Tuesday, February 23, 2010

"Sleep Country Canada" Latest Victim of French Language Radicalism

Just as some in the French media are lambasting the Vancouver Olympics for it's lack of inclusion of French at it's opening ceremonies, other Quebeckers are massing to make an assault against a business for having the audacity to retain it's English corporate name in a Quebec location.

Jean-Paul Perreault, of Impératif français is organizing a coalition of French language militant groups to demonstrate their displeasure on February 27, in front of a location of a "SLEEP COUNTRY CANADA," a mattress store in Gatineau Quebec, in protest of it's Anglophone name. They are even organizing a bus from Montreal to bring in protesters.




If there's anything to rile this mob, it's the inclusion of the word 'Canada' in the moniker.

First a little background.

Sleep Country Canada is a successful Canadian retailer of mattresses operating throughout the country and one which entered the Quebec market a few years back via a buyout of a local competitor called "DORMEZ-VOUS?"

Further expansion in Quebec by the company used the "Dormez-Vous?' banner, but when the they opened a store store in Gatineau, right across the river from Ottawa, they chose to use the older 'Sleep Country Canada' name.

In an email sent to the militants a spokesman for Sleep Country, Penny Jerkovic explained the reasons for the company's decision.

She told them that Sleep Country Canada had been operating in the Ottawa area for many years and had cultivated a large clientèle on the Quebec side of the border, only a short drive away. The company had invested a lot of money in French language advertising, promoting the name 'Sleep Country Canada' in the Gatineau/Hull region and in order to maintain continuity and build on this legacy, they decided to retain the name in this region only. She underlined that the Hull and Gatineau stores were in compliance with the law and served customers in French.

She may as well have beaten her head against the wall. As you can imagine, the explanation fell on deaf ears.

There's no reasoning with this cabal of language militants. The fact that the company is well within it's rights to use the name, makes little difference to those who wish to drive any vestige of English out of the public eye.

And so, a rainbow coalition of Anglo haters, calling themselves the Coalition Québec français is planning to show it's displeasure in a demonstration later this month. This group includes unions (FTQ, the CSN,) as well as the regular cast of militant characters, the Impératif français, the SNQ, SSJB de Montréal, le Mouvement Montréal Français and the always threatening RRQ.

For Sleep Country there is no way to win.

I suggest they modify the name so as to read SLEEP COUNTRY CANADA/ DORMEZ-VOUS?
It sucks, but that's the price of doing business in Quebec, the radicals always win because people are too lazy too resist and businesses would always rather switch than fight.

That is also why so many companies just don't bother coming to Quebec.

I once had a conversation with a language inspector from the OQLF who was going through our office software to determine if we had French versions, I asked him why instead of hassling small fry for language infractions, they don't force big auto companies to add French to their car's dashboards.
While most of the warning lights and instructions on cars are pictograms, there remains a lot of purely English words on every dashboard.
He told me frankly that the car companies told the government that they would comply if ordered to, but it was quite a complicated affair and they would have to add several hundred dollars to the cost of each car sold in Quebec. Ouch!

Hmmmm.....I guess that the government felt that if Quebeckers had to pay more for a car than Ontarians, it wouldn't look so good and so they gave themselves their very own 'reasonable accommodation' and let the issue pass!

59 comments:

  1. "That is also why so many companies just don't bother coming to Quebec." that's what I was about to say until you wrote it. Those militants just make things worse. They don't HELP the cause, they make us look like freaks and narrow-minded.

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  2. I wonder why then nobody bothers to protest "Power Corporation".

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  3. Any cause involving Quebec nationalism would have to be narrow minded by definition. It's the only way to gloss over the glaring fact that those seeking 'freedom' from those they define as an assimilating, impearilistic force, have imposed far worse on the minorities that fall under their sphere of influence. They've made the partially fictionolized propaganda they use as a moral justification for their cause a reality that they practice with all the gusto and hate that this false perception allows them.

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  4. Drivers instructions in French, ahahah.

    Conduire instead of Drive, funny.

    Same thing for videos.

    Even the worse French moron can understand these simple English instructions so the reason for this is only chauvinism and langage discrimination.

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  5. If I was a Montrealer, I'd take that free lift, leave quietly the public gathering and go shop to the By Market.

    Too funny...what a bunch of f*cking idiots!!

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  6. What I don't get though is the implication of Unions in there.

    What the fuck FTQ and CSN are doing in there. Hell, there are lots of anglos who belong to their union as well, so they don't count???

    Glad I don't belong to those unions anymore and I wish I won't for the rest of my life. What a bunch of f*cking racists who use public money to finance radical organizations such as Impératif Français. Our money, anglo, franco and ethnic money.

    Makes me thing of those arab oil companies who finance Hamas and Hezbollah, same kind of fights.

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  7. There should be a counterdemonstration organized as well. There would be more francos and anglo friendly people than one might thing.

    However, it seems that it's just what they are waiting for to get the implicit complicity of Quebec "unionized" conventional medias such as TVA and RDI.

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  8. Even for La Presse, the demonstration is contested: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/opinions/editoriaux/201002/11/01-948540-rester-eveille-devant-les-sleep-country.php

    "Voilà un humour bien mal placé. Qui dessert la cause du français au Canada et au Québec, plutôt que l'aider. La cause de Sleep Country Dormez-vous a eu des échos jusqu'à l'autre bout du pays. Et certains anglophones ont vite sauté dans le bateau pour décrier l'isolationnisme obtus des militants pour le français."

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  9. Because of those assholes, we French Quebeckers looks like a bunch of f*cking retards in the eyes of the ROC:

    http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Sleep+Country+signs+French+language+crusader+nightmares/2519008/story.html

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  10. It would be great if we could get a group of anglos together at the demonstration and then beat the crap out of them, just like the English always did to the French in the good old days.

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  11. It was mentioned in another post already but it merits some attention. Isn't it time to use whatever political weight we still have on the island of Montreal where most of us live and work? A referendum to seperate from the rest of this rabid province and the third world demagogues that have stripped us of rights that are guaranteed to us as Canadians under the charter of rights and freedoms.
    How much longer are we willing to pay into a system that uses our tax dollars to police the language we use, and to fine and shut down our places of business if we don't conform to their version of what a Quebeker should be?

    Let them have their Quebekistan as long as their territory begins somewhere on a cabane a sucre field and they can no longer exercise any kind of authority over us.

    Ethnic

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  12. What happens if the store decides to ignore them completely. What will these protesters do on feb. 28 when the protest is over... and no one actually stops shopping there?

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  13. a naughty moose said...
    All we need in this province is a leader with a tiny moustache and followers with colorful arm bands. It's a slippery slope my friends.

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  14. Bon les orangistes qui parlent encore, on parle de loi ici. Pour ceux qui comprennent le mot Loi = Law. Votre bilinguisme de facade ne berne personne messieurs|mesdames, j'habite Ottawa et je peux vous dire que personne ne se force pour me servir en français ! Allez apprenez donc une autre langue, p-e l'espagnol ? If you think that be civilized is to speak canadian english so you have a big problem of proud, you make me thinking about the famous speak white insult you gived to francophones, you francophobs !

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  15. Pourquoi les anglophones d'Ottawa ne se précipent pas sur les commerces francophones ? Pourquoi s'est toujours aux mêmes à exercer son bilinguisme ? Il y a des limites à tirer la couverture du lit de son côté !

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  16. On ne passe pas autant de temps que les gens de ce blogue à faire du Canada bashing comme vous le faite avec votre Québec bashing. Au lieu de ça, apprenez une autre langue, ça ouvre l'esprit ! Cordialement !

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  17. I imagine that you don't publish text in other language like french ! There's other things in the world out of english language, anglo-saxon culture !

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  18. When I read your comments, I can really ask the question who is racist in their opinion ? I just let you find the answer ! Un francophone parmis des millions ! :)

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  19. Vos commentaires sont sans intérêts ! Your comments, we don't care !

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  20. They won't win, I saw the protest today. and I can say, it was really pointless, only thing they did is give Sleep country free advertising. good or bad, advertising is advertising right hehe.
    I did research and Dormez vous and sleep country canada even tho sleep country owns them, it's 2 different companies all together. Impératif Francais won't win this one.

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  21. jbk said...

    What happens if the store decides to ignore them completely. What will these protesters do on feb. 28 when the protest is over... and no one actually stops shopping there?


    Actually, they did ignore them, there was 8-10 police officers keeping peace, and costumers were going in and out like the protesters werent there. I bought my mattress at Sleep country and I never saw service like they did when I went else where. everything they offer, really, why buy a matress anywhere else?

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  22. seriously, if that's too much of an issue, go complain against FUTURE SHOP, BEST BUY, WALMART, LOBLAWS, EB GAMES, GAMESTOP, THE BRICK, PAYLESS SHOES, SMART SET, the list goes on and on, a company name, wasting 2 hours of your day. actually TRAVELING DOWN FROM MONTREAL ON A SCHOOL BUS, gimme a a damn break!

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  23. "If you think that be civilized is to speak canadian english so you have a big problem of proud"

    Really? You have a job in Ottawa? If my French was as shitty as your English my career options in Quebec would be limited to pumping gas.
    You see, what's not really civilized is you being able to live and work in Ontario with obvious subpar language skills, while you support the opposite on those not fluent enough in French in Quebec. Unless, of course, you're pumping gas over there, which would level things out a little.

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  24. When I read a couple of comments, One insist on the ''morons who should understand simple instruction'', Can you explain me why anglophones never read books in french, listen to french music, or watch movie french but remake with their actors and all their stuff ? In Rome we doing like the Romans say the sentence, it's normal that the company just follow the law on the territory it established, here on Québec territory. A lot of you looks like having a montée de lait !:)

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  25. Reality is always hurt when it's true ! For your information mister who write the 28th at 3:05 am, maybe you should Sleep Co(u)ntry (read CON-TRY, say it in french you'll understand better !:)) First of all, I'm not pumping gas and I don't see what the job or the career play on the fact that Ottawa is not bilingual and it's the Canada's capital (I your teeth )! I'm from and other country (see Eastern Europe) and I find that my canadian english is not so bad because you understand the main idea of my argumentation ! En répondant comme vous l'avez fait, ne fait qu'appuyer mes réquisitions (Vous pouvez chercher la signification du mot si vous êtres incertain !:) Meilleures salutations !

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  26. To Mister the insomniac who don't sleep at 3:05 AM. Maybe it's only gas (Sorry i cannot pumping it but a tip I can give you is that is priceless in Ottawa-the gas !) that miss you to leave your little ghetto ? Maybe open your eyes and ear to others, like the people of the majority in Québec ? :) Librement vôtre !

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  27. I do think it's going over the edge on that one (sign thingy). Zeal applied.

    I also believe lots of comments are disproportional with the issue. Like the "let's gather and beat them up"... Juvenile. Civility lacks in the comments of this blog, which clashes with the quality of the blog itself which is written intelligently to expose the author's views without falling into rustic Quebec bashing.

    On comments:
    I think it's a fair bet to say that there is a better proportion of people being able to speak fairly good english in Quebec than that of people able to speak fairly good french in the ROC.

    Why would someone with imperfect english get a job in Ottawa: because it's your national capital, with lots of national institutions, where bilingual posts are plenty, and not enough locals speaking better french than that person's english. Another good reason for removing that bilingual policy, you're losing good government jobs to your behated Quebec neighbors!

    I think it's also safe to say there are more unilingual english jobs in Montreal than there are in Ottawa. I have a few allophones friends in Montreal who can barely say Bonjour, and they all got work. I'm not even speaking of Toronto, because I shouldn't: it's unilingual english, in the unilingual province of Toronto. Quebec is unilingual French. The Federal government is officially bilingual, not all the provinces. One shouldn't mix things up, it confuses into misunderstanding and you'll end up lost and annoyed, if not angry.

    On that thought, I'm gonna go open myself a mattress store in Calgary called "Quebec Nation's Comfort". That's surely going to be very welcome. Or better, I'll call it "Douillet Pays Québecois"! It's not illegal there, therefore it's not sensitive and a good marketing strategy, without any risk of political clash with ideologically-stubborn individuals. Right?

    ** Fight! Ding Ding Ding! **

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  28. Maybe you should be pumping gas!

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  29. What are you making of the half a million Franco-ontariens and their reprensation of 25 % of the population of Ottawa ?

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  30. "One shouldn't mix things up, it confuses into misunderstanding and you'll end up lost and annoyed, if not angry."

    Obviously, we need to simplify. Since the rest of the country can't be asked to become unilingual French or even bilingual to accomondate one minority, anymore than they would accomondate the Chinese, Indian, etc, the road seems paved for a bilingual Quebec as the only other possible option.


    "On that thought, I'm gonna go open myself a mattress store in Calgary called "Quebec Nation's Comfort". "

    That might not be a bad idea. Considering the amount of money the ROC pumps into this province to pay for distinct culture, they might be convinced that Quebecers know a lot more about sleeping comfort than anyone else.

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  31. "What are you making of the half a million Franco-ontariens and their reprensation of 25 % of the population of Ottawa ?"

    What am I not making of the 4% of franco-Ontarians (representing 1,6% of the Canadian population)? What's your point?

    The Quebecer working living in Ottawa who posted above is included in that 25%. I'd be curious to know the proportion of Quebecer within that 25%. But again, what is your point?
    _______________
    Anonymous from MARCH 1, 2010 2:26 PM

    Chinese minority: 3,2%
    Indian minority: data not even available on Statistic Canada website
    Quebec's french speaking minority in Canada: 18,8%
    Quebec's english speaking minority in Quebec: 8%

    It can be noticed that:
    - Comparing a minority of 18,8% (Quebec only) to minorities of 3,2% and less underlines a lack of proportion which affect the quality of your argument.
    - Quebec's english speaking minority is proportionally quite smaller than Canada's french quebecer minority.

    Quebec's French speaking majority in Quebec: 79%
    Canada's English speaking majority in Canada: 57,2%

    It can be noticed that:
    - Quebec's majority of French speakers is by far larger than Canada's majority of english speakers.

    What am I trying to prove with this demography statistics? Not much, but the previous comments left me bored and unchallenged, so i played with numbers for my own curiosity. I for one love to put things in perspective because groundless arguments are... well... shaky.

    (http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo11b-eng.htm)

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  32. "Quebec's english speaking minority is proportionally quite smaller than Canada's french quebecer minority."

    It helps that hundreds of thousands left the province since the introduction of Bill 101.

    I don't see what the numbers have to do with it at all. If current trends of migration continue, it's forseeable that the numbers of Chinese immigrants might one day rival that of the Francophones. I suppose then that they must be given the ability to make a province unilingually Chinese, or to form their own independent nation on Canadian territory. And what if it surpasses them? Then by this logic, French, as the other official language of this country should be dumped in favour of the next strongest contender.


    "Quebec's english speaking minority in Quebec: 8%"

    I'm curious if that percentage includes allophones that identify as Canadians.

    Either way, it's quite irrelevant. Canadian laws and the charter of rights should be applicable in a uniform manner despite the demographics. Every Canadian should have equal access whether they live in Quebec or anywhere else.

    "Quebec's french speaking minority in Canada: 18,8%
    Quebec's english speaking minority in Quebec: 8%"

    I wonder what these statistics might have looked like before the 30+ years of social engineering that included selective immigration based on language instead of other qualifications, and the unconstitutional enforcement of the linguistic policies that were both part of an effort to create the winning conditions for a referendum. All done at the expense of human rights in this country. You should ask yourself when the last time close to a million people felt pressured to move away from the province of their birth due to the political pressure exerted on them in a period of forty years.

    If the numbers are to be the litmus, then less natives were forced onto reserves and relocated within the province of Quebec than those who were politically coerced into abandoning their homes in Quebec to retain their rights as citizens.
    Your boredom seems to be the result of callous apathy in my opinion.

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  33. For your information the Québécois english speaker are 575 560 (data of 2006 census. Not really more than Franco-ontariens, do you want to see what's the diffence of treatment ??? And for your information the Québec is a territory that have all for being master in his home !!
    and for take the words of Bourassa,''Therefore, since 1985, the question is: What does Canada want? [also in English] ...and we are still waiting for the response of Canada in this respect. Mister President, English Canada must understand very clearly that, no matter what anyone says and no matter what anyone does, Quebec is, today and forever, a distinct society, free and capable of assuming its destiny and development.'' De toute façon, l'indépendance n'est rien contre le Canada, c'est quelque chose de plus pour le Québec:)!

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  34. Why they left Québec after the Bill 101 ? When democracy don't go in the way I want, I leave !! A nice mentality ! The reality is that some people are so rhodesian than they don't want to be in relation with their neighbors ! If I follow your logic, why canada don't want to merge with USA and by the same Mexico ? For your information, there's a lot of states in USA that voted law similar to Bill 101 ! Get over it Bill 101, it was the solution to live normally in a normal country ! Why we should speak english when we are the majority ???

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  35. My point is that pissed you off that we don't want to be assimilated and we can be owner of our own house !!:)) Stop Québec bashing !!:)

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  36. Find your own project and do it ! Leave Québec doing is own thing ! Can you apologize for Amerindians (French sign La Grande paix 1603- What with the English ?), The Acadians, The Rule 17 in Ontario (Forbidden to education in french in Ontario), the prison for Japanese during World War II, la crise d'Octobre and it continue... Stop making lesson, you have a lot of things to keep in the closet !! Québec is not better than the ROC but simply different and the big diffence is that the territory is all under the juridiction of l'Assemblée nationale.

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  37. For information: is Québécois who want to be !

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  38. I must give more precision to my last comment. The big difference is in regards to other minority. Québécois are maybe minority in Canada but it's majority on is own territory !

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  39. "Why we should speak english when we are the majority ???"

    Because you are the minority!! Here's a little reality check - if Quebec ever becomes independent it will be politically and economically dominated, if not raped by neighbours that dwarf it in every respect. You're not going to be Belgium, because this is not Europe. Not to mention that if you think Belgium has enjoyed any real independence in its time of existence, you should really look into their history.

    "we don't want to be assimilated and we can be owner of our own house !!:)) "

    I can understand that and I share your concern to a certain extent. I'm a part of an ethnic minority much smaller than yours and we do our best to retain our language and culture. Considering the generations we've been here for, we've been doing ok without the protectionism so I don't see how you should have any problems. As for this being your house, it's not. It's mine too, and everybody else's who moves to this province. In fact, this 'house' belongs to every single Canadian if he choses to relocate. The same can be said for you if you could peep past your narrow-minded regionalism and see that this whole country is yours. If you don't want this country and would prefer a unilingual and largely homogenous French white culture, I suggest you look across the pond, because Canada is not it!

    "The reality is that some people are so rhodesian"

    I love how all sovereigntists use this term. I suggest you look at the parallels between South Africa and here, even if they might be a stretch. I think you'll find that even at a cursory glance the shoe fits on your end a whole lot better than on ours. After all, you're part of a majority that has turned the island of Montreal into a series of ethnic enclaves that are politically and culturally marginalized as les autres, and dominated by an educational system that forces them to speak your version of white. This is something that even the English didn't do to you.

    "Find your own project and do it ! Leave Québec doing is own thing !"

    Agreed. A referendum to seperate the island of Montreal and its western territory from the province of Quebec. Let Quebec do its own thing, we on the island consider ourselves Canadians and will regain our consitutional rights even as Ontarians.

    "la crise d'Octobre"

    And just why the hell would I apologize for that, assuming that I'm the proper official to grant such an apology? It was radical sovereigntists that conducted kidnappings, bombings and murder. As far as I'm concerned, and in light of the events that followed this, Trudeau did not go far enough.

    " the territory is all under the juridiction of l'Assemblée nationale"

    That might be so but it doesn't change the fact that I have every right to demand my rights as a Canadian and which are illegitimately withheld from me by your so called 'national' assembly.

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  40. We Québécois francophones are not a minority, that's all the difference ! In response to mister march 3 2010 6h05 am

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  41. C'est tellement gros votre truc, vous essayez de faire sortir des commentaires disons gorgés de sentiments afin de répandre votre fiel sur la place publique. Un truc vieux comme le monde !:)

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  42. The Crise d'Octobre was created by a douzen of people, for that we arrested more than 550 peoples without mandate. For the country of all liberty, I've seen better ! Don't say that the situation need it, it's demagoguery ! The fact, is ROC loved Trudeau because he was hard and uncompromising with Québec, that's it. And for giving more arrogance we have the airport of Montréal named by this character that is not very popular by the Québec majority !:)

    The partition est not valuable on the plan of international law, I suggest you to read on the subject. Second, wanted partition is simply dangerous and anti-democratic (the West island is not a territory recognize in the Constitution, you really need a class on constitutionnal law) in regards of the actual bounderies of Québec. For the aboriginals, don't be anxious, we negociated when time will come :)

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  43. Une suggestion de lecture: Pierre Bourgault, Pierre Vadeboncoeur.

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  44. Afin de mieux refléter la diversité, je vous écris en français !!!

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  45. Québec is part of Canada but Canada is not a part of Québec (the theory of ensembles, you know ? I'm part of a group but the group is not a part of me ?)West-island before being part of Canada is part of Québec and Île de Montréal first. You kitting, the partition, is just a big fear for scared people ! I really invited you read on the subject and see what happens to all the 50 countries that become independent in the past 45 years ! It's crazy how it can disturb to be different and wish another issue than the one Canada offer to francophones (that is not a minority in the way some people want to say it ! Minority, it depend of the angle of view !

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  46. But which rights you talking ?? ''That might be so but it doesn't change the fact that I have every right to demand my rights as a Canadian and which are illegitimately withheld from me by your so called 'national' assembly.'' There's rights for the english native speaking for the rest, they choose to come in Québec. If I choose to install in Mexico, what's my rights ? Get over it the Bill 101 !:)

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  47. "If I choose to install in Mexico, what's my rights"

    Hey, that's a pretty good analogy. I often find myself thinking of a future idependent Quebec as a northern version of Mexico. But since it's not independent, it can put bill 101 right up its ass because it denies me my rights under the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms. I, for one, no longer comply with the law and fines be damned. As a matter of fact, I now make it a point to speak English ALL the time anywhere I find myself in this province.

    " I really invited you read on the subject and see what happens to all the 50 countries that become independent "

    You misunderstand. I'm not interested in a referendum to make the island of Montreal an independent nation, but rather a part of Ontario and independent of the province of Quebec and its unconstitutional legislation.

    "We Québécois francophones are not a minority, that's all the difference "

    Well, you're on Canadian land, you use Canadian money, and you share a border with the United States. That makes you a minority. You are also a minority that is absolutely dependent on out of the province investment for job creation and on the doles of cash that the rest of Canada shovels your way each year.

    "The Crise d'Octobre was created by a douzen of people, for that we arrested more than 550 peoples without mandate. For the country of all liberty, I've seen better "

    What kind of situation would you have prefered for a better mandate? A few more deaths? Some more bombings perhaps? Maybe the Franco-fascists should have been allowed to set fire to English neighbourhoods for you to have been satisfied. Either way, Trudeau did not go far enough. He should've stamped out the whole movement when it showed itself for what it really was. It's wearing its 'civilized' mask now but it's only a thin veneer.

    "Afin de mieux refléter la diversité, je vous écris en français"

    Yes, diversity when it's in French, OLF fines when it's not.

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  48. RHODESIANS leave your suburb bungalow ! Why it's so pissing you off the Bill 101 ? It's just normal law because, it's the official language of Québec !! Nobody looks like having a big knowledge of CONSTITUTIONAL LAW ! A federation like Canada have separate powers between federal government and province goverment ! The famous Charter of rights and freedom was a copy of the Charte des droits et libertés de la personne du Québec what was adopted before (1975) the federal one(1982). Your lesson of democracy you can keep it for others !

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  49. ''I often find myself thinking of a future idependent Quebec as a northern version of Mexico'' JUST GO OUTSIDE FOR TAKING A SUNBATH, it will remove your bad ideas !:) Seriously, get over it !

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  50. "RHODESIANS leave your suburb bungalow !"

    Typical racist generalizations. All those who oppose Bill 101 must be affulent; they must be white Anglophones; they represent the money of the province, out of touch with metropolitan reality, snug in the 'burbs trying to dictate to the common people. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Those opposed to Bill 101 might live in West Mount and the West Island but they're also in the working class neighbourhoods of Park Extension, NDG, and all across the island. They are also immigrants representing many ethnic backgrounds.
    The reality of it is that the sovereigntist movement and the proponents of 101 are those who represent an overwhelmingly homogenous white, Catholic group whose goal is to preserve themselves from the waves of immigration and the rest of Canada.
    You wouldn't know what a Rhodesian was if he wound up and gave you a swift boot to the ass but, if you take a look at the political leaders of the nationalist movement you might begin to get an idea of what the politics of exclusion, xenophobia and racial supremacy really look like.

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  51. Here in Vancouver we have an obviously large number of English speaking people, however we also have a very large group of people who are bilingual, and they have managed to hold on to their heritage extremely well, so much so that I find myself in the process of learning Cantonese.... and not just because my girl friends parents speak next to no English. I suppose the point I am trying to make is if the culture that you have isn't strong enough to retain it's own distinctiveness without the presence of laws, then quite possibly that culture/language should simply not be around. I say make people want to adopt a language or culture rather than forcing one to do so, a lot like Montreal has. Can't say there is anywhere else in the country like that.

    By the way 52% of people do not speak English as their first language here in Greater Vancouver (population of approx 2.2 million). Everyone get's along just fine, and has morphed into quite the unique society tolerant of pretty much anyone.... except stores that don't allow you to bring your dog in. Fuck those places piss me off.

    Go Canucks Go!

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  52. NOUS VAINCRONS !

    Vive le Québec!
    Vive le peuple québécois!
    Vive le Réseau de Résistance du Québécois!
    Vive la liberté!
    Vive l'indépendance!

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  53. Back to the basic.

    The constitutional elements that a country gives to itself are to be seen as nothing else but a contract among the different parties involved. As such, it has nothing to do with racial issue.

    The question of minority and majority sound all wrong so far. A really Canadian Citizen would agree that English and French citizens ARE initially the only two co-founders of the country and are to be considered equal. If you are a Canadian, you would then stick to the constitution that was laid by the founders of the country. The French culture should then be supported and even defended. To try by any means to reduce the proportion of it community is therefore to be considered unconstitutional. Neither English individuals nor French ones should be left alone in a competitive struggle with the minorities formed with the new comers.

    It should be humbly remembered that the background of the Canadian founders belonging to the English side came to Canada’s land as peoples running in escape from the thirteen Anglo-Saxon colonies territories at the crucial time they decided to proclaim their independency from the crown of England. So, culturally speaking, there has always been somehow from them a sense of disgust related to the very idea of independency. Someone should be realistic enough to admit that this aspect of this particular culture is still manifested in social and political position presented. The tendency to fail to recognize the equal status of their co-founder might well be part of this. The French culture might as well have its own particularities in regards to this line of consideration.

    The bi-cultural context of Canada would probably work much better in an environment that is closer to a republic state than the actual monarchic parliamentary form. The Queen of England having to bear the status of the supreme head of the Church of the Anglican believes is certainly related to a great part to the pursuance of this form of government. As such, this is a case where a religious faith comes to impede with a normal secular settlement of a democratically chosen agreement or social contract. The argument of symbolism concerning the actual influence of the crown of England is more than factice since it is still operant, would it be in a subtle manner.
    I believe these are preset points and should be basic to any discussion concerning Canadian social development.

    If the English party doesn’t support anymore the French’s one, it is then just a fair play that it withdraws its interests from the prevalent contract, despite the cultural reluctance of the other party toward the idea of autonomy or independency.

    Regards,

    Mario

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  54. You are all a bunch of stupid idiots and you don't understand Quebec's nationalism. Ultimately, this will result in Quebec's independence. And the worst idiots of all of you guys are the Quebecers who wrote against this demonstration.

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  55. Quebec is independent. It's unofficial, but it is independent. French is an adstrat, and the Protestant and Calvinist, with strong moral absolutist ideas are not going anywhere in Quebec, where French catholicism in the capitalist world was born.

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  56. Mr Editor: Your experience with BC cannot be compared with the one of Quebec, la Nouvelle-France ! You are comparing potatoes with pears!ANybody teaching history in a UNIVERSITY will tell you that axiom!

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  57. « Dormir bien » aurait été mieux que « Dormez-vous ? », me semble-t-il.

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