The article was a fantasy describing the Shangri-la world of an independent Quebec in the year 2020 and was incredibly funny in a perverted sort of way.
A lot of our bilingual readers mentioned the piece in comments section with 'adski' summing up the article perfectly.
"This whole "article" reads a bit like a page from some fascist/communist manifesto. It conjures up images that we see on rare footage that trickles out of North Korea, where happy people march holding hands, singing happy songs...."I couldn't have made a better snide remark, so decided to pass on writing a piece
But in light of these intriguing references made in our comments section, I received a couple of requests to translate the article for the many readers who don't have French.
For those who have already read the original piece, I beg your indulgence and apologize for the imperfect translation. To tym_machine, no nit-picking over typos!
Again, if you read French, read the original article here.
"Fall 2020; the Quiet Revolution is now 60 years old, Events of October1 now 50 years old , the first referendum, now 40 years old, the second referendum, now 25 years ago and yes, Quebec got rid of the Charest government in 2012 and the link to Canada in 2016.
Indeed, in 2016 the coalition party of independence, the Separatist Parti Quebecois of Solidarity (PIQS,) after taking power with a strong majority and a decidedly pro-independence platform convened its constituency, the 63 members of the Bloc Quebecois in Ottawa and the the 85 PIQS deputies in the National Assembly to declare the unilateral independence of Quebec.
The first law passed after consolidating the independence of Quebec was Law 201, the Charter of the French language of an independent French Quebec.
In summary, Act 201 provides that:
1. Finally, French is the only official language, national language, common language, working language and language of education in Quebec.
2. The Supreme Court of Quebec, which replaced the Supreme Court of Canada and the Charter imposed by Trudeau, now interprets the laws, in the best interests of French Quebec.
3. The primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities have become French, as it should, all except for about 8%, for the benefit of the historical Anglophone minority . Private schools, as elsewhere in the world are no longer subsidized by the state. This new legislation and other major changes allow the government to make public education a successful model where the dropout rate is the lowest among nations. Learning a second, third and fourth language has become natural for many citizens.
4. Quebecers are now proud of the place of honour that French is accorded in our institutions, in communications and the public domain. Our political representatives, including our leaders make their speeches and answer questions from journalists in French only. The growing number of tourists, including American and Latin Americans are amazed to find themselves in such a cozy country with a French face.
5. The new Quebecois2 in Quebec are settling mostly in the regions, the number of them arriving each year is now 20,000, rather than 50,000 when Quebec was a province like the others. They are happy not only because they are well integrated into Quebec society and have acquired a good knowledge of French, but because they have increasingly found jobs where they can put their talents to good use. Quebec's new government is recruiting more people from Western Europe and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia, immigrants that generally integrate easily with the traditions and customs of Quebec, including the concept of gender equality and a secular state.
Past abuses of "reasonable accommodations" have been resolved. To get their citizenship and Quebec passport, the 20 000 immigrants welcomed annually to Quebec must not only know French, but also solemnly pledge to respect the fundamental values of Quebec. The new Quebecois are pleased to join the independent French Quebec, egalitarian and secular, because they feel uncomfortable with Canadian multiculturalism and tensions related to accommodations. In addition, complimentary registration upon arrival at the Center for orientation, training and integration of new Quebecers (COFINQ*), greatly facilitates their life in Quebec. All Quebecers who have not yet learned the national language also benefit from free services. Some, who choose not to learn the national language, quickly find that their place is better in Canada than in Quebec.
6. The Office de la langue Francais plays a much more important role and now benefits from greatly increased funding while watchdog agencies like the Mouvement Québec français now receive grants to continue to fulfill their caretaker mission.
7. The two mega-university hospitals in Montreal of which, only the English one was built, has become a French institution under the name of the 'Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montréal et McGill' (CHUMM) as the historical Anglophone minority now receives fair and equitable funding, proportional to its demographic weight. The savings accrued are now used to improve the health system, especially in the regions.PRICELESS!!!!!!!!
All these arrangements have brought a sense of quiet pride to Quebecers, whether native or immigrant. There is broad consensus on the acceptance of the Charter of the French language in an independent French Quebec (Act 201). Quebecers are proud that their government has dared to adopt the Charter despite the threats of some Anglo-Quebecers and Canadian hotheads. Quebecers now sense that they have dropped their colonial yoke.
* COFINQ (Centre for orientation, training and integration of new Quebecers) centres, established in all major regions of Quebec and Montreal operate with full programs preparing new Quebecers to smoothly integrate in Quebec by adopting our language and our common values and are afforded the opportunity to showcase their skills at work and elsewhere in society. These new centres and programs are much larger than the programs of the former province of Quebec and include not only the integration of immigrants on a larger scale in the regions, but also the Francisation of all Quebecers not yet Francisized ."
I am reminded of those old POPULAR SCIENCE magazines of the 30's, 40's and 50's, that made lame and fanciful predictions, like the one that presaged that by the year 2000, we'd be driving our cars to Europe under the ocean!
I'm moved to hum that old song by Zagar & Evans; ............."In the Year 2525"
