Wednesday, December 23, 2009

French vs. English Volume 7

Lack of Bilingualism Irks French Language radical
The president of Impératif français, Jean-Paul Perreault complained that the city of Ottawa's English only ceremony welcoming the Olympic flame was contemptible. He somehow inferred that it was a federal government affair rather than one organized by the city.
For Mr.Perreault, arguing for exclusion of English in Quebec goes hand in hand with demanding French inclusion outside of Quebec. Two for me, one for you.

Even Catholic Church opposes English
When it comes to opposing English, even the Catholic Church is demanding that curbs be put on the use of English.
Four priests and a pastoral agent sent a letter to Cardinal Turcotte last October complaining that there was too much English in church.
"As a public institution, isn't it natural that the Church follow the path of French majority? Systematic bilingualism is discriminatory towards the Francophone population."
The letter writers, claim that they speak for dozens of other members of the diocese.

By the way since when is the Catholic church a "public institution."

The Brick - Calls for Boycott over English Flyer
A French language militant André Taillon is calling for a boycott of The Brick furniture store over an all-English flyer purportedly sent to his house. I doubt that the company would send an English flyer anywhere in Quebec and if it did go out, I'm sure it was an error.
Before calling for a boycott, wouldn't it be reasonable to get the company's view on the incident and get the facts straight.
It's hard to  take a facts-challenged idiot like M.Taillon too seriously when he can't even get the company's name right, calling it the "BRICKS" and referring to the Canadian company as American. In the comments section, a reader complains that he also wants a boycott because there were French mistakes in the Flyer. What is it then, an English-only flyer or a French flyer with mistakes? Arghh....
A check of the company web-site shows that it has a French side and that all the flyers are available in French. In fact, in an effort to be more palatable to the French market, the company has dropped the "THE" from "THE BRICK" and is known as the "BRICK" in Quebec.

Bilingual ATM under Fire
A letter writer in Le Devoir complains bitterly that the welcome screen on the Caisse Populaire's ATM machine in Montreal offers users the choice of either English or French. He goes on to say, through some faulty logic, that by offering a choice of English or French, it somehow makes French subservient to English (asservissement.) He' so steamed that he's ready to start a boycott (boycott seems to have become a recurring theme.)

School board to close another English School
As French language militants wring their hands over the fantasy that English is taking over the Island of Montreal, the Lester B. Pearson School Board has decided to shutter another English school.
"Since the board’s last such consultation in 2005, it has lost 2,300 students – a number that board chairperson Marcus Tabachnick said is the equivalent of six elementary schools."- Montreal Gazette Article