First, a shout out to reader "
Steve Gratton" who was on the story of Pierre Curzi complaining on the radio that the Montreal Canadiens have gone 'rogue' and now are a force for 'federalism.'
NO DOGS OR ANGLOPHONES published this snippet days before the main press reacted at all.
GOOD FOR US! LINK
For those who can understand French there's a recording of the interview, as well as a story over at
radio station CKAC.
Mr. Curzi railed about how the Canadiens are no longer a source of Quebecois pride because the owners have shifted allegiances from Quebec to Ottawa. The nonsense assumes that the Canadiens of the past, by virtue of a francophone heavy roster was somehow a French organization.
It never was.....
Particularly irksome is the Canadiens 'catchphrase;
"NOUS SOMMES CANADIENS - WE ARE CANADIENS"
The story is gathering momentum across the country for it's shear stupidity and Mr. Curzi's missive has served to ridicule language militants.
"No political party should play wedge politics with the Montreal
Canadiens," Dimitri Soudas, Mr. Harper's director of communications,
said in an email.
He added that it is unwise "to run against a
hockey team, like the Habs, that has more victories than the Parti
Quebecois and the Bloc Quebecois combined." LINK
Of course the story got even sillier with Pauline Marois wading into the affair decrying the lack of Quebecois on the team;
“Currently it helps federalism more than, in my point of view, the
defence of our interests and of our reality as francophones in North
America,” she said. LINK
Of course, this is a different tune to that which she sang during the Canadiens fabulous playoff run last spring. But flip-flops are Madame Marois' forte. In her closing address at a weekend-long conference in Drummondville,
the PQ leader compared the party's attempt at taking on the Charest
Liberals to the Habs' fight for the Stanley Cup.":
"Sovereignists are like the Montreal Canadiens, said Pauline Marois
at a Parti Quebecois convention this weekend; underdogs who believe in
themselves" LINK
A variety of French language militants in the press corps, led by blowhard Rejean Tremblay continue to preach
discrimination affirmative action in order to get the Canadiens up to linguistic snuff.
Lost on all these militants is the stark reality that the NHL is an English organization. Teams operate in English and foreign and Francophone players who aspire to play in the NHL must polish their English skills along with their skating and shooting.
No team dressing room has ever operated in French and that includes the vaunted Quebec Nordiques.
Players who come to Montreal from outside Quebec aren't going to learn French just because the fans want them to. Perhaps it would be nice, but it's not the reality. The players work in English, raise their families in English, socialize in English and go home once the hockey season is done.
As for attracting French speaking players, it appears that the good ones don't particularly want to come back to Quebec. The Canadiens have struck out on all levels in trying to attract top talent. Many have told reporters candidly that the pressure and scrutiny of playing in Quebec isn't worth it.
When Guy Carbonneau was fired as coach of the Canadiens the frenzy was such that reporters camped out in front of his elderly mother's residence, hoping for a comment! It seems that the only francophones interested in the Canadiens are those at the end of their career or those youngsters desperate to make the team. As for the quality players, the pastures are decidedly greener elsewhere.
As for proportional and fair representation, perhaps Mr. Curzi could take up the plight of anglophone civil servants who collectively hold less than one percent of the jobs, while remaining 8.5% of the general Quebec population.
REFERENCE
How about some affirmative action? What do you say, Mr. Curzi, Madame Marois?
