CFN – Is it time to boycott all things Quebec? A boycott is a severe thing; but with Bill 14 looming and the strange occurrences since the last election there that never seem to be resolved could it be best if people give La Belle Province a wide berth for awhile?
Don’t get me wrong; as a former Montrealer there are many things I still love about the once great city.
But I could go a summer without Schwartz’s and steamies if it makes a statement.
Frankly I visit “back home” less and less. It’s not just the crazed roads and constant construction. It’s not just the all too more frequent customer service issues if I dare speak “Anglais”.
It’s this darn Bill 14. It’s the fact that things became so bad in Quebec that the people of Quebec decided to grant Ms Marois a government.
In Canada we still have free choice; and frankly my choice is leaning towards making my little statement. My one little token of boycotting Quebec until after Labour Day. I think I can do it.
Yes, I’ll still visit my family; but I won’t be dining or spending any money there. Do I expect my little boycott to change anything? Not really; but imagine if millions of people did?
Politicians rely on people never doing anything no matter how badly they behave. They’re used to manipulating small groups of people to grab power. When I wrote during the student tuition protests that it simply was PQ agitation I think the election results showed how right myself and many others of the same belief were.
Quebec made its choice. In some ways I think it was a good one because people can focus on the brutally ugly culture of linguistic facism that exists. Francophones in Quebec will have to realize that the only people that can save French in Quebec are Francophones. Anglophones, and Allophones are not to blame and not the issue. It’s time to stop punishing the English language and culture hoping that Quebec will become some Francophone Mecca.
Until Quebec changes its ways the results will essentially be the same.
Now the big question is why the Federal government remains so silent on what’s happening to Canadians living in Quebec that don’t subscribe to the provincially mandated madness, and why they are abdicating those citizens rights…
Jamie Gilcig – Editor – CFN
(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.)
I would like to know why the federal government is saying nothing as well. Entire towns in Quebec with Anglophone populations under 50% will no longer be able to communicate in English about tax bills, bilingual websites and zoning issues etc. If Ontario can provide a few bilingual (much more than in reality) front end employees for 400,000 Francophones (out of 13 million), Quebec can do the same for 800,000 (out of 7 million).
This is a national disaster happening right now in Quebec..right under Harper,s nose,maybe Quebec residents need to apply for asylum to the U S A
Jaime, you’re crying foul and there is no foul to be cried about. I”ll be blunt, your attitude is the problem. You left Québec because you didn’t want to learn the language. You wanted everyone else to speak and address you in english without you making and effort and learn a few words of french. Its not a question of choice but rather a question of curtesy.
You can go anywhere you want in Québec and get great service in english. Its the arrogance that Québecers don’t like. Its like some people even dare to leave when the french version of the canadian national anthem is playing only to come back after and laugh. Now one editor who shall remain nameless did that at a town hall meetings.
Now granted I might have sound a little bitter in my post and I am. Your painting Quebec as this great anti anglo province and its not. Wanting to protect and promote the french language in Quebec is not a sin and is in no way hurting the english language. Just take a walk in Vaudreuil, Lachute, Kirkland, Baie-Durfé and at times you’ll hear more english then french.
Richard Quebec paints itself when it allows those rare instances like the Bus situation, and the Paramedic situation, and Jacques Parizeau, and Bill 14, and so many other instances to go unchecked.
When there is no outcry against these types of behaviors everyone loses.
Of course most people in Quebec are amazing, but they have allowed the province to sink into the swill that some would prefer swishing in. Until Quebecer’s stand up to these petty and not so petty actions I think I’ll stand by my position.
I grew up there. I functioned in French even as bad as my French was. As a matter of fact when I worked in Hockey in the 90’s I’d always speak French to my clients and they’d get aggravated with me and many would plead to speak in English. It’s the bigger picture and frankly it’s time for another Quebec revolution and one that truly and honestly embraces the values that many true Quebecer’s espouse.
The language drama has to end.
i dont think much of this Bill 14 to me it look like that a country is turning like a comuniste country they stop workers to smock around gouv bulding and now we not gonna be able to talk the way we want it humm .
I am an immigrant and i had to endure racism from french Quebecois during my life … I study here in Quebec in an English University… I am an engineer … and had to put up with the discrimination of me not being hired because of my foreigner name but when i sent them resumes with a french name they did call back the only thing i changed was my name so Mr. Tremblay is not about arrogance Quebecois people are racist and there is nothing that will change my opinion. The reason i got a job is because it was an IMMIGRANT recruiter that spoke english that hire me. I do speak english and french and other languages and even then they treated me like a dog… To be honest i am staying in Quebec because i love my place but do i have francophone friends NO i avoid them do speak french outside NO because of everything that was done to me. Do i care about hiring a french person NO freaking way i hire english and immigrants because YOUR people close the doors to me hence now i close the doors to them for not being fair
Quebec has a sense of entitlement, which begs the question….Why?? Why Quebec before and above all other provinces? Why do they get away with every little whim and whine………frankly I would be happy to take a shovel and start digging along the border and give them a shove off.
I’m tired of hearing how “entitled” they are to this, that and the other. They are spoiled…….period…..they SHOULD move on.
Jamie you are right to boycott Quebec, I agree with you and it would be great if the rest of Canada did the same, I live in Levis a suburb of Quebec city and it’s not true that you can get service in english on the contrairy you get looked at like if you were a monster. I love Quebec but if POPO and her bunck of FRENCH crave stay in I think everyone that can speak English must leave here BILL 14 must be the most stupid BILL ever put on the table. They (OQLF) even are attacking the restaurant for the word PASTA
Mr . Richard Trembley,
How can you as an honest person really believe that the English and the Allophones are getting a fair shake here in Quebec. Je parle Francais. My French matters not. I am born of a French habitant Father and i just happen to carry my mother’s name. English. I am passed over for interviews because I do not have a French name here in Quebec. I am a proud Quebecer who happens to speak English. I have worked with the public and when I told a Pure Laine that I am Quebecoise i was laughed at. I love Montreal but have been given an opportunity to succeed elsewhere in Canada. I will leave Quebec with tears and hopes that all of you who think it is up to your government to legislate and mandate a respect for the French language will work. It will not. Quebec has become a laughingstock in the eyes of the international community. If you must force it, it should not be swallowed.
I love Québec very much and would love to see the Maritime provinces. I brought up about the Maritimes because I am going to bring up a little history here. Our Acadian people from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (the French Acadians) had to leave their home provinces back in the mid 1770’s because the British murdered the French Acadians and those who were left alive fled to the US and back to France. Québec itself never forgot the Plaines d’Abraham and the way the English treated them. Even centuries after all of this happening the English always had the better jobs and the French were always kept down to ignorance and stomped on. That is why you see people like Jacques Parizeau and Mme Marois and others stepping up and wanting independence from the Anglais and wanting to preserve their own “style of French” which is mighty different to the real French of France and elsewhere and for their unique culture.
Québec is a small francophone place in North America which is mostly English and they want to preserve what little is left. Back in the 1970’s when my husband and I came to Ottawa we met lots of Québecers here in Ottawa. One man owned an insurance business and there was a woman who worked in his office as a broker. When my husband spoke the Parisian French they had a hard time to grasp it and would say “could you speak English.” LOL LOL. Oh that was something to behold since my husband was just learning English even till this day which is so funny at times. The man told my husband that many Québecors feel kind of embarrassed that their French is not the good French and tell anglophones and people of other countries to speak English because they feel out of place. They only feel good when they have their own people with their own style of broke “mishmash” of a French mixed with God knows what. You can’t blame them for how they feel either. They are a unique people who have been dreadfully hurt from way back and they never forgotten that till this day. You have to walk in their shoes to know how they feel.
I have been raised in both cultures and have gone to French schools and my French is better than my English and I proved that since my school days – my worst subject besides math and science was English.
When we go to Québec we always speak French whether in a big city or in the little towns. We love the French people no matter what dialect they speak they are a family type of people. When we go to the Québec border you feel like you are in a different country or something like that. Even the Maritimes are different and so unique once you get into Québec there is another atmosphere.
There are many here in Ottawa from Québec and many did not mind the language issue only the political one. I worked with some anglophones from Québec and a lot spoke French but not all but they all love Québec.
I like to know why there is problem speaking english and living in english like the french does . they say it is there right to do so, ok fine, but is my right to live in englist to.IT ISN T RIGHT TO MAKE BILL 101 OR 14 TO TAKE RIGHTS FROM ONE TO GIVE MORE TO THE OTHER SORRY IT IS A FREE COUNTRY AND IT IS TIME TO LIVE LIKE ONE.I DON T CARE THIS IS QUEBEC , IT IS MY PLACE THAT MY FAMILY HELP MAKE TOO.THE ONLY REASON THERE IS NOT MORE ENGLISH HERE IS BECAUSE OF ALL THIS STUPID FRENCH BULL…. .TIME TO STOP TELL PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE AND HOW TO SPEAK OR WHAT SCHOOL THEY CAN GO TO. IT IS LIKE KIDS FIGHTING TIME TO GROW UP PEOPLE. WE ALL HAVE THE SAME CULTURE IN QUEBEC WE JUST HAVE TWO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES HERE AND ONE IS NO BETTER THEN THE OTHER.SOME OF US ARE BRITISH DESENT AND SOME ARE FROM FRANCE DESENT BUT WE CAME HERE TO MAKE A NEW START. WE DID THAT NOW LEAVE THE REST IN THE PAST THE WAR WAS WON AND LOST A LONG TIME AGO AND WE CAN CHANGE IT. IT IS HISTORY LOOK IN THE BOOKS AND LEARN FROM IT ,GET OVER IT AND STOP YOUR CRYING NOW BECAUSE WE WERE NOT THERE AND THAT WAS 300 YEAR AGO TIMES WERE DIFFERENT GET OVER IT ALREADY. IN 2013 WE ALL HAVE RIGHTS THE SAME EQUAL RIGHTS AND I NEED SERVICES FOR ME IN ENGLISH I PAY MY TAXES FOR THAT, AND FRENCH NEED TO HAVE THE SAME FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY PAY THERE TAXES TOO. THAT IS IT THAT IS EQUAL RIGHTS NO MORE NO LESS. IF YOU WORK IN THE PUBLIC YOUR SHOULD HAVE BASIC KNOWLEGDE OF BOTH LANGUAGES NOT PERFECT BUT IF WE BOTH TRY WE WILL BE FINE, IT HAS WORKED FOR THIS LONG WHY STOP NOW. ALL THE GOVERMENT IS DOING IS MAKING PROBLEMS AND WASTING OUR MONEY DOING IT . MILLIONS FOR LANGUAGE POLICE HOW MUCH AN HOUR DO THEY MAKE I BET MORE THEY US THE WORKING PEOPLE OF QUEBEC.WHEN OUR ROADS ,SCHOOL, HOSPITAL NEED MONEY BUT NO LETS PAY PEOPLE TO BOTHER WORKING PEOPLE TRYING TO LIVE,SCHOOL TO CHANGE KEY BOARDS BECAUSE THERE NOT IN FRENCH,SIZE OF SIGNS ,AND LANGUAGE SPOOKEN WHEN YOUR AT WORK,WHAT A JOKE, PASTA THAT ISN T A JOKE BUT STUPID NOW GROW UP AND LET US LIVE ALL HAPPY HERE IN MY QUEBEC OUR QUEBEC IN FRENCH OR ENGLISH BECAUSE WE DON T NEED THIS WAR OF LANGUAGES THANK YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY
Jamie wrote: The language drama has to end. Absolutely!!
It is high time we let Quebec deal with their own problems and political mess. We have enough of our own problems in this town and province. For those who continously harp about tax dollars, we have no control over gov. spending.
As for boycotting……good luck with that. I doubt it will change anything. Tourist come to Montreal from around the world because of it’s diversity.
Like I said before, I have english friends who live in Montreal who have no problems whatsoever with being unable to speak french.
Thinking some of the english freedom fighters, are grossly exagerating and are on a “FEAR MONGERING” mission.
JULES….well said!!! Thank-you for saying it the way it
actually went down.
@Richard Tremblay, it is unfortunate that you have encountered those disrespectful anglophones, but let me assure you that there are an equal amount of disrespectful francophones. I’d say about 2% of our population is of such loser individuals.
The main point I’d like to make is that promoting French in Quebec is agreed upon by 98% of the population of Quebec (including me, an anglophone who does her best to speak French as needed), but why should this be at the expense of non-francophones? Giving people rights in this country should never be at the expense of the minorities, and any government that cannot protect its minorities is in a sad sad state.
hi
A few comments,
– joe, then if you refuse to hire a french person because of the language he or she speaks, even though that person might be the best person for the job, who is being ¨racist¨now.
– Alain, l’anglais est enseigné dans les écoles même s’il n’a que 1500 anglo dans ta ville. On top of everything else you can get documentation from any provincial ministry in Québec if you request it.
– Alain granted there are some places in Québec that there is almost no english spoken BUT, you could be in Trois-Rivières or Shawiningan and still here some english. Je doute alain que tu as même fait le test en anglais de ton coin.
– Carolyn nobody forces anyone to learn the language. I doubt your anglo name held you back if you can speak both official languages. HEck, the former president of La caisse de dépôt du Québec was anglophone. Don’t think you had the qualifications to be hired, you shouldn’t blame everything on language.
@ Eric,
the federal government in this country cannot say anything BY LAW>
You see, Eric, the ” notwithstanding clause” overrides the charter of rights and freedoms.
Thank you trudeau.
So, although we may bitch and moan, what they are doing is legal according to Canadian law. Now, if quebec were to leave and a truly Canadian constitution put in place, things would be much, much different
Stella there is one Canada. If one province is abusing its linguistic minority it is something we all should have concern for, and in my opinion there is a direct impact between provinces. You can’t ask Anglophones in the ROC to accommodate the French minorities with tax dollars while Anglophones are metaphorically beaten up in Quebec.
a few years ago I needed a hip replacement. The hospital called with a date which was far away and I was in a lot of pain. I asked if there was not anything sooner. I was told that if I spoke French they could advance my date. I wondered, are English Quebecers suffering more cause and why? Because they are English????? When I called the complaint department, I was reminded that it was a French hospital, that I was in Quebec and that well you know the rest
Which hospital Dee Ann?
This whole language charade reminds me of the communist era where I grew up. I am perfectly TRI-lingual, my grandfather used to speak 7 languages very well. As an alophone I have this to say to both French and English speaking people living in Quebec: learning another language is not a bad thing, on the contrary, shows some respect to the community you live in.
1) If you don’ want to do it is because you have no respect for the community you love in…
2) If you cannot do it, is because your IQ is lower than the shoe size you’re waring…
(I personally think that both apply to our premier Pauline…)
So for you, the French who don’t speak English and for the English who don’t speak French which one is it???
I salut you both and I find this charade so damn retarded, I will move back to Europe and leave you, sorry innocents to your little hate games…
Dee-ann, I am curious as well ? Which hospital ? Perhaps you have to follow the yellow road and had to wait a while to see the wizard.
I’d like to say thank you though for letting me speak my mind jaime. Even though I disagree with most articles you have written, you still give me a chance to criticize. ANd at times in both official languages. VIve Le Québec et vive le Canada.
You’re quite welcome Richard. Here is a link to our Mission Statement and Vision. And thank you to contributing to the discussion here on CFN even if we don’t always agree 😉
http://cornwallfreenews.com/mission-statement-contact-us/
I have not found my visits to Quebec problematic at all since I returned from dirty Toronto and Marois has been in power. The employees in Old Montreal, the better restaurants, Sherbrooke Street, St. Urban, Hudson, and the ski resorts are more than accomodating. There was the one time I was at a Harper rally waiting for a ferry from Levis that turned out badly so I’m boycotting Quebec City on Ste. Jean-Baptiste weekend every year.
.
The {MODERATED} kids have no sense of humour when burning things. Good thing I had a trunk full of {MODERATED} to calm the angry crowd.
I already boycott Quebec. I live in Ottawa, literally a walk across the bridge from Quebec. I will not leave a penny in that province. If the rest of Canada must be bilingual, why is Quebec not bilingual? The Canadian government keeps handing them everything on a silver platter so they stay in our beautiful country. Its time to stop. The rest of Canada should not suffer in any way just because Quebec wants to be different. Let them go, let them be thier own country. Lets go back to being Canada and being Canadians.
You are welcome Stella.
A lot of Europeans know many languages whereas people from the colonies like Canada, the US and Australia are limited to one or two languages. In Europe the educated classes speak more than one language compared to the past.
In Vancouver B.C. people call it Hong Koover because there are so many Chinese and other orientals. In the schools in Vancouver Mandarin and Cantonese are taught. Very soon China is going to overtake the US as a domineering country and those oriental languages taught in Vancouver and such places are going to be needed since we are in a global market. In Europe a lot of people communicate in French and English.
In order to learn French which I have stated so many times before is that you have to learn it from kindergarden age. My mom was French-Canadian and my dad English, Irish and Scotch. My mom insisted that I go to a French school and she worked with me in the language. I was up many nights to all hours till 2 and 3 a.m. learning French poetry and everything else and it paid off. Today I am much better in French than English. My English is terrible and full of errors since I type very fast and don’t correct my mistakes. My grammar is not good at all in English. In high school my geography teacher was correcting my English of all things. I later when to French speaking high school and did very well. I think that Jamie is having a bird reading my horrible English.
I live in Ottawa and I never go over to the Québec side – not since the days that I worked and had to go there for assignments with the public service when I worked on contracts and agencies and most of my contracts were in Ottawa. I never had any problems in Québec and I visited “La Momorencie” where the ski hills are located and they were very French. I am fully bilingual and so is my husband and my daughter is as well. My son is English but he understands a little.
The problem in Québec is like I said political and not just language.
Well Jules the long, long, very long posts do occasionally get dumped without being fully read 🙂
@ Barb,
I, as well, have boycotted Quebec a long time ago.
I have no desire to spend my $ or time in a racist province.
I prefer spend my $ in the USA, to he** with Canada. The whole damn country supports the Ethnic cleansing of Anglophones.
I have no doubt this entire ordeal will end on a very dire note & with no winners, just losers. The only hope our country has is to separate itself from Quebec & the sooner the better.
Kick Quebec OUT!!!!
@ richard tremblay, you’ve contradicted yourself on so many levels!!! what quebec are you living in? you said to Carol not to blame everything on language, yet that is what you the PQ are doing.. You are simply targeting the english language, you don’t see the OLFQ giving fines to any businesses in Chinatown, were you can barely see on sign in french anywhere.. Until about six months ago, we had little, to no problems with the language issue in almost 20 years until Marois got in to power, and now she creating a war between the french and english that didn’t exist.. The language police is given fines to businesses that have english signs!! it’s funny how you say that people leave quebec because they don’t want to learn the language, and that is not the case; it’s simply not the case, lately it’s because of our governments non sense and the fact that there is a world of opportunity outside of our narrow minded province. Plus, most of the anglophones in this province have become bilingual in order to adapt, yet the majority of francophones still refuse to learn english! I am french and english, and studied in both french and english schools, and yet I had to pay $21,000 in lawyer fees last year to get my children to attend and english school board to study in french immersion, because french school boards don’t offer french immersion programs in this province.. Many francophone parents in this province want their children to learn english and they want their children to have opportunities to travel, study and work anywhere they choose, and to do so, they need to know english! it’s that simple! The PQ government is trying to make that impossible to do.. That $21,000 could have been spent on much better things.. but not in this province!
Im sure you speak english better than Pauline Marois, and yet she is our spokesperson to the rest of the world, she represents us, and she sounds like a drunken, uneducated idiot when she speaks english.. That is the impression people get of quebec when they see her speak! how can Quebec be taking seriously on a global level with someone like that?
And you have the nerve to call english people arrongant! on what merit? to write a comment like that, you are the one that comes across as arrogant.. The francophones seem to be the arrogant one in this language debate. No one in the canada is forcing you to speak english, so why is your government taking away our rights as canadians and forcing us to learn french? this time around the english residence of Quebec have had enough, and they will not stand down to this PQ facist government. If she’s trying to start a war, she is well on her way! it will happen, i garantee that there will be more caos and riots in the streets of montreal if Bill 14 passes!!
@ richard
MY mother was , died at 96 years old. She was in the Verdun general hospital hospice.
She,was never, ever spoken to in English. She was never ever given an English menu. Over 30% of the patienrts there, were English. there was NO English signage, no English reading mateisla and on and on …
She paid for the privledge of being culturally abused and disrespected. When I inqiured about he above issues, I was told, this is a quebec hosptice, we DO NOT HAVR TO SPEAK ENGLISH it is the law.
I also notice, it was vivre le quebec first. That speaks volumnes to me.
Be honest richard, we would all be better of if queebc just left., the sooner, the better
Admin regarding a boycott. You could start right here in Cornwall by avoiding Quebec based businesses i.e. Metro and Metro owned food basics and so the list could go. Ontario could shut down trades from Quebec and hire trades from other sources, maybe even create jobs for the people of Ontario.
Regardless Admin the bottom line is that Canadians suffer in the process. Not just the radicals that stir the pot but normal everyday fighting for survival and simply trying to make a living Canadians.
So for me Admin I recognize the frustration of an enormous group inside and outside Quebec but have determined that the answer lies elsewhere. A boycott in all likely hood would punish the major unfairly.
Time to take the focus off Quebec and look long and hard at Canada as a whole and listen to those who have a positive and acceptable vision of the future of this great country. Just an opinion.
@ mark D.
Well said sir, I left in 1989 for the very same reasons.
I fear , however, it is too much, too late for the English in quebec.
Comments directed at richard are right on target. He, like stella and pierre, fear that quebec will leave, and their gravey train with it.
The list of anti- English, laws and anti-English policies, and then some can go on for pages and pages.
This is why , here in Ontario, we do not want any type of bilingualism. We do not want quebec ‘s anti- English laws and policies to spill over to here.
I have chosen to boycott all that is bilingual, both here in Ontario and quebec. I suggested boycotting a long, long time ago. it is both legal and extremely effective. the one thing the the french care about, almost as much is their precious language is MONEY
I alos send any and all literature that comes out of quebec to as many business associates I can , both in Canada and out, particularly the U.S. eg. the para-medic case. et al.
as for chaos in the streets I believe the time for those actions were in 1977 when bill 101 became law. I believe, although I hope I am wrong that the actions you refer to are 36 years too late.
AS a former quebecker, and having lived in that environment for 40 years, I believe quebec should get the hell out of Canada.
Canada as well, is not innocent in this . they have never, ever, spoken out against the atrocities that a large segment of our population had to endure ( namely the English in quebec)
it is why I question their legitimacy to govern, on the premise that they cannot, or will not protect the English in quebec.
As I previously stated this is obscene
There is a lot of “garbage” talk on languages.
The french hate the english but not all french people,the english are being mistreated in Quebec so on and so on. As shown, that is true, but, what is now showing is that a war might rear it’s ugly head and a gros amount of people both have forgotten there is a 3rd element cominging into view – the most powerful force in canada – the INDIAN NATION which COMMANDS attention from ALL GOVERMENTS and the UNNATIONS.
The BIG QUESTION is – Will the QUEBEC GOVERMENT FORCE TOTAL FRENCH LANGUAGE On THE INDIAN NATION AS THEY ARE DOING TO THE OTHER LANGUAGES IN QUEBEC.
Will the QUEBEC GOVERMENT SEND IN THEIR LANGUAGE POLICE TO CHANGE SIGNS ON THE RESERVES.
What a laugh,huh,but it can be true.
@ how about we do a little “informal Poll”.
Please indicte which f the following you prefer:
1) get quebec out of canada, and getting rid of bilingualism in canada
or
2) retaining the status quo
Just to do something a little different and see where everyone stands.
@ bigfellow
The government alrady tried to enter the Kahnawake reserve
in chataguay quebec, just acroos the mercier bridge.
they were met with the armed warriors of the mohawk nation, and the L’office de la langue francais , NEVER returned.
they were told point blank by Chief Johnny Beauvais to get out or face Mohakws that will not hesitate to fire on them
They never eturned.
anyone driving along route 132 just west of delson and st Constant, will see “only” English and Mohawk signs posted.
@ admin
Ah admin
The answer to your big question is that the federal government understands what you refuse to understand either because it pays you more to pretend not to understand or because you are a total bonehead.
My guess is that you are just playing the devil’s advocate to keep CFN on top. But you could be both, too.
You single out rare bad occurences that are to be expected in a town like Montreal knowing full well that you will stur up hatred between some anglophone and francophone. You put the worst spin on these rare events and refuse to even look at the reasons behind the event.
In the case of the paramedics. a very logical explanation was given I repeated it here, a few times, You and your ilk, have just ignored it like you ignore everything that justifies the actions of Québec or of Canada concerning Québec and the necessary protection of the French language.
To answer your last comment to Stella… If I may?
It’s true that there is but one Canada.
But there is a division of powers between the federal and the provinces in Canada. Language and culture are a provincial responsibility
If you reversed the players and had a federal party to govern Québec instead of the PQ it would still have to revisit law 101 because it has not been done since 1977 and also because French is losing a little ground in Montreal and in Gatineau.
I agree with you and not with Stella in that, if a province is abusing the rights of it’s minorities, it should be every Canadians’s concern.
But, the fact is that Québec is not abusing the anglophone’s rights. That’s just an ignorant or selj serving exagerated opinion, pushed by selfish medias to attract more readers.
That’s why you’ll never get any lawyers or politicians or constitutional experts or even well advised Canadians to support your statements.
They could never pay me enough to do what you do Admin.
Pierre I can 100% assure that CFN gets no government subsidy, monies, or even freaking advertising!
@ admin
Are you intentionally missing my points?
I think I’m very clear.
I’m asking you if you are are just playing devil’s advocate when bashing Québec, to stur up the posters and thus, get more readers.
That’s what sells advertisement, right?
Pierre
March 14, 2013 at 4:02 pm
Pierre now again insulting the moderator!
“You single out rare bad occurences that are to be expected in a town like Montreal knowing full well that you will stur up hatred between some anglophone and francophone.”
Far from rare in fact a very common occurrence but most do not speak up of it!
‘You and your ilk, have just ignored it like you ignore everything that justifies the actions of Québec or of Canada concerning Québec and the necessary protection of the French language.”
Keep drinking that Quebec cool aid Pierre for you either remain blind or refuse to except these occurrences.Protecting a language should never come at the cost of human rights and clearly they are .
“But, the fact is that Québec is not abusing the anglophone’s rights. That’s just an ignorant or selj serving exagerated opinion, pushed by selfish medias to attract more readers.”
So now you rather then address REAL concerns are now blaming the media and calling them ignorant -you did the same for Lowell green didn’t you?
Your rants are rather funny to say the least ,because they remain RANTS due to you have no factual information to base your statements.
Your fanaticism for your fascism state is strikingly familiar to that of the Natzi movement ,have you and your groups started burning English books yet?
Wait that’s right your fascist government is changing the Quebec history books and curriculum to suit their needs and to indoctrinate their youth!
“That’s why you’ll never get any lawyers or politicians or constitutional experts or even well advised Canadians to support your statements.”
Oh so you think Pierre stay dumb it suits you well .
There are many more then you would think,but with your lack of cognitive ability and factual information you remain incapable of proper debate .
@ edudyorlik
This is from a more reliable source
Gouvernement du Québec
En billions de En%
Dollars du PIB
Dette Brute 183.384 54.6 Dollars
Moins actifs financiers nets
des autres éléments de passif – 16263
Moins : Actifs non financiers – 52989
Dette représentant les déficits cumulés 114,122 34.0
I believe that the web site where you got your stats included the share of Canada’s debt attributed to Québec.
But you must take into account that if Québec owes that it also owns Canada’ assets.
peter wrote: anyone driving along route 132 just west of delson and st Constant, will see “only” English and Mohawk signs posted.
Now tell us peter, is english on top or is Mohawk? If it’s Mohawk the english freedom fighters should be protesting. You are the majority and english should be on top. Just asking **smile**
Mark D as a concerned canadian, my suggestion would be that you do like peter did. Thinking you would be a much happier man.
Jamie wrote: If one province is abusing its linguistic minority it is something we all should have concern for, and in my opinion there is a direct impact between provinces.
In response to Jamie: When laws were passed in other provinces or in Ontario, can anyone please give me an example as to when another province got involved? Better still an example where people fought the laws of another province and won?
Why the sudden concern now? The answer to why the sudden concern is the english freedom fighters want to rule…after all, they are the majority. Guess what? If they are, it won’t be for too long. The Asian population along with other ethnic groups will soon outnumber the english. It has already happened in bigger metropolitan cities.
@ eduduyorlik
To be clear
The last message should read
Dette Brute 183B384M 54% PIB (GNP)
” ” 114B122M 34% ”
Bad, but better than many countries.
No reasons to hate as much as you do.
Now Stella darling can you please point to any other Canadian province that has bothered to create a language law other than Quebec? Secondly your term “English Freedom Fighters” isn’t quite accurate is it? I see a lot of professionals protesting artificial barriers to them practicing their skills.
This is something we all should be concerned about.
Pierre the only bashing going on is to minority rights by Pauline Marois government which was democratically elected.
Jaime, there is a few. Ontario has bill 8 that protects francophone minority rights. I believe that is the law that if in a town there is 5000 plus francophones we have a right to require some type of service in Ontario.
– And, New-Brunswick has a language law, it is the only bilingual province.
– Jaime, how is the english language threatened ? How does that affect you ? You live in Cornwall ? Granted you might have family still in Québec but I have a feeling you are not telling us something. When you go in Québec, do you yell loud and proud that you’re an anglo and wish to be spoken too in English. Are you arrogant, or, do you walk up to a person apologetic and say, I’m sorry sir, could you repeat that in English ?
– The english language keeps flourishing throughout canada including Québec. You’re promoting unilinguism…and although there is nothing wrong to with that, you should recognize that it limits you. You shouldn’t as everyone else to learn english just to please the unilingual individual.
1. As for the poll, I choose (a).
2. As for the Pierre, your hopped up on {MODERATED} smokes, eh?
Jamie you want to believe that my letters are long since I have so much to say and put everyone to sleep but that is me alright.
Today I was in Cornwall and both my husband and my daughter commented how nice the people are in Cornwall. Those were anglos that we met with and my husband finds the people better in Cornwall than Ottawa – a great deal more friendly and helpful.
Québec is Québec. I worked with a woman from just outside of Ottawa in Ontario when I was permanent in the federal government. She was French Canadian and a mighty miserable person to work with. She might as well have been from Québec the way she behaved. I worked with a girl from a small place in Québec way past Gatineau and she couldn’t speak English and was trying desperately to learn and she was catching on. The woman from Ontario would sometimes ridicule her. We went through so much trouble in that unit because of the Ontario woman.
This woman from Ontario had an anglo brother in law from Alberta and when her niece and nephew were leaving for Alberta back in the early 80’s (the father in the military) she told her niece and nephew right in front of all of us in French “n’oublie jamais que vous êtes des français” “never forget that you are French” and we all looked at her in a kind of a shock. This is just to say that some Franco-Ontarions can be just as ignorant as Québec or anywhere else. This happens in all cultures believe me. I was called “mademoiselle” instead of “madame” by one of my husband’s own people when we first came to Ottawa back in the mid 70’s so everyone has their racist ways.
Richard I think you should spend less time judging and telling me what I think, and do and more on the subject if you truly want to debate it.
Ontario is an English province. We are not bilingual. If the people of Ontario wish to dialog on it and choose to be bilingual I’m fine with that.
What I don’t like are people going to college and then not being given a job because they aren’t bilingual. I don’t like government jobs being given to people because of language bias; same for the legal and court systems. I don’t like people with less skills being given jobs or promoted over others purely because they are French or bilingual.
We are creating a false class of people in Ontario and Canada via language. I get it. If two parties applying for the same position with the same skill sets are equal, the bilingual one gets the nod. I’m fine with that. I’m fine with providing services in French.
I’m not fine with demanding levels of skill in the French language that many Francophones couldn’t pass.
We have to take the politics out of language in this great Country and province.
If you can take the politics out of language issues I think we’d all do just fine.
Until then I’ll support those that push back and defend their rights to access of employment and life.