Many people have heard of Bed & Breakfast accommodations or the Bold & the Beautiful Soap Opera , but a whole generation has now been living under another B & B. Canada’s Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturism, also called Bi and Bi Commission with Chairs Andre Laurendeau (Le Devoir) & Davidson Dunton (Carleton University) plus another 8 bilingual members.
I don’t know how much discussion by the Taxpayers who paid for it went on, as the commission was first established in 1963, but it should have made every English speaker in Ontario stand and shout. Why? Well, the B&B recommended Ontario and Ottawa become officially bilingual, mentioned little about Quebec but much about the rest of Canada adopting this, and of course, how to pay for implementation is nowhere. Even today, Ottawa has about 500,000 English only speakers and Ontario can boast 97% being able to speak English but never had more than 5% Francophones, what was the push really about? People want to get along and will WITHOUT this government funding of hundreds of associations.
I take the view that the policy that came out of this commission has been about social engineering, and as proof, ask yourself, how much further apart people and communities are now, after the Official Languages Act was put in play? With billions of dollars spent, countless translations and volumes of books few will read, thousands of education hours by thousands of students spent learning a language they may never or rarely use, who are we helping? In the National Post this week, Dan Delmar writes “49% of Quebecers have trouble reading French”, how can the rest of Canada manage or to be expected then without the same immersion of French surroundings?
We hear the same things every time a discussion is asked for, redneck, you don’t understand, other countries have multiple languages, it will create a better Canada and on and on. Where is the proof after this 44 year old experiment of the Official Languages Act then? Even now, our Official Languages Commissioner is part of a partial cross Canada tour celebrating the 50 year old B&B Commission with discussion points such as;
• Past and present tensions
• Impact of the Bi and Bi Commission
• Intellectual heritage of Laurendeau and Scott
• The vitality and diversity of “la francophonie”
• The legacy of the Bi and Bi Commission
• The debate surrounding Canadian identity
All I am asking is, why do we keep spending money and adding more French without proof it was wanted or needed? The constant number of bilingual people proves very little has been accomplished; certainly an unbiased audit would show that, however, we all should be demanding an in depth retrospection of this subject, as our deficits are crying to be addressed? How about a Been There Done That Got the T-shirt Commission?
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Great letter Eric,
Hundreds and hundreds of billions for net increase of .3% gain in bilingualism this political agenda (Social Engineering)is an utter failure!
This Social Engineering policy not only has its financial impacts but social as well, its created great resentment through Canada.
The Bi-Bi commission is completely biased for the political agenda .
If you were to sequester a jury would you only sequester affiliates of the defendant?
Why was there not English and French only individuals on the panel as they represent near 87% of the population.
CAN YOU SAY BIASED!
Citizens do not want to be “forced “into anything and that explains well why bilingualism has grown only .3% over 44 years at the cost of hundreds and hundreds of BILLIONS,some estimates being 3.4 TRILLION.
Official bilingualism was intended to “provide services where warranted” admirable but has been thoroughly abused thanks to interest groups and government agenda.
Now bilingual -proficient equals less then 12%,it has been used as an exclusionary hiring measure for the remaining 88%.
Therefore the average Canadian with merit for the job is not entitled to work for their own government.
Clearly in most democracies this would be considered DISCRIMINATORY!
In our Quasi democracy this is considered POLICY!
Under God all are equal ,under Canadian language laws they are not!
Cornwall stats:
56700 population
45,000 English only
11,000 Bilingual
545 French only
Yet Provincial and Federal hires are 65% minimal bilingual locally ,So that 45,000 of you have even with merit very little rights to work for your own government.
In a true democratic approach representation by population should be instituted .
But there are hundreds of Francophone rights groups that advocate with taxpayers money to ensure YOUR RIGHTS are diminished!
Are we not all Equal ?
The answer is no!
Welcome to legislated discrimination !
For all should have equal opportunity and when a job is designated bilingual -Merit is surpassed by language!
Ask yourself this -Should I not be Qualified for a job even though I have merit and experience because of language only?
If you do not agree you are the majority!
Now your turn to stay silent!
Fascist’s, one and all. Robbery of the public purse plain and simple.
Legalized, government sponsored crack pots.
Guido Fawkes, where are you? Part of t ‘hide your face mentality raises itself up when everybody except MUSLIM women and men in disguises such, drive the Guy Fawkes mentality as well.
C-309 MUST include all peoples………..or throw the Muslims in jail too.
Bi and Bi is a slam dunk against common sense and a mockery and abuse of the public purse.
Time to rally.
Great LTE Eric.
And the —
“How about a Been There Done That Got the T-shirt Commission?” part —
got me thinking yet again. Sure, i was in favor of what was happening in the early years, strongly in favor even.
When the government of the day was trying to open doors and be fair, compassionate and “accommodating” to our fellow compatriots in this country. Those who shared the same piece of real estate (so to speak) but not the same cultural experience and language.
Most ( i would say) of the majority Anglophones in Canada wanted to be fair and went along with all of the suggestions as to how to accomplish this.
But, a quick and honest look at what has come out of these “accommodations” presents something that looks more like a 2 “pals” walking down an ever increasingly dark path.
Then, the camera pans to a close up on the faces with one of the faces wearing a huge smile.
Then suddenly changing to a full scene of the “pals” walking further on down the path with their backs to the camera, we see the one that had the smile is carrying a large club behind his back and we all realize that, unless SOMETHING changes things, there will only be one “pal” returning from this walk.
As for you highlander.
Now now,
You know better. NO ONE is being forced to learn French.
Ah hem, well, no one that cares about being employed and providing for his or her family in Canada that is 🙂
It does sound like there was some unfairness once upon a time towards French speakers, now we have unfairness towards English speakers and somebody should create another pendulum swinging commission, soon.
Something that bothers me about all government levels, they put a plan into action and never check to see if it is doing what was intended or what the effects are. You would think a new government of a different political stripe would check, but no.
You can’t run government like a business but that government (you&me) can certainly ensure value for money that will not affect people so much.
Excellent article Eric. Canadians need to learn about the realities of whats been rolled over them. Out tax dollars are wasted to the tune of over a trillion dollars that served no purpose but advance a small minority of bilingual, in most cases, francophones. All others especially the english speeking population are excluded from public service jobs due to this policy. When will the citizens of the country wake up?
Re: what Eric wrote on June 7, 2013 at 6:17 am
Eric wrote, “It does sound like there was some unfairness once upon a time towards French speakers.”
So true Eric, and How interesting a display of character this whole thing presents when one considers and realizes that the English (an extension of the British who won the battle and had Canada ceded to it by France still managed to somehow retain a sense of guilt about “a degree of unfairness” towards the remaining French that ended up left here by France and stuck under British rule.
Of course, it also says a lot about the character of the French who, hundreds of years later, after the British Scotts and others went on to discovering,inhabiting and building up the ROC, as a minority end up demanding that they should NOW be viewed as 100% EQUAL.
Humm, me thinks there was more to this than just fate. 🙂
Excellent letter Eric and oh so true!!!!!!
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!
The time for half measures are over. While we write Lte’s to newspapers, special interest groups are increasingly advocating with tax paying dollars for this crap. Organize yourselves while you still have the chance to do so. Because tomorrow you never know, Freedom of Association may be taken away as well as has Freedom of Expression already has been.
The very thing that makes democracy great has also led to it’s downfall in human history. We are no different in our experience in 2013 than we were in 1813.
@ Cory Cameron. You are right Cory.
And meanwhile, the French elite are laughing all the way to the bank where they cash the transfer payment cheques and subsidies of all types and colors —
(including the EXTRA they receive as a result of Hydro Quebec’s unfair and unjust subsidies)
which they obtained from the / our federal government
ah hem … In French only of course as their ministers MUST speak French ONLY when dealing with the federal government, nest pas…
How freakin sad is that.
AND THIS does NOT even mention how much money the majority Anglo’s in this country throw at that province for infrastructure like building billion dollar bridges and so on. For what, so that one day (once they have sapped us dry) they can then separate and have used all OUR MONEY and walk away with all this new infrastructure and loads of their own money and resources still waiting in the wings.
Right !! WHAT a plan. They are laughing, as i said.
As more and more Jobs are deemed bilingual,those 83% of you will have less opportunities.
We are creating our “made in Canada” cast system ,if you are not bilingual you will soon not be entitled to work for your own Government no matter your Qualifications.
Equality will soon be in the past ,the future is about SOCIAL ENGINEERING!
@ EVERYONE
Re: Bi & Bi or B & B Commission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTLvTJf9GNM
and this little gem that explains alot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anY8UyOReoY