this are just so darn poignant as a reminder of what this whole topic is all about from there perspective. Not to mention the story itself and how we are being fed “the line” that their numbers are being diminished which leads many to let their guard down and not be worry about growing numbers of folks “with that same — pardon the intended pun — “unwelcoming” mentality from folks who are just as brainwashed as those who defaced the sign in the first place. It’s just sad how … Well, it’s just sad, period.
From reading bits and pieces of paul’s link i’m going to agree with allot of points in it.
-lCanada has probably reached an equilibrium in respect to the demand and supply of services in French to Francophones;
-the real resource cost of providing OLA services is not very high, at $1.6– $1.8 billion, or about one tenth to one eighth of 1% of the GDP in 2006.
But there is one point it does say that deserves attention..
-Let us make clear at the outset two points: first, we do not exam- ine the costs and benefits of Canada having two major language communities living within its borders in a federal state;
BUT THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IN PAUL’S LINK
Overall, three quarters of Canadians agree that it is important to preserve English and French as the two official languages of Canada, with support peaking at 95% in Quebec and ranging in the 60–65% range west of Ontario
I’m a little familiar with jim s allan, but just for the heck of it I googled his name. what comes up, and this might be a good thing for CFN, is articles that quoted him in CFN. Also, another site comes up when you type jim s allan, languagefairnesforall. Unbiased ? nah !
Well here is an idea being that we have 2 official languages-split that 16 billion 8 billion to push french on the 1 million Francophone’s outside of Quebec and 8 billion to push English to those 1.5 million Anglophone inside Quebec.
That would be a fair solution?
Richard tremblay
‘From reading bits and pieces of paul’s link’
ok what bit are you going to accept:
Overall, three quarters of Canadians agree that it is important to preserve English and French as the two official languages of Canada, with support peaking at 95% in Quebec and ranging in the 60–65% range west of Ontario.
English and french yes -so where is the English being protected in Quebec ? That’s right they are not !
Ontario spends 1200% more on bilingualism then Quebec.
Those numbers say it all ,french pushed ….french first .
Remember there are more English in Quebec then there are french across Canada .
Quebec put the Canadian flag back in your legislator-or no federal transfers as this is treasonous!
HOW DARE YOU BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU!
Considering the average citizen in Quebec could care less what language is spoken, I believe this is strictly political.
Speak with anyone from the province of Quebec and they will tell you, there concern is family and the ability to support them.
Once again the majority citizens of Canada are discriminated against by a simple minority. With so many people having contributed so much to society already, now living below the poverty, we spend so much money and time to ensure a select few can have something that pales in comparison to the health and well-being of the aged.
Bien fait et bonne chance madame Periard.
This is a prime example of an individual with a protected pension, both her and her husband. They have nothing to worry about and can push a agenda wasting peoples time and efforts on language rather than the betterment of the system itself….I say this based on the pompous attitude expressed when people did not do well in french class at St Columban’s west
Cornwall is trying to please a political ideal and not really looking out for what is best for the people. If they cared for the masses why would believe in Helene Marie L. Periard as a consultant in these instances. What are her qualifications? Or with such a diverse community why is only French being so adamantly fought about?
I have had to go through English and French testing when I got my job… Everyone has to be proficient in both languages as a condition of employment.
If you are uni lingual anglophone or francophone and are competing with someone bi lingual with the same education and skill sets, be prepared to be passed up for the latter candidate.
Fact of life, deal with it.
JJ, the English majority are beginning to say shove the deal with it past and present. Right now on the Ontario job board is an ad for a BILINGUAL ENFORCEMENT SERVICES OFFICER in Toronto. Downsview actually, and if you take a look at the census, there is no reason for a Eng/Fr designation.
53% of Toronto report English only (2,980,215) and English as spoken most often at home and which increases English use to 67% (3,714,190) in the 2011 Census.
French mother tongue lists 1.1% (63,160) and interestingly, decreases to just .5% (28,260) as the language most often spoken at home.
41% (2,314,530) report a non official language as mother tongue, and 95,2% have knowledge of English , so why do we need a bilingual, Eng/Fr person in that role?
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-cma-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CMA&GC=535
http://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?JobID=47657
JJ
October 31, 2012 at 9:39 am
“Everyone has to be proficient in both languages as a condition of employment.’
well that <17 % HAVE THAT CHOICE.
Now people think of this closely:
All resume's on the table -if you are not classified bilingual your resume is not even accepted .
This is neglecting whatever education or experience that that person has .
Thereby this indicates that language takes preference over education and experience .
Now put aside the french language and put in their Mandarin ,
Now if mandarin was government classified and mandated ,
What would you think if it were preferred then education and experience ?
With the present situation many ,many resume's are not even considered no matter the education -being bilingual (french) is mandated .
What of those many ,many smart educated as well as experienced individuals that CAN'T apply because the position is considered BILINGUAL.
Clearly this means language is considered more important then Education for these applicants would not even be considered !
DISCRIMINATION is DISCRIMINATION -be it color, race ,religion or by LANGUAGE.
I would highly recommend for those English Canadians having difficulty finding work to declare refugee status in the United States. You might have to start over but at the very least you will be acknowledged for your hard work, detemination and level of education.
You won’t have to deal with linguistic discrimination. And, even like Arnold, who doesn’t speak Spanish and who is an immigrant, maybe one day you would be able to run for political office in California, a state with a large percentage of Spanish speaking people but not legislated apartheid.
Cory
Although I have issues with aspects of the implementation of bilingualism I would MUCH rather live in Canada than the US. Frankly, I had hoped that the bilingual protests would lead to some constructive changes but I’m now beginning to think you guys are on the radical fringe. Canada is a great country, even with it’s flaws!
Actually Cory, it would be a sweet relief if all the bozos in Canada who constantly bitch and whine about living in a bilingual country would find a more suitable place to reside.
This dignity of this forum might improve were commenters to be more discriminating in their remarks (i.e. be more clear as to whether the subject is; persons that are French speakers, or the political entity which is the province of Quebec).
Ed
October 31, 2012 at 3:14 pm
2 Official languages -bilingualism perpetuates the falsity of ALL being bilingual -17% is not all.
“Actually Cory, it would be a sweet relief if all the bozos in Canada who constantly bitch and whine about living in a bilingual country would find a more suitable place to reside.”
Canada would quickly become a vacant place besides who would be left to pay for all that bilingualism?
So the problem to you is simply to leave! How patriotic of you!
John
LFA are about as patriotic as they come, fighting for a positive change .
Simon :
This has always been against Bad Government policy ,be it provincial or Federal ,others continue to claim it as anti french issue of which it never has or will be .
Government needs to be accountable to its people as a whole and not just pushy interest groups!
1.1% or the 10th in( Toronto)most spoken language should not determine 60% of Provincial /Toronto hires.
John Macdonald, a major issue is having the politicians actually speak on the subject since language is such a sacred cow. Another is that people for the most part, do not speak out till it effects them personally.
We are seeing more people speaking out because it is affecting them, thier kids or friends. It really is a good feeling to read up on an issue and DO something!
Most agree Canada is still great, however when 80 % or so are excluded from jobs because of language, something has to give.
Hey John,
“Frankly, I had hoped that the bilingual protests would lead to some constructive changes…”
That’s it in a nutshell isn’t it, John. Sitting like an armchair philosopher hoping that other’s work would lead to change. Tell me, are you on the front lines protesting?
We do what we can. LFA cannot control the actions/reactions of those in powerful places who support these apartheid, Jim Crow laws. We can only hope that those who feel the same way about the current situation take a stand…
I’ll leave you with an apt quote for this Halloween evening,
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)
Majority means nothing except at elections………ca-vas?
This country has two offcial languages: FRENCH and english….compris? When a company or institution is asking for bilingual…for those who don’t get it….it means being efficient in both official languages, FRENCH and english. Thinking JJ explained it very well in his above post. Not complicated is it?
Piper…..if Mandarin was a requirement of employment, I wouldn’t apply no matter how qualified I would be……wouldn’t make sense. However, knowing that the Asian language is becoming prominent in this country to the point that they are encouraging students to learn the language, I WOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE NOW AND LEARN IT…..that is called being proactive and having insight. I would not do like the english people in Cornwall who refused to learn one of our official languages, then cry discrimination. YOU SNOOZE…..YOU LOOSE!!!!
Piper…..Language is not considered the most important, even though you and your gang are trying to make it so…….it’s considered an asset that compliments the requirements requested by the employer. OMG you exagerate!!!
Wondering if you guys, being the majority, can start another group and set up pickets and rally at the prov. office in Cornwall? McGuinty is getting over $313.000 severance pay. In a democracy the gov should be contacting the FLA and the g himself before making those decisions. You should be demanding fairness and now!!! The country is relying on you…**s**
Hey Ed,
“Actually Cory, it would be a sweet relief if all the bozos in Canada who constantly bitch and whine about living in a bilingual country would find a more suitable place to reside.”
No worries there Ed because in 10 years with Canada’s current laws, Canada won’t be a bilingual country but instead a French one with millions of other practicioners of dozens of other languages increasingly becoming unruly due to job immobility….and then what will occur?
As for your comment directed personally to me. I already tried leaving Canada in 2002, incidentally the same year I graduated from university. I saw what was coming down the pipes and called the Cornwall Border control to see if they could give me any recommendations as to whether my qualifications fell under NAFTA. I was directed to the Border Patrol at Buffalo, NY. The individual at the time let it be known to me that he received about 5 or 6 dozen similar concerns from Canadians wishing to work in the States.
As it was, I would have been required to have been qualified in one of the trades as listed under NAFTA in order to work in the States. If I had had my master’s degree, I would have been qualified under NAFTA I was advised and could have been employed at a US college. Much the same, had I had a nursing diploma/degree, I could have worked in the States as under the terms of NAFTA. As it were, I couldn’t afford to get a master’s degree and so my options were limited.
So. I’m still in Canada. Having been raised in the wrong language, I’m afraid.
Sorry, Ed. I wrote, “The individual at the time let it be known to me that he received about 5 or 6 dozen similar concerns from Canadians wishing to work in the States.”
This sentence was vague. It should have read, “The individual at the time let it be known to me that he received about 5 or 6 dozen [sic] ‘calls a week about’ similar concerns from Canadians wishing to work in the States.”
Hey Stella,
“it’s considered an asset that compliments the requirements requested by the employer. OMG you exagerate!!!” this is in part what you wrote as a response to Highlander’s comment about bilingual jobs.
Stella, what would you call the bilingual requirements for civil service positions? Would you term them as you do, “…an asset that compliments the requirements requested by the employer.”? When in fact it is now a requirement?
I do believe you when you say that you would learn Mandarin in order to get a job if it were a requirement. But what I don’t believe, is that you and your ilk wouldn’t first fight the issue if it were a fact that Mandarin was required to be spoken.
And tell me, how many Quebecois are willing to learn Mandarin if the case came up; never mind the thought of having to learn English now, if that were indeed the case. Just a few days ago a Quebec minister advised that Quebecers shouldn’t have to be bilingual.
Cory.
Highlander, it was Cory Cameron who suggested that “English Canadians having difficulty finding work to declare refugee status in the United States”. Just a silly thought here, but what are the chances of a unilingual Francophone landing a decent job outside of Quebec?
@JJ RE: October 31, 2012 at 9:39 am POST
JJ wrote, “Everyone has to be proficient in both languages as a condition of employment.”
A condition of employment?
Righhhhhhhhhhht…
Where? In France? Not even there I imagine … What the hell kinda communism is this? Ah yes, it’s that oh so familiar sound of arrogance I generally hear from the minority francophones.
Who ever said, “It’s a condition of employment?” Where did this freekin rule come from? Why is it that a population of 80% should have to accommodate the less than 8%? What the heck kind of deal is that? Talk about sense of entitlement… I figure that if all 8% of ya’s moved to Russia you’d expect them to start speaking French to accommodate you there too ?
Especially when these folks are doing this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWwejJg5jhQ
And for those who say, “majority means nothing.” You must have been a barrel of laughs taking over every birthday party, get together, and workplace you ever were part of. I can see it now, everything MY WAY… Put that there, change this to that, move that over there… take that picture down and put this one up… Uh huh…NICE… Real easy to get along with… Matches the personality. AGAIN, that oh so familiar French sense of entitlement … moudit…
Dukers1. I pretty much agree with most of what your wrote but not the last bit of it. When you say Heather”You should have taken your own responsibility as well as the entire country full well has known about the growing French push. You my good dear have NO ONE to hold for your tardiness in this regard.”
What you don’t seem to understand Dukers1 is that the level of French expected is an A-. Now this girl Heather should have tugged at her mother’s apron when she was three, Please Mommy, Please send me to French school, I want to be a lab technician when I grow up and I need to be fluent in French to pick and draw blood. That maybe would have done it for her. Those courses you mention may be okay if one wants to learn another language to travel a bit or have a basic grasp of the language but have you not been reading those who post that they have learned French, they married into French families, they were educated in the French school system but still today are not given the chance to work in French, because they are not at that A-Level. These people need to be more accepting of whatever French the person applying for the job has. PERIOD.
A very close friend of mine wrote the french test 3 times…..it’s called determination accomplished by effort.
Oh Cory, you have indeed had a tough life. Have you considered moving to somewhere like Iran or North Korea or Somalia where your basic human right would be upheld and respected? No. Forget that. It’s much easier and more comfortable being a professional sh!t-disturber in Canada. I know. Having to learn the other official language in order to qualify for some high paying public service jobs seems totally outrageous and unfair to you, but consider this. If you were to spend as much time and energy learning French as you do squawking about how unfair life is, you’d probably qualify for a decent job. In the meantime, I’m sure you will continue along the easy path.
Rosie:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter of considerable truth and insight. I agree with you 100%. You are absolutrly right. French-A os the only accepted standard for hiring in a bilingual environment whilst substandard English is granted a pass.
Now WHY IS THAT. Well Rosie I’m going to tell you why, because 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 frightning.
Imagine the incidiousness 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 (Alliphones) will be told that the bilingualism of Canada is NO LONGER AFFORDABLE.
Do you know what comes next dear Rosie? You guessed it, the desision will be made that English schools, English duplication of translations from french, English signing and any Alliphones will be required to be unilingual FRENCH….YIKS…………for heavens sake and yurika I got it. THATS THE PLAN AAAAANNNNNDDDDDDD ITS WORKING, folling 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 pilaging 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 fueding is small potatoes to the world plan now isn’t it.
Comme va ca vais now then………………….
Thought of Cuba Ed but the wife can’t cut the umbilical cord from being around her family.
Thanks for the idea though 🙂
And I’m not a professional shit disturber. A professional shit disturber is one who gets paid for his/her/their effort. Much like the Parti Quebecois gets paid from unbeknownst millions of tax paying Canadians who don’t want to see Quebec seperate but who pay taxes to support a professional, separatist party. Me though, I wrote a letter a few weeks back to the Parti Quebecois strongly supporting their anti-Canadian stance and even offering to help pay for their political adventures. The faster Quebec is gone, the faster that Canada can begin healing. That’s my thought!
Funny thing Monsieur Ed, Ja’i comprends Francais aussi!
Bon soire,
Tete Carree
“A very close friend of mine wrote the french test 3 times…..it’s called determination accomplished by effort.”
Some would term it desperation Stella, not necessarily determination.