Friday, February 11, 2011

French versus English Volume 21

Roads Department's banalization of English
Returning to Quebec from a road trip to Toronto, it didn't take more than a few feet past the border to remind me that in this province, language is more important than anything.

Apparently, those in charge of Quebec road signs have a perverse sense of humour.
It's seems that to them, it's not only important to demonstrate that French is the dominant language in Quebec but also, that English is no more important than Spanish and Portuguese!
I have nothing against the Spanish and  Portuguese, but there are only about 60,000 Spaniards and 20,000 Portuguese in all of Quebec!
There's over 250,000 Italians and about 130,000 who speak Arabic. There's 90,000 Germans and over 80,000 Jews.
How come no greeting for them?

Idiots!

Alberta forced to pay for French court challenge
 Over a year ago, back in October 2009, I told readers that a case of a unilingual speeding ticket was headed to the Supreme Court because the citation wasn't written in French as well as English. Read that story
The story is back in the news as the case winds it's way through the judicial system. The latest update is that the Supreme Court has decided that the case is so important its appropriate that the government fund the legal expenses of the complainant LINK 

Not all  francophones are pleased over the prospect of bilingual tickets and some argue that Quebec should get rid of the English portion on tickets. Here is a letter writen on the website of  imperatif-francais that argues for this change. Perhaps they should submit a brief opposing the Alberta plaintiff and argue that he should lose his case in the highest court

British Columbia downgrading French language instruction
"Teachers are sounding an alarm about the future of French-language instruction in B.C. schools if the provincial government proceeds with curriculum revisions next year intended to recognize and value all languages.
They say they're worried the new "additional languages" curriculum -- so named to promote inclusiveness -- will make French the equivalent of other languages and erase its privileged place in B.C. elementary and secondary schools as one of Canada's official languages." LINK
Bilingualism loophole used in drunk charge
"A New Brunswick judge acquitted a francophone man of a drunk-driving-related charge because the police did not offer him the option of being arrested in English,.....
.....In the French-only ruling, Provincial Court Justice Yvette Finn lambasted the police for not respecting Mr. Robichaud's rights to be served in the language of his choice, even though he clearly understood French. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives special status to New Brunswick's bilingualism, rights that are "inviolable," she wrote." LINK
Lack of French at Vancouver Olympics the fault of Quebec songwriter
 Blowhard VONOC chairman John Furlong couldn't leave bad enough alone in regards to the painful lack of French at last year's Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies.
"An explanation about why there was almost no French spoken at the opening ceremonies of last year's Vancouver Olympics is being picked apart and pilloried in Quebec. The pile-on has continued today onto Games CEO John Furlong. In a new memoir, he writes that the ceremony lacked French content because Quebec nationalist hero Gilles Vigneault refused to let organizers use his song "Mon Pays." LINK
Mr Furlong demonstrates his utter ignorance of the true nature of separatists if he actually believed Mr. Vigneault would allow his work to celebrate the concept of a strong and united Canada internationally.

If Mr. Vigneault is responsible for the lack of French at the ceremonies, who, according to Mr. Furlong should blamed for the rest of the snore-a-thon?

Battle between French school and French immersion
 One of the very few places in Canada where French education is in hot demand is in the Ottawa area where French immersion classes are all the rage. The classes are tremendously popular with anglophone parents wishing to bestow the gift of bilingualism upon their children.

But the classes have proven wildly popular with Francophone families wishing to give their own children a French education with a strong background of English.
This has enraged Francophone school boards who are furious at the idea of losing students to English schools, even those offering French immersion and so they've embarked on an expensive public relations campaign to win back students.
"That is the gist of the public relations campaign launched earlier this year by the umbrella group that represents the province's 12 French Catholic and public school boards. The $1-million campaign, which was launched during kindergarten registration, aimed at informing those eligible for French language schools -- largely, students with a parent whose first language is French or who were educated in French -- of their rights. The campaign also points out that French schools and French immersion schools are very different things. The French Catholic board, for the second year, ran a campaign with the controversial slogan: "A real French education for your child." LINK

Much ado about a birth certificate
It was a human interest story par excellence, the battle of a poor immigrant vainly attempting to secure a French birth certificate for his child after a government snafu.
The battle of Kamal El-Batal was so interesting that it was the subject of a segment on 'Mongrain,' a nationally televised French talk show.

It seems that Mr. El-Batal was offended that his family was classified as cursed anglos in the government's computer and so try as he did to get a French document for his son, the certificate was continually spit out in English.
A persistent bugger, his effort and zeal to repair the affront was an extraordinary story and excited public interest.

But of course, being the curious sort that I am, it struck me as a huge overreaction, not something an immigrant was likely to do. 
And so, a little checking revealed that Kamal El-Batal is not the simple immigrant portrayed in the story, but rather an experienced peekiss hard-liner who ran (and lost) as a PQ candidate in the last election.

Mr. El-Batal is also no stranger to complaining, he also won a $15,000 judgment in Quebec's human rights tribunal for racist hiring practices at the Quebec's agricultural co-operative. LINK

It seems that the minister responsible for the department that issues the certificates, fell for the political ruse, hook, line and sinker. 
Michelle Courchesne even phoned the PQ stalwart to tell him of her intervention. Well-played! Ha ha!
LINK{fr}

56 comments:

  1. Hi! I take the occasion to remember to you a great saint of the Catholic church. Her mission was a great accomplishment from France but also the nation of Québec since it is still pertinent in our present time:

    « Sur l'amour ou la haine que Dieu porte aux Anglais, je n'en sais rien, mais je suis convaincue qu'ils seront boutés hors de France, exceptés ceux qui mourront sur cette terre. »

    — Jeanne d'Arc

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  2. "Roads Department's banalization of English"

    What else is new...the english language is the enemy...right??

    "Alberta forced to pay for French court challenge"

    Yes, perhaps Imperatif Francais should intervene as the editor said to make the tickets in Alberta unilingual english. Of course, this would never happen due to the de factor double standard when it comes to French in Canada a promoted by ill fated programs such as the OLA which is nothing more than a huge waste of money. Be practical folks, in Alberta, unilingual francos are not more than 0.1 % of the province or essentially non existent. . Really, is there any need to have tickets in french, courts challenges etc.

    "British Columbia downgrading French language instruction"

    Stats...French spoken in the home..0.4% in BC, Mandarin spoken in the home 16%. I think this pretty well says it all on this point !!!!!

    "Battle between French school and French immersion"

    Million dollars wasted to attract students back to franchophone schools. Sounds like a great use of taxpayer dollars that could otherwise be spent on educational resources!!!! Righhhht. Simple fact, french is on the decline and the french parents know that english is required. Next thing will be subsidies paid to parents, if they enroll their children in French only schools. Maybe Ms. Best (sorry Madame Milleur) should bring this up with good old Dalton. I am sure he would be sympathetic to their cause.

    Ridiculous.


    As for the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Who cares except for Grahame Fraser (le chef de l'office de joual au Canada) and assorted asshole politicians (James Moore) trying to garner votes on something which was really a non issue. Gilles Vigneault should get a new hairdresser :) Worried about French at the Olympics when there exist draconian language laws against english in Quebec which preclude uniingual english signage (or any other language for that matter) and the choice of language instruction. More double standard.

    Canada is not a bilingual country (english, french) and likely never will be despite spending huges sums of money on ill fated and failed programs.

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  3. Chénier dit: Pour la signalisation, l'anglais est une langue du continent américain au même titre que l'espagnol et le portugais. Pourquoi demandez-vous une importance privilégiée à l'anglais, alors que vous avez toujours refusé de reconnaître la primauté du français ? Lorsqu'on arrive au Nouveau-Brunswick, l'anglais est toujours au-dessus du français sur les affiches. Égalité pour les deux langues dans la SEULE province officiellement bilingue au Canada ? Un pays au plus vite...

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  4. "Mandarin spoken in the home 16%."

    Les Chinois sont-ils un des peuples fondateurs de du Canada?

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  5. Quebec Road departments...
    What a joke. Have you seen any bilingual (french & english) signs in any of the Montreal area road constructions giving people directions on detours. Hell no. Not a word. Even though parts of Montreal are not majority French. How about all those transport companies coming in from out of province, let's get those folks stuck in a mess. Meanwhile, just over in Eastern Ontario, french & english signs to help people get around and follow the road rules. And Ontario has a very small francophone population percentage in relation to Quebec's English population. Nice going again pycho-quebec.

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  6. "...let's get those folks stuck in a mess..."

    Détour ou Detour? Ha!

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  7. Congratulations to the authorities of British Columbia. Great decision. French is just another minority language in BC, so why beat around the bush and pretend it's not the case.

    All other provinces should now follow suit.

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  8. "Les Chinois sont-ils un des peuples fondateurs de du Canada?"

    No, they weren't. And who cares.

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  9. Whatever the case only way the these Franco supremist types will learn is, if anglos and allos in Quebec get some kind of toe hold in the federal government and get a federal bill passed in Quebec where areas that have the majority of Anglos and allos in quebec are exempt from bill 101 and if the Quebec government does not cooperate give those areas autonomy. Use the notwithstanding clause for all quebec provincial jurisdiction court challenges. Give them a taste of their own medicine.

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  10. @ Indigene

    "Les Chinois sont-ils un des peuples fondateurs de du Canada?"

    Non, mais, en BC, des chinois sont beaucoupe plus nombreuse que le francaise. Il est la realite. Comme le meme chose pour tout des provinces dans l'ouest ou il y a plus personnes avec le langue des ethniques. (romainian, german, ukrainian, erdu etc). Alors, pour quoi en BC, est la francais deuxieme quand il y a plus l'autres en practique.

    Seems to me that in BC they are just reacting to the realities of the ethnic demographic in the province.

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  11. "No, they weren't. And who cares"

    Surement beaucoup plus que vous ne le croyez monsieur le polochon.

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  12. @ Indigene

    No one cares about French in BC because it is spoken by 0.5% of the pop. Mandarin is spoken by 16% and therefore has bigger priority. It is the duty of the state to speak the language of the people not the other way around. Same reason French is a more important language in Quebec than English(outside of Montreal of course). The only ones who make a big fuss out of this are bigots from Quebec, as usual. Get a clue. Get a clue!

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  13. Chénier dit: Il y a vraiment des nuls en matière constitutionnelle ici. Les lois fédérales n'ont pas préséance sur les lois provinciales car nous sommes dans une fédération ou il existe la notion de partage des pouvoirs- Voir les articles 91 et 92 de la Loi constitutionnelle de 1867. Arrêtez de voir l'état canadien comme le messie sur terre ! À propos de Gilles Vigneault, je suis d'accord en partie avec l'éditeur. Il a écrit l'oeuvre et il à le droit d'en disposer comme il le veut. ''Mon pays'' ne se réfère pas au Canada mais bien au pays du Québec qui n'a pas encore reconnaissance mais qui naîtra tôt ou tard avec l'aide de tous. M. Vigneault savait trop bien qu'il y allait avoir une déformation évidente de son oeuvre. Pour ce qui est du manque de français dans un pays ayant le français comme langue officielle (1 sur 2, je vous rappelle), si c'est à cause du seul refus d'octroyer la chanson ''Mon pays'', M. Furlong est un amateur de première, tout simplement.

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  14. "Surement beaucoup plus que vous ne le croyez monsieur le polochon."

    Je doubte que est en fait le cas. Beaucoup gens dans Canada ne avoir pas besoin pour le francais dans leur vies jour a jour. Desole, mais vrais. En fait, il n'ya pas vraiment besoin dans tout le pays d'hors Quebec. La francais est tres mort dans le ROC selon les chiffres. Encore, desole, j'ai pas de probleme avec la francais. Justement le faits.

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  15. The ROC is english and Quebec is french, what is the damn problem with that?

    If anglos can't respect that, what is the point for Quebec to be in Canada?

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  16. Canada has abolished french education for over 200 years.

    Isn't normal that people want to fight back?

    Come on anglos, think a little bit...

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  17. "Hi! I take the occasion to remember to you a great saint of the Catholic church. Her mission was a great accomplishment from France but also the nation of Québec since it is still pertinent in our present time:

    « Sur l'amour ou la haine que Dieu porte aux Anglais, je n'en sais rien, mais je suis convaincue qu'ils seront boutés hors de France, exceptés ceux qui mourront sur cette terre. »

    — Jeanne d'Arc"

    Jeanne d'Arc was defending the motherland from conquest, genocide and rape. Quebec was TAKEN by the French and then taken by the English. Hundreds of years later, both cultures exist in peace in Quebec and the ROC, asside from government propaganda that would like to have us believe that the majority of both cultures hate each other. Not the same situation at all.

    I don't see how you can morally draw upon any major outsider historical figure upon which to draw inspiration for your agenda, because there is no other case in history that is legitimately reflective of Quebec's situation in confederation. And yet you try over and over with various historical figures and political movements.

    Ireland got its independance because it's their home. Scotland will get it because its their home. You and I however, are part of two cultures living on stolen land. Canada may not be the best solution, but it's a work in progress.

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  18. "Les Chinois sont-ils un des peuples fondateurs de du Canada?"

    Does this mean you want us all to speak Iroquois?

    You do realize that the Native Canadians are the indigenous people in this land and that your name "Indigene" is insulting to them. No you don't know that because for you the history of the world started when Jaques Cartier stepped foot on North Americain Soil and ended about 2 years after Bill 101 was passed.

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  19. Chenier: “Il y a vraiment des nuls en matière constitutionnelle ici”

    It’s not a question of knowledge. It’s a question of relevance.

    Very often, the Quebecois will say things along the lines: “you don’t know history”, or “you don’t know the constitution”. But we do know. Both sides have exactly the same information at their disposal, and are more or less aware of the same facts. It’s where we place the emphasis that is different.

    For the Quebecois, the single most important moment in history is the arrival of the French settlers. They are aware of other facts, but they ignore them completely. For the rest of us, the other facts are crucial: the fact they there were people living here before the French arrived, the fact that the French did lose the war in the end, the demographic situation TODAY in Montreal, RoC, and North America, the worldwide decline of French and the worldwide rise of English and a few other languages…

    As for the constitution, it may be something sacred for the Quebecois (why not, after all it affords them privileges they don’t necessarily deserve), while for others it’s much less relevant (or completely irrelevant) in the daily life. So is Bill 101 – for some it’s a sacred cow, a bible, a manifest destiny, for some, a meaningless piece of paper.

    So Chenier, in a nutshell, we know everything that you know. We just don’t care.

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  20. "...for some, a meaningless piece of paper..."

    ...qui vous oblige a communiquer en Français si vous ne voulez pas être isolés et être des citoyens de deuxième classe chez nous.HA!
    C'est la triste réalité adski,que vous le vouliez ou non,sinon vous êtes incapables de vous sentir chez vous au sein notre société.Comme c'est jouissif!Ha!Ha!

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  21. I know the history of my community (Italian) in Quebec, particularly in Montreal. No one can deny our contribution to the building of modern Quebec. I have often seen this sign and was always deeply offended by the snub. Benvenuto!

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  22. I disagree with what is said about Jeanne d'Arc Jason. There is more than what you said,the atmosphere is not the one you described re: English/French.

    I think the Anglophones are feeling depressed again. They always have to be front and center, but NOT IN QUEBEC. So take your seat and fasten your seat belt. If only Quebec would be as strong as Egypt, you will have to go away.

    BRAVO ! The fact that a French province welcomes other PEOPLE (Eudo-European latin-languages roots) is very reassuring. They are connecting more and more and it is a good sign economically speaking for the French.(tourist, business etc... hourrah!)

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  23. Revenge, revenge, revenge. Why is this always about angst and petty stupid pride? And triumphalism, neutering, and supremacy? Indifference, intolerance, and insecurity. Affirmation masquerading as bigotry; or steady ethnic cleansing elevated to the rank of social acceptability.

    And it never %$#@&*! ends. What the %$#@ is wrong with us?

    These aren't Quebec values. These aren't Canadian values. You don't build a new country with these values, and you sure as hell don't keep one together with them either.

    We need another flood...

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  24. Kinda off topic, but I noticed that you usually use your "French versus English" topics for petty issues concerning the language debate, so I have a very small, but surprisingly pleasant, bit of news to share, and it concerns children's Nintendo games of all things.

    I noticed that, at a Montreal EB Games, they were promoting a bunch of new Pokémon games with a big store display. Not surprisingly, the store display was in French, but they were surprisingly promoting the ENGLISH versions of the games despite the fact that they are indeed going to release French versions of the games here. The display had "Pokémon Black Version" and "White Version" logos rather than "Version Noire" and "Version Blanche", and used a whole bunch of English-language screenshots. I took a closer look at the display; they were also giving out special downloadable content at the store for English Pokémon games only, with a big disclaimer (again, in French) that the download was incompatible with French games.

    Yup, this is the exact type of petty detail that some French protectionist ends up complaining about, after which you (usually) report the event in one of your blog posts. And it slipped through without any serious hassle. Wow.

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  25. Let me add another news.

    Christian Paradis, Harper's Quebec lieutenenat, chooses to live on Ottawa side of the NCR - instead of Gatineau - and enrolls his children in English school.

    http://www.vigile.net/Christian-Paradis-choisit-l-ecole

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  26. "Christian Paradis, Harper's Quebec lieutenenat, chooses to live on Ottawa side of the NCR - instead of Gatineau - and enrolls his children in English school."

    I live in Ottawa and there are large numbers of Francophones who have moved here from the Gatineau area so they can send their kids to English school. They have freedom of choice in Ontario but not in Quebec.

    There is a good article about Bill 101 in today's Ottawa Citizen newspaper:

    http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Tackling+inconvenient+realities/4271210/story.html

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  27. To Anon @ 12:12 last night: It's the little petty things in life that aggravate the most.

    Troy, most Quebec MPs who live on the Ontario side also file Ontario tax returns to escape the confiscatory Quebec taxes. Also, when Guy Carbonneau came back to Montreal to coach the Habs, he had a big fight with le Gouvernement over sending his kids to English schools. Result: His family stayed in Dallas. He could have moved them to Plattsburgh or Rouses Point, or even Cornwall!

    Étoile: It's one thing to depose ONE person (Mubarak); it's another to try to depose over a half million people, but why don't you give it your best shot and sees what happens. Civil war maybe within Quebec confines? Naaaahhhhhh...it couldn't be. Too many of your «pur laine» kind didn't even fight in WWII, a.k.a. "Britain's War". Sorry, no, it was your confrères in France who were occupied, and when that happened, NONE of you enlisted to save your bretheren--NONE OF YOU! Those who enlisted fought for everybody, but most of your chicken hawk ancestors yapped and stayed at home. You can't HANDLE a civil war with your next door neighbour!

    Anon @ 7:34PM last night: Yes, lots of construction in the Italian community, lots of needle trade jobs in the Jewish community, let alone Steinberg's and Pascal's and Wise Brothers and Greenberg's and Towers/Bonimart (The Wolfe family of the Oshawa Foods Group) in retailing, we created many a job for the «pur lainers» who were too busy "manufacturing babies like sows" (per Mordechai Richler) and being led astray by their Church in just about every human way possible.

    Editor, as for that border sign where Highway 401 becomes the 20, is this the first time you saw that sign? It's been there for years! It's obviously there metaphorically, naturally with the French bienvenue predominating. A subtle means of reminding all comers it's French first and everything else last. The fact the Iberian languages were used over others is not the point.

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  28. To ANON 12:39
    Ottawa is very different than Montreal. It is the home of the Feds. Jobs are paying well if you have another language. In fact you are treated like King and Queen. Montreal is quite different and Ottawa people are living in a gold tower talking about it,, like a bunch of door knobs!
    So take back your little article like a good little canadians, who likes his flags and write essays in universities like a sheep, after someone else, and stay without an opinion, or stick by the Ottawa citizen like a good dog.
    Sorry I can't agree.

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  29. Etoile's belligerent words:

    'If only Quebec would be as strong as Egypt, you will have to go away’.

    Star abuser, what you wrote is embarrassing in so many ways.

    In one breathless sentence you compare yourself to Egyptians and their historical resistance against a brutal dictatorship, and pine for a stronger Quebec as though your affluent transfer payment filled ‘unhappiness’ compares to their life and death struggle. Wow!

    The enormity of your fabricated Quebecois victimization complex is outrageous, arrogant, and misguided.

    To fuel your empty, narrow life with racist xenophobic hatred is pathetic.

    Do you take that hostile attitude of yours on the road when you to dare to travel outside of Quebec? If so, you should be sterilized and quarantined. If not, you’re a two-faced fraud.

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  30. Chénier dit: Adski, c'est vous que ne comprenez pas. Sortez ce que vous voulez par rapport à l'ascension de l'anglais dans le monde et à Montréal en particulier, je vous répondrai qu'il y a un laxisme à corriger en matière linguistique. Deuxièmement, lâchez-nous la grappe avec les amérindiens, on voit comment ils sont mieux traités dans les provinces anglophones. On ne peut refaire le passé mais on peut créer l'avenir. Et savez-vous, les Québécois sont de manière générale plutôt fiers de leur langue commune: le français et de leur histoire. La Loi 101 vient rétablir une normalité dans une situation qui ne l'est pas. Les allophones ne peuvent être considérés comme anglophones car leur langue maternelle est autre. Il n'ont qu'à apprendre la langue de la majorité de leur société d'accueil, c'est-à-dire le français. École française pour tous exceptés la minorité anglophone historique et autres canadiens.

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  31. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  32. Montreal Committee to Abolish Bill 101/Allied w/ Ontario Support Committee
    Groupe « ouvert »La liste des membres et le contenu sont publics.
    Afficher tout
    Membres (35)

    * Fiona M Galloway Dionne
    * Dom St-Pierre Murphy
    * Jim Brown
    * Frederick Klein
    * Hugo Shebbeare
    * Michele Mattia-beaudin
    * Lawrence Litwin
    * Yara Brasil
    * Kirk Bennett
    * Jessica J Steeves
    * Doug Moore
    * Andrea Madoff
    * Zack Leblanc
    * John E. Leide

    On midnight Friday 21st -2011- this Montreal Committee will become an OPEN Committee again. Thus anyone wishing to be in a more remote environment just transfer another of the 9 Committees. You must obtain the link to this site by emailing to us at pagazette514@gmail.com. The Montreal group is now open and it shall remain open except at times of internal discussion.

    PURPOSE & PRINCIPLES:

    The purpose of this group is to publicise the first -twice annual- march and rally to ABOLISH BILL 101

    on SUNDAY APRIL 17, 2011

    in Montreal

    to ABOLISH BILL 101

    and have Greater Montreal guaranteed by law

    to be an officially Bilingual Zone.

    ENGLISH IS THE WORKING LANGUAGE of THIS subCOMMITTEE

    his FB subCommittee i we can join up at the rally! :) WHAT A JOKE THIS MOVEMENT !

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  33. To Etoile at 10:27 AM,

    "Ottawa is very different than Montreal."

    Thank God Ottawa is different from Montreal. Lots of freedom here. I lived in Montreal for decades, and I know what kind of shithole it has become due to the efforts of the Quebec nationalists. Gatineau is a dump too, even though a large percentage of its population hold federal jobs.

    I don't work for the federal government.

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  34. Ottawa is for doorknobs well brainwashed and no opinions about the French. It's a switch for them. French is not a switch you flick back and forth. The culture is neutral, in Ottawa, that's why it's called "the door knob" city.

    One way
    <---------
    Sens Unique
    -------->
    Montreal isn't Toronto, Montreal isn't Ottawa, get that in your pipe and smoke it !

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  35. Etoile,

    This guys knows how to have fun. His video made me think of you.

    The Canada Song: Wilbur Sargunaraj Official Music Video

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wKoX7iAx74

    Have a nice day.

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  36. I didn't ask you imbecile ! I meant generally speaking it is the chef-lieu for the FEDS. Asswhole!

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  37. To Etoile,

    If you are going to call someone an asshole, you should at least know how to spell it properly... you dumb bitch.

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  38. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  39. Editor,

    Is ad hominem attack and name-calling - as demonstrated by Anonymous at 16:53 - allowed in this blog? Kindly clarify.

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  40. Well, I see the radicals are at it again. The star (etoile) star of what? Maybe it should be et toilette.

    In any event the anglos in the ROC, due to blogs such as this, are beginning to understand quite well the despotic attitudes and desparation of the pequistes in Quebec.

    The days of you blackmailing the ROC may soon be over...I see the Cons didnt give in to funding of the Quebec colissee and I also see that they told frere Gilles to blow it up his ass on the 5B he wanted. On that note Frere Gilles shouldn't even be in Ottawa as the BQ are not a national party representing the interests of all Canadians.

    Hopefully, Harper will get a majority, end public financing of political parties, allow more seats outside of Quebec which will cripple Quebec poltically. After which, new leaders in Alberta and the balance of the west will demand a revision of the equalization formulae which will mean less money to Quebec, which is already a bankrupt entity.

    Quebec,

    Get ready for higher taxes than you pay now. Bleed from your own viens, as you have sucked the blood from the ROC.

    Get ready to fund on your own, your favorite political party (BQ) without canadian taxpayers dollars.

    Your continued blackmail of the ROC is about to come full circle and end. Thank god.

    Dormez bien pour maintenant.

    Your time is coming. ;) :) I can't wait to see Charest and your other polticians squirm with spasmes of failure.

    If you wish to leave, go ahead as Canada would be a much better nation without you, the joual and the culture of entitlement.

    Good bye and good riddance.

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  41. Canada would be a much better country without the whining and money pit province of Quebe.

    Etoile, when can we expect you to leave the hotel.

    Sooner is beter from what I can see.

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  42. I am far away from beeing in a hotel. I am the owner of several anyway. So what is your problem? Bill 101, an excellent bill, happy you are so disturbed about it, it shows you cannot live elsewhere with English only ?
    Very unfortunate, but others prefer French, since 400 years in fact, and this is the way it will be. OK?

    P.S.: Please spell Quebec with a c in the end, yes a c, or is it too much asking for an English speaker?
    Anyway, Quebec has excellent publicity in other latin languages, which is great, and they want to continue the quality of the French language in cegeps, it should have been there all along.

    If people want to learn English they can go to private schools, as the "big English immersion is all around you".

    A propos, les cours d'anglais privés sont meilleurs offerts par des Britanniques et non par des Canadiens anglais. Ils s'expriment avec une plus d'aisance, un grand vocabulaire et moins de "slang". Les Britanniques peuvent s'adapter à nos termes de l'Amérique, ils en sont conscients.

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  43. Étoile:

    First of all, you don't know how to spell your own alias. To get the «É» (accent), hold down the key and enter the numbers 1-4-4 then let go of the key. Not bad for an Anglophone living far from that border sign above, huh?

    Then you write "...and they want to continue the quality of the French language in cegeps"...

    QUALITY??? Your precious gouvernement, the OQLF and Education Ministry are constantly, constantly, constantly, complaining about the horrible quality of French at the university level. It's just plain ol' Joual! Something spoken equivalent to English down in the Bayou, Mississippi and Alabama, or Cockney of the lower class in London, England. Mettez votre «français» dans un seau, une poubelle! The quality of Quebec French, as attested to my many colleagues from Mauritius, Congo, North Africa and the Middle East is garbage, and your moronic bretheren criticize THEIR much higher grade of French! Moodzie tabernack!

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  44. Étoile:

    First of all, you don't know how to spell your own alias. To get the «É» (accent), hold down the key and enter the numbers 1-4-4 then let go of the key. Not bad for an Anglophone living far from that border sign above, huh?

    Then you write "...and they want to continue the quality of the French language in cegeps"...

    QUALITY??? Your precious gouvernement, the OQLF and Education Ministry are constantly, constantly, constantly, complaining about the horrible quality of French at the university level. It's just plain ol' Joual! Something spoken equivalent to English down in the Bayou, Mississippi and Alabama, or Cockney of the lower class in London, England. Mettez votre «français» dans un seau, une poubelle! The quality of Quebec French, as attested to my many colleagues from Mauritius, Congo, North Africa and the Middle East is garbage, and your moronic bretheren criticize THEIR much higher grade of French! Moodzie tabernack!

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  45. Of course I know how to spell, do you think I have all the time in the world for you, little jerk!

    What about retracting your caps, your curses, your vulgarity, your intolerance, your anger holding power you are possessed with. You sound like an outcast not capable to adapt at all. Find your own solution than complaining, and make a move about it.

    Verbal masturbation is not the answer. Verbal arrogance either. Get a grip on yourself. Perhaps you are on the side of violence such as seal killing, or torturing dogs as you don't recognize the right to preserve, nurture and help a culture,a language or else. If French is endangered we don't count on you, obviously not.

    The FLQ was very mild, very very mild. I think of the Baader Meinhof Gang - a radical left-wing revolutionary terrorist group active in Germany from 1968 until 1977. They were more serious.

    I also think of ETA or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, (English: Basque Homeland and Freedom; pronounced ETA ), is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country from a Marxist-Leninist perspective. More serious than what you said about FLQ (mild FLQ) compared to other organisations in the world.


    There is nothing you can do to eliminate a Nation, other than your insults, your acts, since 400 years, the whole world knows about them. You are ultimately the embarrassment in this country. You are the one with the problem. We are happy in French.

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  46. On behalf of all the Québécois, bonne saint-Valentin Étoile !

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  47. "We are happy in French."

    Seems to me the Quebecois (notice I did not say French as that is reserved for people native to France) are the ones who seem to be unhappy with the continued bitching and whining about how they are so oppressed. Read your own drivel and verbal diarhhea. If you so happy what the hell are you doing on an anglo blog. Seems to me you should be more "happy" on a blog featuring "le joual du jour." :):)

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  48. "On behalf of all the Québécois, bonne saint-Valentin Étoile !"

    They giving out free fleur de Lyses or Roses on Monday. ??

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  49. Expressing opinions are part of Freedom of Speech. Didn't you know that? I am using your mother tongue, what is wrong again?

    The French language spoken in Quebec varies with the level of education, perhaps you didn't notice. Their roots are complex and their differences as well. If you are a linguist you know. I feel you should read some textbooks about it, instead of condemning people's language without knowing what you are talking about.

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  50. To Etoile,

    "The FLQ was very mild, very very mild."

    Ridiculous. A terrorist group that kills people is not mild at all.


    "I am far away from beeing in a hotel. I am the owner of several anyway."

    More hogwash from a pathological liar.

    It is amusing to read your comments, which have fairly coherent descriptions and statistics copied and pasted from other sources, combined with your own horribly written English.

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  51. To the arrogant ANON from 8:05

    The violence and continuity of the group FLQ was feeble compared to others : YES ! YES ! and YES! Do your homework. I did mine,years ago I wrote a thesis (in French) about it. Like it or not.

    Again communicating in English with English Canadians is a terrible experience. Not only they dislike we are not like them, but they are arrogant,they laugh at the others, and disdain all the other languages, most particularly the French in their country, they loath everyone else asking for respect in return.

    Their arrogance is constantly flattering their ego, the heros of a poor generation who will inherit the worse debts from the global economy.

    Encore une fois je vous remercie pour votre ingratitude, bonne Saint-Valentin et essayez la prochaine fois d'être plus poli. Les Canadiens anglais sont rustres et discourtois en général, ingrats et manquent d'imagination, un peu comme monsieur Harper, pour qui je ne voterai pas.

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  52. "The violence and continuity of the group FLQ was feeble compared to others "

    I am sure the Cross and LaPorte families would take issue with your statements regarding how docile and kind, were the FLQ.

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  53. "Not only they dislike we are not like them, but they are arrogant,they laugh at the others, and disdain all the other languages"

    Where are there laws of language in Canada which discriminate against other languages, other than in Quebec. Les maudit anglos au Canada comme vous parlez, avoir aucune lois comme loi 101. Ma chere dame, vous etes une tel hypocrite.

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  54. Nommez les et dites moi qu'elles sont racistes, en ce cas, comme vous le faites d'une ligne à l'autre. Allez poursuivez, comme un bon chien savant !

    Je réitère le fait que le FLQ a fait moins de tort que les groupes ci-haut mentionnés, c'est un fait reconnu, une notion comprise pour la gent étudiante.

    Je ne parle pas des pertes et dégâts du FLQ. Si je fais cette remarque c'est que les Canadiens anglais sont en général plus vulnérables que les Européens et les locuteurs de langue française au Québec, face à la terreur et/ou l'autorité.

    C'est mon point de vue,voilà. Lorsque vous vous exprimez gardez votre sang froid. Exprimez votre opinion avec des arguments, et non pour contrevenir ou confronter quelqu'un du site. Apprenez à vous exprimez publiquement tout en étant civil.

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  55. "Si je fais cette remarque c'est que les Canadiens anglais sont en général plus vulnérables que les Européens et les locuteurs de langue française au Québec"

    Pour quoi vous dit ca, madame. Pour moi, le francos sont plus vulnerables que la anglais, quand vous voir les lois comme 101 dont est un loi contraire les autre langues. Il n'ya pas lois de langue dans le reste du Canada sauf Quebec. Comme je disant, vous etes un hypocrite. Vous ne comprendez pas cette fait., quoi. Je penser que je suis perder mon temps.

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  56. Je vous remercie pour vos efforts en français. Vous vous débrouillez bien, félicitations.

    Il reste que pour protéger une langue demeure un fait méconnu pour plusieurs d'entre vous. En fait, les Québécois ne sont pas les seuls à le faire. L'Otan aide plusieurs autres groupes à retenir leur langue et culture. Le site de l'Otan est à l'internet, vous pouvez vérifier ces faits vous-même.

    Enfin, il est dommage que vous vous sentiez si persécuté; toutefois des mesures sont à prendre pour "protéger" sa langue (il s'agit ici du français) qui est une langue difficile à apprendre et facile à oublier.

    Toutefois, lorsque vous faites l'apprentissage de l'histoire des langues il est plus facile à comprendre. J'ai fait cet apprentissage il y a longtemps et je sais qu'il faut beaucoup de lectures pour comprendre, méditer, écrire sur le sujet et échanger avec des spécialistes.

    Malheureusement, il est facile pour un peuple de s'engager politiquement sans réfléchir. Je ne vous demande pas de changer votre avis, mais j'ose espérer que vous puissiez quand même bien fonctionner positivement avec votre entourage, qui eux désire poursuivre leur amour pour la langue maternelle, la langue que la mère passe à son enfant... comme dans l'expression "avoir une soeur de lait" qui dépeint si bien la continuité de la race. Eux aussi ont des problèmes avec la qualité de leur langue, le taux de locuteurs français,etc... Ceci n'est pas une raison pour les bafouer, ni les oppresser. Soyons civilisés, si nous ne pouvons êtres amis.

    La persécution est une chose différente que de se sentir persécuter. Lorsque vous jouez avec les mêmes règles qu'eux, vous êtes un ressortant qui prenez de la valeur. Alors si vous voulez réfléchir par rapport à cet écrit, je vous souhaite bonne chance, et merci encore pour vos efforts en français. Au revoir.

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