Monday, December 12, 2011

Anglophobia a Cautionary Tale for Head Offices

Bank of Montreal, Head office in Toronto
Way back when I was a high school student, I remember a particularly brutal food fight in the cafeteria that ended up causing several thousands of dollars in damage.  As food whizzed around the room, it didn't take long for the mayhem to degenerate and soon trays and chairs were being tossed around with reckless abandon.
I recall thinking at the time that everyone had simply lost their mind.
Caught up in the hysteria, we see normally rational people doing the stupidest of things just because everyone else is doing it.

We saw this mob mentality take over during the Vancouver hockey riots after the Canucks were eliminated last year and here in Montreal....well, we've had too many similar mindless riots to single any one out.

Watching the language debate spiral up to dizzying heights over the fact that just two highly placed employees of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, are unilingually English, I cannot help being overcome with the same feeling.
....Has everyone lost their mind?

Last year I thought the government insane for proposing a law to ban niqabs, considering that less than two dozen women actually wear them in public, but now a law is being proposed, triggered by just two language 'offenders' and calls into question the rationality of language supremacists, begging the question as to whether the language debate has spun dangerously and ridiculously out of control.

The recent witch hunt aimed at rooting out English in Head offices and government agencies reached new heights of folly with the Parti Quebecois actually proposing a law to eradicate the scourge of English in crown government corporations. Link{Fr}

All this over two employees!

Adding to the charged climate, a PQ loudmouth,  François Rebello, a sitting member of the National Assembly, has demanded that the government boycott the National Bank, all because the bank president decided to keep a unilingual English IT department in Montreal, rather than ship the jobs off to Toronto! Link{Fr}

I wonder if the 80% of the bank's employees, who work in Quebec(some 14,000 people,) appreciate a Quebec politician calling on the public to boycott the bank and put their jobs at risk!  
Could you imagine the outrage if a federal MP asked Canadians to boycott Quebec dairy products because there are too many separatists in Quebec!

Truly we have lost all sense of proportion and like during that food fight forty years ago I feel inclined to jump up on a chair and shout "STOP THE INSANITY!"

Hysteria... there's really no other way to describe the language pogrom that is sweeping the offices of Quebec's largest and most successful companies, where disaffected and passed over employees get to denounce their company like Nazi collaborators. They do so, encouraged by an eager Press, ready, willing and able to whip up a frenzy of controversy that will no doubt have the effect of killing the golden goose.

While the Caisse de dépôt has no choice but to knuckle under, other companies are able to exercise free will and the chilling damper on reason will no doubt affect decisions whether to locate in Quebec or elsewhere.
A couple of years ago the city of London, Ontario tried to convince Montreal's Shriner's Hospital to relocate to Ontario, with an incredibly generous financial offer, which Quebec was forced to better. Had the offer come from Toronto, the hospital would likely have moved, London being too out of the way, travel-wise, for the Shriners' clients.

While that tug-of-war played out favourably for Quebec, it was a rare and costly win, hundreds of other competitions for head offices, factories and companies occurs each day, with Quebec losing out, most of the time.

Today Montreal enjoys a booming video game industry, cultivated by long years of government subsidies and tax breaks.
This industry utilizes the highest level of information technology as well as the creative talent of superstar programmers and game conceptors, drawn from all over the world. It runs in English.
The video games produced, although translated into French and many other languages, are the creation of an English culture.
Conduct a language witch hunt and order this industry to operate in French and we can anticipate a lineup of cities begging to relocate the industry with a package of incentives that will more than make up the cost of moving.
It would be devastating.

Quebec would be well advised to recognize the unseen hand that renders legislation subservient to market forces. Losing a head office that never came because of language issues is just as painful as having one snatched away.

In our last French vs. English piece I told you that Air Canada was moving 160 jobs to Toronto, all without publicity, so as not to create another controversy.
Last Thursday, the union head, representing head office employees hit the panic button and fretted publicly that this move may just be the beginning of a total migration of Air Canada's head office to Toronto. Between language laws and market realities, it's probably just a matter of time.

So how important is it for Quebec to nurture those companies that do choose to keep their head offices in Montreal?
If one cares about economic prosperity I imagine it's of paramount importance.

By refusing to allow companies that operate internationally or in industries where English is de rigueur, the right to have run even the smallest of departments in English, the government has cleared the way for them to either pack up and move and worse still never even consider Montreal in the first place.

Well done!

On Thursday, as the witch hunt proceeded, La Presse revealed that Bombardier was given a special dispensation to operate part of its aviation business in English in Montreal.  Link{Fr}
A francophone employee complained to the newspaper that;
"These are people of exceptional talent, but who have no interest in learning our language. Never a 'Bonjour' or a 'Merci.' "
I guess 13,000 jobs makes a difference, even to the OQLF. (if not language supremacists)
But the question remains....what is the threshold.

Over at CGI, another technology giant based in Montreal, no such dispensation exists. Some employees are calling reporters to complain about English usage in the Head office. The company has 31,000 employees and 125 offices in 20 countries. Link{Fr}
Hellooooo Toronto?

Of course language militants don't care and in the name of linguistic purity are willing to forgo the benefits of tens of thousand of well-paying jobs.
I daresay that if an international company approached the government about locating a thousand employees in a new Montreal office with the proviso that 100 of the jobs would be English only, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Impératif français and all the other language supremicists would scream at the top of their lungs to reject the offer.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the separatists are trying to blow up the province economically, so that people suffer financially and unemployment rises, more will be attracted to the separatist pipe dream.
This is Quebec..

I remain in favour of Quebecers maintaining the right to work in French. Gone are the days of the master and slave.
But a law making French the language of work universal in all cases is counter-productive.

In an inter-connected world, the glue that binds is English. It's a realty that Quebec must face realistically and come to terms with the problem of jobs versus pride.

The answer to reasonable people is clear, it isn't exactly Sophie's Choice.

128 comments:

  1. When it's comes to language, les Québécois are ready to cut off their nose to spite their face, plain and simple. It's tribalism in its purist form. Good paying jobs should be valued and sought out like a treasure. Not in Quebec though. Because of this obsession with language we have missed out on billions in lost opportunities and billions of dollars have left Quebec both in hard capital and human capital. How much does it cost to send someone through public school, CEGEP and 4 years at McGill only to watch them skip town and pay taxes in another province? Times that by hundreds of thousands. 
      Here is a project for Jean-Francois Lisee, sit down and conduct a study of what the total cost of language laws has been in Quebec since 1972.  And has it been worth it? Even if no language laws ever existed, Quebec would still be overwhelmingly French.  No Quebec politician has ever dared to reveal the true cost of this folly and none have been held accountable, it's the price we pay to live here. I only hope that future generations aren't so foolish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The issue is not about hiring English-speaking unilinguals or not, it's about shutting out French-speaking unilinguals.

    Many argue that a qualified worker mustn't be discriminated if he doesn't speak the language of the majority. So be it... now... does it make it OK to discriminate someone who only speaks the language of the majority?

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Even if no language laws ever existed, Quebec would still be overwhelmingly French."

    Prouvez-le...Bonne chance!

    ReplyDelete
  4. La Presse link: "Le français n'est toujours pas «la langue normale et habituelle de travail» chez Bombardier Aéronautique, bien que l'entreprise ait commencé ses démarches de francisation il y a 30 ans, a appris La Presse."

    30 years of "francisation" and no results. Question: how many more years have to pass before the Quebecois catch the drift?

    ReplyDelete
  5. "does it make it OK to discriminate someone who only speaks the language of the majority?"

    If the business is global, then yes, if the "language of the majority" happens not to be the global language.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Je crois que cette année nous laisserons de coté notre traditionnelle dinde rôtie.L'anglouille farcie à l'Indienne,la remplacera au menu du réveillon.Un peu plus coriace mais tellement plus accessible.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "30 years of "francisation" and no results"

    Êtes-vous bien certain?Réfléchissez encore quelques secondes...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Prove what? That you are still stuck in the middle of another century, following the losership of Levesque or Parizeau avec des lois desuets !?
    80% of Quebeckers are francophone, and a qualified majority of the remaining are bilingual, FR has existed here for 400 years, but one thing is for sure that the rise and fall of zealotry and intolerance rises very frequently in Fr culture, just ask the Huguenots in FR from centuries ago, when all of a sudden there was a massacre.
    Or ask Dreyfus' descendants about Emile Zola calling out the military for using him as a scapegoat. How about the Vichy regime? The list can get very long, very fast. For a contemporary version - read Paris sur Thames in the Economist, and you will see.

    I have to correct the Editor, regarding Ubisoft (2300+ employees/consultants in the gaming industry here) - because I just helped my Cousin pack up his stuff and head on a plane back to Spain after he was invited over to on a tax-free artificial intelligence visa - the work environment at Ubisoft (EA is different, since US based, he tried their sucky environment in Vancouver and gave up...) was majority FR, as well as communications - and because he is not a linguist (picked up EN well, but never really FR - mainly because it was forced upon him) and they did not bother do translate much in to EN also, he found it unwelcoming an unaccommodating.

    He was also sick of the structure, run by ethno-nationalists who did not care about the international talent, considering he was invited over for an art. intelligence visa in the first place (!), and the hard work they put in. They showed their appreciation for all his extra work by offering him a SINGLE DAY off extra... so they were all surprised when he resigned and waved good goodbye within a few week of them showing how little they care (most corp environments are not sympathetic anyway, but all the ethno-nationalist 'we're better than everywhere/one else in the world syndrome' added on...), it was a no-brainer to him to search for greener pastures.

    So yes, Editor is right, the Insane have taken over the asylum of the QC's largest metropolis, and until they become more open minded to OTHER cultures, and allow the 'impure' to advance, companies will chose elsewhere to setup their head offices or branches, unless they are bribed by our corrupt provincial govt. - which we should stop them from doing, since it means pulling from your and my pocket to continue this dead-end and broken ideology of linguistic purity!

    ReplyDelete
  9. "...because I just helped my Cousin pack up his stuff and head on a plane back to Spain..."

    WoooooHooooo!!!!Bravo Yougo,désolé...Hugo.

    ReplyDelete
  10. "...intelligence visa in the first place (!)"

    Mais incapable de s'adapter à un nouveau milieu...Est-il vraiment si intelligent?

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Jason the ... and Anon

    Dude, I really think you are a great troller because i refuse to believe that a normal person could think the way you do.

    And if you're not a troller, how the f@#$ did they manage to install ADSL in a cave, up in the far north?

    ReplyDelete
  12. "And if you're not a troller, how the f@#$ did they manage to install ADSL in a cave, up in the far north?"

    Signaux de fumée analogiques photographiées par satellites.Numérisation par lots et retransmission sur le réseau de canaux locaux à l'aide de serveurs dédiés à bandes passantes haute vitesse.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @ Jason Gendron

    Pour ma part, je raffole de l'anglouille nature. Le truc c'est de le prendre juste assez gras. Comme ça en cuisant l'anglouille ne devient pas sec et on peut ainsi conserver son goût naturel de donut.

    ReplyDelete
  14. "Le truc c'est de le prendre juste assez gras."

    Pourrais-je avoir le nom de votre éleveur...ou boucher?

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Jason Gendron and Anon 10:24

    Talking to yourself apparently is fun :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hugo: "but all the ethno-nationalist 'we're better than everywhere/one else in the world syndrome' added on"

    They act this way because they can get away with it. The feds bail them out with transfer payments and sweetheart deals, so no need to act responsibly and with courtesy. Withdraw the bail outs, and they'll have to get wiser and more accommodating. The key to the problem lies with Ottawa.

    ReplyDelete
  17. "Talking to yourself apparently is fun :)"

    Vous n'avez aucune idée,j'en ai des crampes au ventre.L'humour de mon interlocuteur est un cran plus subtile que ce blogue.

    ReplyDelete
  18. "Vous n'avez aucune idée,j'en ai des crampes au ventre.L'humour de mon interlocuteur est un cran plus subtile que ce blogue. "

    Cela en dit beaucoup sur le niveau d'intelligence de vous et de votre interlocuteur. Les mêmes blagues, encore et encore.

    Always remember: he who laughs last, laughs longest...

    ReplyDelete
  19. In response to the Ethnic Cleanser : WoooooHooooo!!!!Bravo Yougo,désolé...Hugo.

    No you are not sorry, you are proud of your ignorance, and Chumps like you are the reason QC is in decline - just keep shooting yourselves in the foot and wonder why the province is so poor. As said before, and I'll say it again:
    Veuillez prendre en note que je ne suis pas francophobe, je blogue en français et je partage, vers un côté de la famille, les mêmes racines que la majorité ici. Je suis né à Vancouver, et ma sœur Monique et moi aussi, nous sommes allés à l'école bilingue. Je veux que nous améliorons notre société au Québec; non pas seulement pour faire des accommodations raisonnables aux nouvelles arrivées dans la province, mais pour rendre du 'respect' à la minorité anglophone qui vit ici depuis des siècles. Le mal traitement dont j’ai vécu à la Caisse de Dépôt est un cauchemar absolu, mais ce n’est pas isolé à cette organisation gouvernementale exclusivement, et existent dans certaines sociétés privés au Québec (to a lesser degree at Ubisoft, but still enough for those not of the right ethnicity to leave). Je resterai toujours positif, parce que je suis un Champion pour le Canada, and Quebec is included in my country. Mais, il faut que ces extrémistes ultranationalistes soient mis en règle afin de laisser le Québec se progresser, car à mon avis, c’est leur faute que la province est en déclin tranquille (à cause de deux referendums, et maintenant $47 Milliards perdus à la CDPQ). J'emploi mon droit constitutionnelle de s'exprimer - to clearly counter sovereigntist bullies who have repetitively told me that my constitutional rights in Quebec do not exist.
    Pour lire le reste : http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/hugo/archive/2010/02/15/first-public-hearing-against-quebec-s-pension-fund-manager-the-beginning-of-proof-multiple-laws-were-violated-before-sabia-took-over.aspx

    D'autres exemples de français ecrit:
    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/hugo/archive/2009/09.aspx
    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/hugo/archive/2009/10.aspx
    http://dbhive.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

    When we have our Anti-Bill 101 protests again next year, I'll be glad to make your head ring as I did to Caveman Connard Louis Prefontaine's : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYgDDfWJ-lk

    Or you can be as stupid as Renaud Leger and now have a police record: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnJyCtQIRlM&feature=g-all

    ReplyDelete
  20. "parce que je suis un Champignon pour le Canada"

    Vous marquez un point là!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Mais incapable de s'adapter à un nouveau milieu...Est-il vraiment si intelligent?

    Évidement vous êtes en manque d'intelligence si vous penzez que la langue dont on parle décrit le niveau d'intelligence d'une personne - voilà votre discrimination basé sur langue - language discrimination is a Charter Violation, living without this discrimination is what we maudit anglos are fighting for, and we will continue no matter what.

    Those reading from around the globe reading this blog, note the typical franco-supremacist attitude that if you do not 'integrate' into their linguistic group, you are Stupid. If you were open-minded to other cultures and respectful, which this Jason Gendron is not obviously, then EN communications in an international company also would be sent. Ubsisoft will stay small with this attitude running the place....stuck at 1Bn revenues.

    ReplyDelete
  22. "Évidement vous êtes en manque d'intelligence si vous penzez que la langue dont on parle décrit le niveau d'intelligence d'une personne."

    Non,ce n'est pas ce que j'ai affirmé.

    La facilité d'adaptation représente un aspect majeur de l'intelligence humaine.Voilà l'intention de mon intervention.

    ReplyDelete
  23. "Êtes-vous bien certain?Réfléchissez encore quelques secondes... "

    Reflecting, reflecting, reflecting, and...

    "Le français n'est toujours pas «la langue normale et habituelle de travail» chez Bombardier Aéronautique, bien que l'entreprise ait commencé ses démarches de francisation il y a 30 ans"

    There ought to be a picture of bill 101 and Quebec next to "failure" in the dictionary.

    ReplyDelete
  24. 101 succeeded in antagonizing and dividing people, in cheapening the French language and culture, and in driving businesses away. But these are not intended consequences, are they?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Your intervention to impose integration even fails on those who have actually 'integrated' according to this failed ideology. Case in point, Sabia and the reaction from Bernard Landry:

    Landry’s ethnic focus deeply rooted in Quebec
    Editorial - The Gazette (Montréal)
    17 March 2009

    We’re not convinced that Michael Sabia is exactly the leader the Caisse de dépôt et placement needs. The former BCE boss certainly has plenty of critics. In today’s frightening financial uncertainty, someone with more high-finance expertise might have been a more appropriate choice. Worse, Sabia was selected not by the Caisse’s board of directors but by Premier Jean Charest. For obvious reasons, he Caisse is supposed to be at arm’s length from the government of the day.

    Still, Sabia does know big business, has what must be one of corporate Canada’s most impressive Rolodexes, and is no stranger - after the BCE privatization business - to operating in the media spotlight under pressure.

    Anyway, two or 10 years from now the Caisse’s balance sheet will reflect major variables, such as the state of world markets, more than a relatively minor variable such as Sabia’s personality.

    Sabia’s detractors in the world of business were rapidly eclipsed last weekend by his detractors in the world of politics. Even by his own standards, former premier Bernard Landry said a mouthful : The choice was "more than an error ... It’s a fault. It is almost a provocation ... It has nothing to do with where he was born ... It is his national culture, which is Canadian."

    The horror ! Although the Ontario native Sabia has lived here for 16 years and speaks respectable French, he is just not one of us, Landry was saying. And only one of us can be trusted to manage our money.

    It would be soothing to think that this sort of blatantly ethnic nationalism is just part of the flamboyant Landry political persona. The trouble is that the sickness is more deeply rooted than any one man. Even the estimable André Pratte, editorial page editor at La Presse, opined last week that Sabia’s name "shouldn’t even be on the list of candidates" to head the Caisse because he is "from another province or another country." Pratte had the grace to apologize promptly, blaming a "detestable Quebecer’s reflex" and adding that if Quebec claims to be a welcoming society, it must find room, even at the top, for those born elsewhere.

    Good. But years of separatist propagandizing are bearing fruit, and no doubt many francophones today disapprove of the Sabia choice for the wrong reasons. How sad, and how dangerous.

    Source
    http://www.montrealgazette.com

    But Sabia has proven to be the leader the Caisse de défauts needed, since he has saved the sinking ship!
    How many more maudit anglos will have to save QC's most important institutions from the failures of the anglophobia, the we do not listen to anyone else, from anywhere in the world, we know best attitude?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Mr. Sauga, with immeasurable glee,Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:55:00 PM EST

    Hugo, Hugo, Hugo! NOT YOU! You're getting caught in that awful circular argument with s--t disturbers like Gendron a.k.a. Press9 a.k.a. a host of other aliases. Stupid is what stupid does...and often says as well.

    Editor, I dunno. It's getting to the point I think we in Ontario and the real Canada perhaps SHOULD start boycotting Quebec made products. Desjardins is promoting tremendously hard on Toronto area radio stations. Go into a caisse pop in Quebec, and if you speak English to them, they'll only answer you in French if not look at you like you're from another galaxy...and I'm pertaining to areas with a strong English speaking community.

    Now, does that make sense? The way I see it, if Desjardins offers better products and services at a competitive price, good for them. It's hard to find white cheddar cheese curds in Toronto, so when I or someone I know goest to Quebec, I ask for cheese. I do the same when I go to Montreal. I'm heading there in March.

    As for the head office jobs, come to Mississauga, North America's largest suburb. Cheaper rents, easier commutes, and our language police budget is wisely spent on paving roads and other infrastructure. According to some «pur laine» yutz who writes on this blog, our streets are paved with doughnuts!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Let the francophones continue to dig their own graves. As an Anglo I am anxiously awaiting there departure from confederation. We will be so much better off we we can finally have a Federal Civil Sevice devoid of the overpowering influence of this small infectious minority that we seem to continually feed and bend over at their every protestation and demand. Enough is enough, a Canada without this parasitic element would be wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm 33. Parent of three kids. Native french speaker.

    I never finished my CEGEP education. Today I'm a sysadmin.

    I had numerous history courses in high school, all of them were happy to teach us about Bill 101. I didn't know about the defection of Sun Life and the other companies until much later, in fact, I learned about it 10 years later when I moved to montreal by chatting with one of my Anglo friend.

    I'm not surprised today when I tell the "legend" to people younger than me and they tell me they never heard about it.

    There is a lot of disinformation in courses provided to high school student. They should know that the bill came, many companies left, many companies decided to scale back most of their operations in Quebec, which contributed to the growth of Toronto and Ontario.

    About that CGI matter: The person who complained is supposedly a technician. Come on man, you're a tech, tech support is most of the time in english with the vendors and software/hardware companies as they are usually not canadian. This is simply ridiculous.

    For the Banque Nationale: As I'm in charge of an IT dept, I can tell it makes a lots of sense to run such dept in english. Leave them alone, alse they will move it to Toronto.

    French is a nuisance in a business setting. Your suppliers are often communicating in english and now, unless you are a "Shack a patate" in chibougameau, lots of your customers must be too.

    You end up translating everything, mostly as an unneeded "fantaisie". It's counter-productive, prone to errors and most of all, completely stupid and totally useless.

    If you are in a business setting today, not in the "shack a patate" as my previous example, being proficient in English is as important as being able to use a computer.

    People should use their energy to find ways to change the help their company strive instead of bitching about some stupid language issue.

    I hope lots of company will ask for the dispensation, like bombardier got.

    ReplyDelete
  29. "many companies left..."

    Voyez le coté positif de la chose:

    Beaucoup d'anglos ont suivi ces déménagements:)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Their income taxes too. The business they were bringing here too.

    At one point, we'll have no money left for our social programs, such as health and education.

    Oh sure, we'll be french and have preserve our culture and language. But we'll all be poor, sick, jobless, and probably with poor education. It already started.

    ReplyDelete
  31. "But we'll all be poor, sick, jobless, and probably with poor education."

    Ne soyez pas triste,des gens comme vous on en retrouve dans tous les pays industrialisés, même aux É.U ou une maison sur 7 a été reprise et appartient maintenant à une banque...Ce n'est qu'un début.

    Avez-vous toujours votre bungalow?

    ReplyDelete
  32. It's not even worth answering to such stupidity.

    Va prendre ta grosse 50 a la brasserie pis laisses les grandes personnes dealer avec les choses importantes.

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Va prendre ta grosse 50 a la brasserie..."

    J'y suis déjà on a même accès à internet gratuitement avec l'achat du petite pression.

    à la vôtre Mooflon!

    ReplyDelete
  34. "Sabia has lived here for 16 years and speaks respectable French, he is just not one of us, Landry was saying."

    There is something along the same lines in this video. It's a bit dated, but still applies today.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qfFHAcKj0c

    Somewhere in part 1 or 2 they talk about McGill and how despite the fact that many students there are bilingual, they're still planning to leave Quebec after graduating because being able to speak French is not enough if you don't have the right last name (like Tremblay or Marchand) or the right accent.

    Also in the same video they show a French immersion class in one of Anglo elementary schools, stressing that even though these children turn out perfectly bilingual in adulthood, most of them leave anyways for the same reasons as above.

    In part 3, a Concordia career counselor states point blank - many students under her wing end up leaving Quebec after graduation because knowing French isn't enough - if you're not pur laine, your options will be limited nonetheless.

    Ok, fine. Protectionism is common. I have a friend in Australia who couldn't get a job in the medical profession in Melbourne, because they gave priority to Australians, so he had to settle for a small clinic on the outskirts. But in this case, what is the incentive to learn French if you're not a pur laine, if it's not going to do you any good, as in Sabia's case, where you can be told "it's not enough" even if your French is good? At least in the case of Australia, you learn a language that is the lingua franca, so it will come handy one way or another. But joual French? Harder to learn than English and completely useless outside of Quebec... I don't think it's a fair bargain.

    It looks like the only reason the francophones want non-francophones to speak French is so that they can feel better about themselves and feel like "maitres chez eux". But what does it say about them?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Guys, please check this out ... kinda off topic, but it shows exactly what we feel.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4yDCUJJm_U&feature=share

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hold on a second. Since when it is right for an employee or employees decide how a company should operate and in which language? Since when is it right for a Gov't to tell a company owner how to operate and force them to work in French? It is the owner who invested and built the company, it is the owner who worked long hours and sacrificed weekends and time away from his family and friends to build the company to the point of being able to hire other people. It is the owner who should decide in which language they should work in so that they will be most profitable. Owners aren't stupid, if there is a need to offer French services, they will offer it, if there is a need to offer English they offer it, it there is a need to offer both, then they will do so. It is an obvious economic benefit and no owner is stupid enough to not see that.

    You want the right to decide how a company operates and in a perticular language, then start your own and stop blaming everyone else for your inability to work in a different language!!! If you took the time to learn both, you wouldn't need to complain - would you?

    ReplyDelete
  37. Don't worry Master KT, I know what I am doing, and in FR, so that all the lucid Quebeckers understand not to follow the Losership. Pour en finir avec Gouvernemama will become mandatory read for all those in Private schools and for all lucids in the province, this is one of the positive ways to lead QC.

    When we attacked the BQ directly, and their leader in his own riding, they told us we were crazy, yet here we are with the Bloc holding less seats than the average car :) Thanks Jack! The latest loser of the Losership Paillé has already shown us he is a juvenile politician with the pyro comment, its going to be very interesting next Federal election.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Deltell à genoux devant un seppie.Quelle honte!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I would not want to be Gerard right now, he is not only LeGault's poupée, but also Sirois'!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Common sense does not prevail in Quebec. The Quebecois would rather see every single job, business and head office leave the province if it means accomplishing their goal of a uni-lingual French "paradise".

    Who needs work or food? FRENCH is the only thing that matters (or rather Joual; countries such as France do not recognize the language Quebec speaks, as seen by their need to sub-title Quebec films).

    Once all businesses and finical capital is driven out of Quebec, who will be to blame? Who will be the scape goat? Themselves, nope....try les Maduit Anglais.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Poor Quebec. From what I've read, Editor and lots of other people who read this blog realize that Quebec's obsession with "culture" and "language" has largely been its downfall. Once the economic capital of Canada, Montreal is now a mere shadow of what it once was. Buffoonery such as all this Caisse du Dépot BS will only contribute to this deterioration.

    Forgive me if this comes of as an exaggeration, but I have a theory. Maybe this whole language/culture issue was started, not to protect French for the sake of protecting French, but as a means to unite the population under a single mindset unified by the grossly exaggerated "need" to protect a dwindling culture and language, thereby allowing the government to tell them what to do more easily - in other words, for the sake of power. This power would have probably been to make separation easier or more likely, which would then leave Canada out of the way and allow the folks in power to abuse their power as much as they please). And it's already happening!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Apple IIGS - and immigrants, not just us...since we have had our rights stripped already, and are politically dis-enfranchised - 1M people of the electorate considered a detriment to QC society. Here is what it is like when you want a fair trail:

    The right of Anglophones to have a trail and be questioned in EN are not honoured! We all saw how Bastarache tried to question the corrupt Judicial system, and Charest was whitewashed by that useless commission.
    Listen to the Public hearing audio from the Workplace Relations Commission where my lawyer from the Working Standards Commission fought valiantly against the Caisse de depot (QC’s deposit and investment fund) for severe psychological harassment, and (HR violation) racial comments after I agreed to leave after almost 8 months in 2008 (knowing that I had all the proof I needed to fight back these bastards).

    That is the reality here. No right to question govt, prejudice and even when you present facts – written e-mails, you are told ‘c’est fort douteux.’ When you present several pieces of evidence, even a contract, from the nightmare you have lived through, your complaints are rejected (denial).
    See background documentation here: http://tinyurl.com/ykm8jzy
    https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=49b6e513e0dde7b8&sc=photos#cid=49B6E513E0DDE7B8&id=49B6E513E0DDE7B8%21134&sc=photos

    Even when your job is to manage databases and create documentation this Judge in her decision sticks her head in the sand and attacks the victim even, for someone trying to job in an environment rampant with unprofessionalism and harassment. We are at a time when the ethno-nationalists are in control of practically all of the QC govt and base their decisions on ideology instead of reality (much as Harper is doing in the RoC, unfortunately –Marc Garneau’s FB posts have reflected this on many occasions).
    It is undeniable to me that all these anti-English laws, especially Bill 101, have had an effect on Liberty and Justice for our minority within the province (and for all even who question the corruption, as Duchenau noticed)! We are second class citizens and are kicked down by Gouvernemama for any attempt to seek respect for the Rule of Law. Here’s what it is like, taken from audio of a public hearing.
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100209_VELO-1.MP3
    It all starts on February 9th, and you can see Maître l’Heureux (Mr Unhappy) scoffs at the idea that Anglophones are discriminated against in the Civil Service when less than two percent of us (en-speakign immigrants included) have positions in the govt . Maitre Goulet, representing the recruiter, Consultem, shows how little he understands what psychological harassment is in the first place:
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100209_VELO-2.MP3
    Opposition lawyer wastes a lot of time trying to convince that Judge that because I submitted a complaint at the last minute, within the three months allowed, that it means ‘something’…
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100209_VELO-3.MP3
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100209_VELO-4.MP3
    We spend the whole day in February what parties are involved in this complaint…typical stagecoach justice. We mention in this section that the Human Rights Commission is involved also and a complaint was submitted against the Caisse de Depot (and as of November 2011 an investigator was finally assigned! Only THREE years later). Moving on…They decide that it will take two days to evaluate if I was considered an employee to be protected by the Labour Standards Act. Big government corporations and large companies take advantage of this chain of contracts to distance themselves from any responsibility, and allow the actual worker to end up with no rights, not even Human Rights at the end of the line.

    ReplyDelete
  43. . http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100209_VELO-5.MP3
    Judge decides that we’ll continue on the 10th and 12th May, 2010. Pleadings set for June 11th, 2010.
    There is not even a chance to describe the levels of psychological harassment that goes one because we waste four days in court just deciding ’who is the actual employer’, when I worked at the CDPQ then entire time. Such is the complete inefficacy of QC bureaucracy…find any scapegoat possible to NOT do the job of protecting the citizen, and protecting itself instead.

    At this point (Feb 9th, 2010) I was forced to take a lawyer, for procedural reasons, to protect my company, although throughout the proceedings from this point, M. Levy says nothing because the point is that the complaint is between me and the Caisse directly and not against Consultem, the recruiter.
    It is the actions of these individuals which others follow, and it costs the province Billions, in fact, one of the primary reasons why LaCaisse.com lost $40BN was because QC Govt attitude to not listen to anyone else...

    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100510_VELO-1.MP3
    Overall, We spend four days deciding if I am ‘allowed’ to be protected by the Labour Standards Act – even though the complaint filed is from me, and not a company. I explain that I if have difficulty in FR, then we will switch to EN (which as you will see below refuses to do, meaning my rights were not honoured repetitively in court).
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100512_VELO-2.MP3
    - at 2:20 minutes he badgers the witness and refuses to speak in EN and at 3:47 the judge stops us because it is not pertinent yet (however the damage is done, and he manages to manipulate the Judge throughout the proceedings).
    9 minutes we talk about the Best Practices enforcement and what Berckman’s asked me to do – DBA Cop (e-mail even confirms this, undeniable proof, but the judge later decides this is doubtful, meaning her ingrained distrust of Anglohpones who `dare` question QC govt stoooopidity are Soft targets to her, that our concerns are just brushed aside by the steamroller of Gouvernemama, even when it is considering the Billions of dollars in Pension Funds for the entire province, even HER OWN funds? Much like the ‘privileged’ myth that is propagated all the time by the likes of the RRQ-SSJB and other organisations that incite Quebeckers to discriminate against our minority – WHEN IN THIS CASE ALL I WAS DOING IS TRYING TO SAVE US FROM LOSING BILLIONS!!!!
    at 19 minutes – I describe how KPMG’s incompetent consultants Francis Beaudoin and Philippe Mancini, act as if a Database Administrator trying to secure the databases is considered (no manipulation) INTRUSION!
    - around 27 minutes their lawyer fails to understand the e-mails which state I was told to handle the difficult auditing project by the Director of Gouvernance, Joanne Aldersebaes - a ‘Hugo vas épauler ce vaste de travail.` Also the contract states that I am to write best pratices documentation, and sometimes that involves showing what is not a best practise also.

    ReplyDelete
  44. - -at 30 minutes, after thanking me for speaking in FR, l’Heureux refuses to ask me a question in EN, and tries to state that I shouldn’t create documents indicating how to my job as a database administrator!
    Around 32 minutes he tries to blame me for when I was mistreated at Cyber World Group, and rehired later when the General Manager was fired. Yves Roy and Rodrigue Lussier were eventually fired from the Caisse for their incompetence. He tried to make it look like my fault that there are office bullies that I have encountered in the past…
    At 42 minutes he tries to go back to the Racist Comments, only the fourth time I have to discuss those BS comments. The Judge thankfully and finally stops him from badgering me about the `Tu vois c’est facile à metre dehors les anglais.` comment from Yves Roy, the former interim VP for the department I was in.
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100512_VELO-3.MP3
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100512_VELO-4.MP3
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100512_VELO-5.MP3
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100611_VELO-1.MP3
    http://intellabase.com/ftp/pub/PhuckTheCDP/CM-2009-4697_20100611_VELO-2.MP3 (the opposition lawyer states that it is ‘Farfelue’ to maintain control of databases! WTf? (At 14 minutes)… duh, read the Job description CHUMP! Tries to demonise pushing the importance of enforcing Bill C-198, attacks me for doing my job even though the Dir of Gouvernance had said in front of the Team that ‘Hugo vas nous épauler ce vaste travail’ I suppose that since I do not want to cover up the Caisse de défauts enormous phrackups before the losses were revealed publicly it is my fault? This is the same guy, who in his pleading uses EN, but refuses to ask me a Question in EN, although it is my full rights to do so!)
    I was simply trying to do my job as an internationally recognised Database Administrator, and this govt Judge certainly did all she could to silence me, not in the hearings but in the published decision, even states that ‘Nobody asked you to create that [now undemocratically banned] document’! She banned the release and proof of the audit failure, which is a violation of my constitutional right of expression (and is a conflict of interest to cover up the Govt phrackups) – but as we know all too well, when the Govt breaks the law it is okay for this Judge! No wonder we lost an entire generation of retirement and investment during the 2008 year, that`s the colossal amount of $47BN dollars (only 4000x that of the Sponsorship Scandal! We pocket change to these bureaucrats it seems).

    Legislative discrimination has created a Master-Slave society no thanks to Gouvernemama who decides everything for us, yet it not accountable for anything and no criminals are charged although firing the Whistleblower – which is illegal (but nooo, it's okay to ignore the rule of law when it is against a maudit angloooo). They make decisions for us that have put us back in time, to a time when things were decided for us from overseas by a stoooopid Colonial Administration (yet, this admin is in our own province, not overseas). This tyranny MUST and shall en. We must show this government that it is completely disconnected from society with its out-dated laws and does very little to improve the situation for minorities and allow liberty for the creation of wealth for us all.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I am way beyond ‘Angryphone’, I am attacking the heart of this Grand Illusion (the ultra-nationalists themselves, militant separatists’ Illusion Tranquille - BRAVO Joannie Marcotte) those who propagate and justify their legislative bigotry – and as Claude Robinson has found out, it takes 15 years to get a settlement via the Judicial system (and in appeal they stole half of his settlement, meaning CINAR can scam all it wants and violate individual rights for as long as they want), so I am going to continue to attack the CDPQ openly until the Human Rights Commission forces their hand after the investigation (still going on…investigator finally assigned Nov 2011 - 3 years later). Because in the Judicial system, at least via the Commission des relations du travail (the Workplace Relations Commission) there is not a chance of having a fair trial.

    I shall most certainly be giving a very detailed response to this insulting decision, perhaps release a book in the U.K., where the majority of the 30+ pages in the decision follow the story line just fine, and gives a good explanation of many points in much better French that I would ever be able to do. However there are several points from Verdone’s decision that show her true colours and are disgustingly high-handed fabrications of reality (typical revisionist history from this political faction). For those of us who are lucid enough to recognise such arrière-pensée ideas, it is a decision written in soveregntist ink, with several revisionist history points and scapegoating based on what she ‘wants’ to believe at the expense of the truth by literally copy and pasting the final pleadings from the CDPQ Lawyer Dominique L'Heureux's borderline perjury manipulation to satisfy local prejudice against Anglophones, or anyone who questions 'les Maîtres'/this ineffective institutions' poor track record. What is more, this is all done on the Public Purse.
    Several close aides have commented that she wrote it this way to cover her behind rather nicely to avoid backlash by this corrupt government blinded by the illusion tranquille/Grand Illusion (yes Maclean’s was almost 100% correct, and even written by Francophones: Martin Patriquin) and future advancement in her career. I do not know what motivates such nastiness, however, what I do know is that victims should never be treated this way, and even as les Voleurs d’enfance (award-winning movie) documented for us, this government has not only failed me, it has failed its own people by making decisions based on false assumptions repetitively. There is no longer a chance of appeal (since I know that is a waste of time), unless I want to spend another perhaps decade trying to have them honour my rights under the Labour Standards Act.

    So no wonder there are barely any ‘maudit Anglos’ in the govt, even if you pass the gauntlet of seven interviews, the office bullies will prevent you from access to do your job, break the law anyway they can, and then they’ll toss you out like trash and spit on you for trying to save us all billions. All we can do is write public protest letters and attempt to inform the populace of how little this Govt cares about public interest: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/hugo/archive/2010/02/15/first-public-hearing-against-quebec-s-pension-fund-manager-the-beginning-of-proof-multiple-laws-were-violated-before-sabia-took-over.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  46. Un des crimes typiques qu'on fait au Québec c'est dire la vérité. Le peuple franco-Québécois sont un peuple encore en voie de maturité et souvent pas capable de reconnaitre ses torts (nationaleux ou sépérateux) – je suis en partie un Charlebois, donc je le sais très bien. Au lieu de vouloir s'en sortir beaucoup de Québécois préfère jouer à la victime (forte dépendance sur l’inutile Gouvernemama, blâmer la fédé, des immigrants, des anglos de la province), et donc ne laisse personne d’autre être reconnu quand il y a un crime ou bien, dans ce cas, une menace de mort. Et quand une personne a de l'ambition pour le Québec on la traite de minable... Belle mentalité de perdant !!! I do not suffer from the inferiority complex, and no matter how hard these bullies try, they will not project their narrowness of mind and spirit upon me, nor our community, despite constant harassment. Ne suivez pas le Losership de Renaud Léger, L. Lafontaine, S. Provost, P. Curzi, G. Duceppe, G. Proulx,…
    Hardest thing to do in QC is tell the truth - look at Patriquin did last year Most Corrupt Prov - he certainly was not wrong! But la calisse de class politique cried out in shame, although they have been exposed recently for what they are – practically all of the two main parties with their hands controlled by the mafiosos of the province since nobody wants to invest here for fear of reprisal from the cartels.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Mike: "From what I've read, Editor and lots of other people who read this blog realize that Quebec's obsession with "culture" and "language" has largely been its downfall."

    Their obsession as not so much with culture, as with power, both political and economic. Culture as well as language are powerful instruments of power.

    This is a very good book by a Yale professor Michael Parenti. Click on the link, scroll down and read the introduction (page 11,12) and then move down to the beginning of the chapter Politics of Culture, and read pages 15 to 20. This is about the United States, but the same principles apply elsewhere and are very pronounced in Quebec.

    http://books.google.ca/books?id=QIhkVEPmyTgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=michael+parenti,+culture&hl=en&ei=n2vmTq_sHOHY0QGE4PH6BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQuwUwAA#v=onepage&q=michael%20parenti%2C%20culture&f=false

    ReplyDelete
  48. "practically all of the two main parties with their hands controlled by the mafiosos of the province since nobody wants to invest here for fear of reprisal from the cartels."

    Est-ce un hasard si la courbe correspondant au niveau de corruption au Québec est pratiquement la même que celle de l'augmentation des anglos à Montréal?

    ReplyDelete
  49. @anon 4:42

    Is it a coincidence that Quebecs' corruption is related to the amount of Pur laine bureaucrats, which is 95% or more?

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hugo: If not for my own recent brushes with systemic discrimination in Quebec, I would not have believed it to be true. After all, how can these things happen in Canada...?

    The health services division at my former employer belittled me and stomped on my basic rights. My father was dying, in his final week of life suffering a stage 4 brain cancer, and I needed to request time off work. I actually continued to work the entire year he was fighting the cancer. Well, health services in Rimouski (whom only Quebec employees are referred to, the rest of the corporation's Canadian employees deal with HR and health services out west) sent me complex questionnaire forms in French, and I had the *audacity* to request them in English. That's when all hell broke lose!

    I was told because of bill 101, they were not allowed to communicate with me in English (not written or verbally; of course they could fully speak English, this was political). Then I asked if I could fill out the answers, on the French forms, in English....NO...this will invalidate them. Furthermore, they stepped in and threatened disciplinary action against my manager after he offered to help me translate the forms. I was harassed continually afterwards, even my doctor commented it was unusual for a health service department to make him and his patient jump through so many hoops (and continually find technicality "problems" to attempt to reject my claim). Did it matter that I was suffering major depression and my parent had dying of cancer during this language debate hell they put me through? Nope...just apparently abusing their power to put some maudity Anglais in his place. Two years later I've thought about going to the human rights commission to complain, but being Quebec, I doubt I would have any chance. I feel like I have no rights here, even in the courts.

    I also had another experience in with the CSST in an unrelated incident. All legal documents sent in French, then several weeks of requests and fighting to get English translated documents. A court date was set, was told everything will be conducted in French. I requested an English hearing...refused. I was told I had the right to speak English, but the judge and lawyers, etc would communicate in French. If I did not understand, I would have to find a translator. If I could not find one, too bad, this is Quebec and the case will be conducted in French. Apparently I have no rights if I speak the "other" of Canada's official languages.

    I really do not feel like a Canadian citizen living in Quebec. I feel like the system here is one of a banana republic in a third world country, with corrupt judges, police and officials in power.

    ReplyDelete
  51. ha ha Quebec is such a backward shithole! In the realm of toilets, its a Turkish hole on the floor. I can't wait to get out of here but until I do, I will only speak English.
    To be fair, all Canadians share in the responsibility of what this province has become and mostly, every single federal government that has allowed it to continue and hidden it from the public in the rest of Canada. I hope we become annexed by the US because existence as a satellite state sucks! Maple syrup, hockey, low budget Canadian tv, sub par football teams, Canadian HBO, polite sheeple politics and franco-apartheid just don't cut it.

    ReplyDelete
  52. @Apple IIGS

    Alors,comment on se sent lorsqu'on se faire dire

    "Speak white!"?

    Désagréable n'est-ce pas?

    ReplyDelete
  53. "I hope we become annexed by the US..."

    Mais vous l'êtes déjà culturellement.Non?

    ReplyDelete
  54. "Mais vous l'êtes déjà culturellement.Non? "

    Oh my God, you are so retarded...no hope for a normal discussion with you guys. You have the attitude of a 5 year old. Lack of arguments and nonsense, that it.

    Let's be honest, you proved twice that you are cowards. Chickens. Loosers. Move on.

    ReplyDelete
  55. "I feel like the system here is one of a banana republic in a third world country, with corrupt judges, police and officials in power."

    Comment croyez-vous que les Québécois se sentent actuellement dans un canada sous le pouvoir des conservateurs.

    Nous sommes la risée du monde entier actuellement.La sortie du canada du protocole de Kyoto est une véritable honte.

    ReplyDelete
  56. "Comment croyez-vous que les Québécois se sentent actuellement dans un canada sous le pouvoir des conservateurs."

    So that's the BIG problem ? So you better destroy Canada instead of trying to be cerebral and fight smart?
    The fact that Harper has now a majority doesn't mean that everybody loves him ! As a matter of fact he is more hatted now , after the elections.

    So you better prove yourself mature enough and try not to do his dirty game, and let's try to find a solution to this mess that's happening in Quebec.

    Or, as a second scenario, if you blame Harper just to blame somebody for the sake of finding a reason to justify your childish behavior regarding English language is just lame.

    ReplyDelete
  57. "Mais vous l'êtes déjà culturellement.Non?"

    And what exactly is unique about Quebec? Hillbilly lifestyle in French is still hillbilly... your pretensions to French culture are just that, pretensions.

    ReplyDelete
  58. @jason the champion

    "Alors,comment on se sent lorsqu'on se faire dire

    "Speak white!"?

    Désagréable n'est-ce pas?"

    You callus, petty, bigoted child. Did you not read what I was going through during this incident? This wasn't a language scuffle while I was ordering a cup of coffee in a restaurant, THIS WAS MY PARENT DYING OF A BRAIN TUMOR AND I WAS SUFFERING THROUGH A MAJOR DEPRESSION. Oh, but to heartless bastard separatists like yourself, I take it's just as good a time to punish me for being English-speaking as any, isn't it?

    Now when has anyone told you to "speak white" when you addressed them in French? Seriously, get real! This is all about something that happened 400 years ago, and you're taking revenge for your ancestors? How do I fit into this? I was not around then, or you, nor do I go about holding hate against another person because of the language, culture or race they were BORN with. I lost relatives in the Holocaust, but I don't go around hating all German born child and have thoughts about revenge against them. Oh yes, the Quebecois have faced a far greater injustice than the holocaust too I'm sure. Like that mythical fat woman at Eaton's...

    I did not choose to be English, just as you did not choose to be French. Neither one of us is superior to the other based on the language our parents raised us in. Your being a "Quebecois" does not give you special rights, especially not the right to treat another human being like shit.

    ReplyDelete
  59. One thing is for sure: hubris has been and will continue to be the undoing of both sides.

    ReplyDelete
  60. "THIS WAS MY PARENT DYING OF A BRAIN TUMOR AND I WAS SUFFERING THROUGH A MAJOR DEPRESSION."

    Je suis désolé pour vos parents et je m'excuse.
    Mes propos ont dépassés ma pensée.

    ReplyDelete
  61. "Your being a "Quebecois" does not give you special rights, especially not the right to treat another human being like shit. "

    In Quebec it does. You are an autre, and worse still, a juif responsible for all the woes of true Quebecers who don't want to be paying extra for kosher coca cola, or paying for you to have a hospital and university.... you just use your zillion dollars to back the Rhodesians in Westmount and put down the great Quebecois uber mensch.

    ReplyDelete
  62. to jason the loser ou press 9 on December 12, 2011 7:03 PM

    Je vais te dire une chose et gentiment à part de d’ça. Parle blanc ou tais-toi, séparasite!!!

    on en a rien a foutre de tes opinons inutiles et stupides...Montréal s'anglicise(ou se ré-anglicise, devrais-je dire) que tu le veuille ou non, et c'est ca qui va faire renaitre son sens économique....des Gros losers inutiles comme toi, n'y peut rien contre cette procédure...et ta crisse de race de pure laine à MARDE (shall we say) est en déclin et représentera moins de 50% de la population Québecoise dans moins de 50 ans d'icitte, laissant plus de place aux immigrants pi aux "méchants anglais’’ ...ca faque, farme ta calice de yeul pi va te pendre sal rat d'égout consanguinisé qui ratée sa vie carrément!!! Tu prend trop d'espace pi tu pu comme le Goddamn

    en passant, pogne toi une poupée gonflable pour te changer les idées, because you seem to be in a great deal of desperate need!!!

    pi je te bet que tu comptes encore sur tes doigts quand t'additionne ou soustrait...si t'en a dix, bien sur. ou benon, t'est encore en phase d'apprentissage a un niveau bas....Très bas...

    ReplyDelete
  63. "I hope we become annexed by the US because existence as a satellite state sucks!"

    In the long run that may be the best option. If Canada (along with Quebec) became part of the U.S., it will just be a matter of time before Quebec ends up like Louisiana.

    ReplyDelete
  64. on december 9:40 PM

    you're maybe be right on that perspective!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  65. Anonyme 9:23

    Comment se fait-il que les outaouins(De l'outaouais) sont si nuls en français et en globish (seulement 15 000 mots)?

    On a vraiment l'impression que ce sont de véritables attardés.Existe-t-il des bibliothèques chez les hillbillies de l'outaouais?

    Je suis pour qu'on laisse cette région à l'ontario lors de séparation de notre pays,le Québec.

    ReplyDelete
  66. D'accord avec toi Jason (je doute que ce soit ton vrai nom),cette race de culs terreux est une véritable honte pour la race humaine.

    Voilà le résultat de la fornication entre cousins et cousines.Remarque la distance entre leur deux yeux et la hauteur de leur front :)

    ReplyDelete
  67. Anonyme 9:23

    Comment se fait-il que les outaouins(De l'outaouais) sont si nuls en français et en globish (seulement 15 000 mots)?

    On a vraiment l'impression que ce sont de véritables attardés.Existe-t-il des bibliothèques chez les hillbillies de l'outaouais?

    Je suis pour qu'on laisse cette région à l'ontario lors de séparation de notre pays,le Québec

    Jason,Jason,Jason…Lâche la drogue, veut-tu, s’il te plait !!!y’en aura pas de séparation de ton soi-disant pays. Tu te fais des accroires épouvantablement et nulles ce que tu dis arriveras…c’est toute dans tête !!! Arrive en villes et ré-attache toi à la réalité. Tu vies dans un univers imaginaire inatteignables pi té fucké entre les deux oreilles

    ReplyDelete
  68. "cette région à l'ontario lors de séparation de notre pays,le Québec"

    Je repeter, il n' y pas une pays appelez Quebec. Tu consumez des beaucoup drogues si vous pensant ca.
    Peut etre vous etes tres fous. Et votre francais est tres mal (de joual comme tout le monde aux Quebec). Parlez le francais correctement ou essayez le anglaise. Je doubt il sera mieux.

    Cessez votre commentaire idiotique sur cette blogue.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Nous sommes la risée du monde entier actuellement.La sortie du canada du protocole de Kyoto est une véritable honte.

    Et les mines de Thetford Mines sont meilleures. L'amiante tue exportés dans le monde. hypocrite

    People in glass houses.

    ReplyDelete
  70. What would it take to get Sun Life Insurance to move back into the beautiful Sun Life building in Montreal and what would it take to bring back to Montreal The Bank Of Montreal's head office and why aren't any Quebec politicians pursuing them? These are Montreal companies that moved. Time to bring them back.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Half of you accuse the Quebeckers of paranoia about their language, the other takes glee in the fact that their days are numbered. It's pretty incoherent.

    ReplyDelete
  72. @jason the champion

    "Je suis désolé pour vos parents et je m'excuse.
    Mes propos ont dépassés ma pensée."

    Merci pour vos excuses. I do appreciate that.

    Wouldn't it be nice if one day, all of us, French and English, could just forget who wronged who and just move forward and accept each other as is, as equals? Eventually it has to stop somewhere. Probably just fantasy thinking it will ever end....

    ReplyDelete
  73. @Apple IIGS
    I think most people are good natured and moderate; the kind of person that tends to go out on forums to post tends to be more strongly opinionated.

    The story you shared is tragic, I'm sorry you had to go through that. In Alberta there are services offered in a plethora of languages to help recent immigrants; one would think that in Quebec the bureaucracy could have exercised more discretion given your circumstances.

    I have a question though, and please don't take it the wrong way. Do you think a francophone living in Toronto or Vancouver would have had a different experience than yours? Unfortunately it's a reality of this country that billingual services are not available everywhere.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Hugo and Apple IIGS: Since you're both living in Quebec, why don't you just leave? I DID! I saw the writing on the wall for almost ten agonizing years between the enactment of Bill 22 and my final and permanent departure from Quebec.

    I give you both an A+ for your valiant efforts, but about 300,000 of us figured the jig was up, so we left. I'm willing to give you both deafening applause and cheering for your efforts, but, as you can see, they've proven to be in vain.

    A portion of what Apple said is true. There was too much complacency, mostly to blame though is the English speaking community of Quebec.

    The way I see it, every English speaking man, woman and child would have had to play an active role for the fight to have a chance. My late mother, MSRIP, talked a good fight, but when push came to shove, most of our parents did sweet f.a. Their lives were already established, and they didn't perceive anything rocking their status quo. At the same time, they overtly acknowledged that there was no future for the young (namely, the minorities), so they in part were accomplices to the whole Quebec government scheme.

    This obviously was turning into an intergenerational tit-for-tat fight, i.e., the majority was going to exact revenge for every alleged injustice past generations suffered and sustained, so obviously my parents enjoyed the life of the upper hand while my generation onward would suffer at the lower hand. In reality, the true perpetrators were other major players, namely the Roman Catholic church and the Quebec government that together kept the majority ignorant, pregnant and very often, poor. No matter. Hugo and Apple, for good or for bad, you are the victims of a societal collectity badly led astray by bad influences.

    Why do you think Quebec is as backward as it is? As corrupt as it is and as vindictive as it is? The Editor's recent articles bring us right back to 34 years ago when harassing small business became the fodder for language police?

    What's most sickening is a supposed;y so-called federalist government THIS time is leading the charge. Editor tried to set the scene that a few language fanatics are, with the greatest of ease, duping the Quebec government that the sky is falling. They're NOT as naïve as the Editor tried to portray it. As Reed Scowen in Time to Say Goodbye wrote, it's because the majority WANTS it this way. Pure and simple.

    Between the two of you and Howard Galganov, thank you, all three, for proving the fight is an exercise in futility. All three of you started the fight far too late. Had our parents, coupled with a concerned federal government, fought back in the mid-1970s with the enactment of Bill 22, also by a so-called federalist government, the battle may have been won. You both pitifully have proven it's a lost cause. I taste the bitterness of both your trials and tribulations.

    ReplyDelete
  75. I gotta agree with Mr.Sauga here. I left and feel great about it. I don't know what the future holds but, if I return to Canada it will not be to the ghost town that is Montreal. I do, much to the chagrin of my dear relatives and friends, feel schadenfreude, when I read how slowly Quebec is falling apart.

    ReplyDelete
  76. "Do you think a francophone living in Toronto or Vancouver would have had a different experience than yours?"

    Nice try.

    I think a francophone in Toronto could have a similar experience, so would a Mexican in Rome, or a Swede in Moscow. There is a difference you're overlooking though. The difference is that in Moscow, Rome, or Toronto, none of it would be state-imposed and artificial, as denial of service in English is in Quebec. In the other three cities, it'd feel much more natural, as in the state being unable to adapt to a dying's citizen's family, not unwilling to do so as is the case in Quebec.

    ReplyDelete
  77. ...to Mr. Marco: you're thinking with your head squarely on your shoulders. Canada is a vast land so there are plenty of alternatives. A friend of a friend who grew up in Montreal moved to Israel in his 20s and after at least 25 years there he moved back a few years ago...to Toronto!

    Again, the Hugo and Apple IIGS, I hope you finally come to your senses, leave Quebec, and then vigorously and heartily encourage others to leave, especially the best and brightest young people whose smarts and skills would benefit the Canadians who most deserve it, i.e., the Real Canada.

    The two of you, esp. Hugo, have allowed a big chunk of your short lives to be eaten away by nonsense.

    If anybody of our fellow readers ever read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (the movie starring Gregory Peck to me was too watered down) is exactly what you're going through, Hugo. The black man, Tom Robinson, stood accused of raping a white woman. His lawyer, a public defender and the story's protagonist named Atticus Finch, successfully, completely and convincingly proved beyond simple reasonable doubt that Tom was not guilty of the offense.

    Didn't matter a lick. Tom Robinson was found guilty by a jury of 12 white men who would have found him guilty if the whole thing was on video tape from start to finish, and the judge would have found him guilty even if the jury didn't. Tom Robinson was dead from the get-go, and YOU are now going through what Tom did.

    Eddie Greenspan, one of the highest profiled criminal lawyers in the country, couldn't help you if he tried cases of this sort. I'm sure your lawyer put on as vigorous a case as is humanly possible, but the government owns the card deck, stacks the deck and shuffles the deck at THEIR whim, not yours!

    Don't say I didn't tell you so, but I told you so! Go back to Vancouver, come to Toronto, or go just about anywhere else and allow us to benefit from your expertise. You tried to contribute to the greater good of Quebec society, they spat in your eye, so screw Quebec and go where your hard work, expertise and results will contribute to the greater good of a more grateful and deserving society. If the CDPQ goes tits up, looks good on them. I hope those Anglo bigwigs taking heat from the brainless society who they're trying to help leave and leave soon, and put their good works where they'll be appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  78. "the movie starring Gregory Peck to me was too watered down"

    Gregory Peck?Encore une référence à la culture canadienne...

    ReplyDelete
  79. "Et les mines de Thetford Mines sont meilleures..."

    Quel est le rapport avec Kyoto?Il est question ici de changements climatiques.Si vous habitez Vancouver,ce n'est l'amiante qui sera en cause lorsque vous vous retrouverez avec de l'eau jusqu'aux genoux.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Giving up is not an option, and I harass MNA members on a weekly basis - the complacency is what has made the problem worse, and I have duty and will never give up until I win, and the separatist/ultra-nationalist adventurers will be forced to accept the rule of law, something a majority of Quebeckers desire for also.

    How many years do you think it took to take out Buonoparte or Hitler? All tyranny comes to an end, and this blog, multiple Rallys to abolish Bill 101, the death to the BQ, PQ's demise, awareness of all forms, Senate Committees (see Champagne and Chaput's great work) shall ultimately prevail - so giving up is something those of low-integrity would do. Yes, the Govt will try and cheat and change rules on the fly all it wants, but ultimately the people see the light and real authority steps in, or marches in, depending on the circumstances.
    I am more than persuaded that I am doing what is right for the people of the province of Quebec, and nothing else matters to a me now. The rule of law shall no longer be forsaken for the rights of minorities in this province, so help me God.

    ReplyDelete
  81. "I guess 13,000 jobs makes a difference, even to the OQLF. (if not language supremacists)
    But the question remains....what is the threshold."


    Isn't it clear yet? The law isn't about protecting french. It's about discriminating against anything else. Bombardier is a made-in-quebec corporation, so it's ok for them to do what they want.

    "Prove what? That you are still stuck in the middle of another century, following the losership of Levesque or Parizeau avec des lois desuets !?"

    I don't think it's fair to group Lévesque with Parizeau. Lévesque had good ideas, he wanted the best for the entire province. He was against any form of discrimination, and he had a great deal of respect for anglophones in Quebec. Extremists like Parizeau have transformed the separatist movement into the racism/intolerant group they are today. Lévesque had to quit his own party because of extremists.

    "Alors,comment on se sent lorsqu'on se faire dire "Speak white!"?

    How old are you?? And how long before you leave the Quiet Revolution?
    The good thing is that french-québécois kids aren't usually bright enough to learn history properly, so the next generations won't remember anything beyond "Loft Story!"

    "Est-ce un hasard si la courbe correspondant au niveau de corruption au Québec est pratiquement la même que celle de l'augmentation des anglos à Montréal?"

    Unfortunately, the people who have screwed Les Québécois the most were usually other Québécois.

    "How much does it cost to send someone through public school, CEGEP and 4 years at McGill only to watch them skip town and pay taxes in another province? Times that by hundreds of thousands."

    I'm willing to bet that the separatists / language nazis would want all non-french schools closed, or admissions would have to be controlled by the OQLF. Ask them, I'm sure they won't have any problems telling you what they think.

    "101 succeeded in antagonizing and dividing people, in cheapening the French language and culture, and in driving businesses away. But these are not intended consequences, are they?"

    Unfortunately they are. The typical Québécois, with a very low level of education, or nearly non-existant motivation, needed a way to make sure that people who are more educated and have a better work ethic don't constantly surpass them, as was the case before. Is it any surprise this province has the highest level of unionization in North America?
    They figure that by getting rid of "les méchants anglais", their jobs will automatically go to french québécois instead. (Hey, it worked for Hydro-Québéc) They still don't understand that private corporations don't belong to them.
    At the same time, it also serves the intolerant people who don't want to see anything aside from white french catholics.

    "At one point, we'll have no money left for our social programs, such as health and education.
    Oh sure, we'll be french and have preserve our culture and language. But we'll all be poor, sick, jobless, and probably with poor education. It already started."


    Do you really think that's an argument that they will care about? First of all, Pauline Marois and Jacques Parizeau will always receive great healthcare, even if it means visiting the "Hôpital d'Argent Ethnique du cartier Anglophone à Montréal".

    Then there's education... Honestly, talk to some "pure laine" french only people, and see how important education is to them. I've heard so many unionized Québécois tell me that anything beyond high school is only meant to waste your time. Education teaches you about things outside Quebec, and can even teach you other languages. Education is bad for a separatist. How many québécois would be happy if everyone here only knew one language (french)?

    ReplyDelete
  82. "Hugo and Apple IIGS: Since you're both living in Quebec, why don't you just leave?"

    Why should we leave? I like my province. I don't like the ignorant racist separatists, but as all elections/referendums have proved so far, they are not the majority.
    Leaving would be telling them they've won, and that's just what they want. Trust me, they are FAR from winning. Their whole intolerance movement is dying quickly, and this is their last stand..

    ReplyDelete
  83. @anon 2:22

    The comparison between Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver is misguided. The demographics of Francophones in Toronto and Vancouver are insignificant. Despite that fact, French is more visible on Ontario Government infrastructure then English is in Montreal.

    Montreal has a very large English speaking Minority, in much of Montreal it is a majority. The Francophone comparison outside of Quebec would be the city of Ottawa. Montreal was an English speaking majority city through much of its history. Which wouldn't have mattered much, until the pur laine used their tyranny of the majority and legislative power to try and destroy the English speaking population of Quebec.

    ReplyDelete
  84. "How old are you?? And how long before you leave the Quiet Revolution?"

    Quand vous allez cessé de parler de nazis?

    ReplyDelete
  85. Government can continue to force the French language all over the country while banning and wiping out the real English speaking history of kebec all it wants. The truth is not going to disappear no matter what spin, lie the government puts on it.

    When the public FINALLY realizes how racist, how bigoted the politicians have been for the last several decades in allowing Nazis like language laws in kebec al la bills 22, 178, 101…while forces the rest of the country to fund whatever the French demand all over the country, they will explode with anger. Hopefully soon!!! Our money fuelled through government departments starting under Trudeau, is the reason all of this French BS, the lies, the revisionist history, the phony expensive bilingual BS… has gone on for so long.

    Trudeau stared this French first, French power mess, along with the charter and all the other phony French first bilingual BS. This has to be repealed ASAP. Trudeau despised the English language and our real BNA history and he did everything legal and illegal to wipe out our language and history.

    Repeal the charter and fix all that is wrong with Canada. As for Kebec, we don’t care any longer. As long as you language Nazis keep bill 101, we hope you rot in hell bigots.

    Be smart; never open a business in kebec, boycott the province period.

    ReplyDelete
  86. "Quand vous allez cessé de parler de nazis?"

    Ça s'écrit "Quand allez-vous cesser de parler de nazis?"

    Un peu de respect pour le français...

    (that felt good :D )

    ReplyDelete
  87. "The good thing is that french-québécois kids aren't usually bright enough to learn history properly, so the next generations won't remember anything beyond "Loft Story!""

    Ne vous en faites pas,mes 2 enfants ont la chance d'avoir un ecxellent professeur d'histoire : Moi-Même :)

    Mes salutations aux paysans de Trois-rivières!

    ReplyDelete
  88. "Et combien de temps avant de quitter la Révolution tranquille?"

    Quand vous allez cessé de parler de nazis.

    Votre français se dégrade M.Stump

    ReplyDelete
  89. "Ne vous en faites pas,mes 2 enfants ont la chance d'avoir un ecxellent professeur d'histoire : Moi-Même :)"

    At which school?
    I hope your teaching is less biased than your posts on this blog :P

    ReplyDelete
  90. At which school?

    À une école Québécoise de la région de Montréal.Avez-vous remarqué qu'il est de plus en plus difficile de trouver une école anglo?
    On en ferme une pratiquement chaque semaine...Une réelle catastrophe ;(

    ReplyDelete
  91. @anon 11:13

    Despite anglo school closures, its the Quebecois that jump as a chance to go to english school for their kids. Just look at some Quebec MPs that put their kids in English school in Ottawa so when they come back to Quebec they can get the privledged blue certificate. Any way the Montreal Island French schools are doing a really good job despite bill 101 of making allos feel that they got no choice but to integrate with anglos for their economic well being.

    ReplyDelete
  92. "Any way the Montreal Island French schools are doing a really good job despite bill 101 of making allos feel that they got no choice but to integrate with anglos for their economic well being."

    Désolé de vous apprendre que la plupart des allos ne s'intègrent à aucune société d'acceuil.Ils ne font que prendre des raccourcis afin de sauvé leur peau.Même problème partout en Europe.

    ReplyDelete
  93. "Désolé de vous apprendre que la plupart des allos ne s'intègrent à aucune société d'acceuil.Ils ne font que prendre des raccourcis afin de sauvé (sauver) leur peau.Même problème partout en Europe."

    Est-il possible de respecter le français svp?

    ReplyDelete
  94. "Est-il possible de respecter le français svp?"

    Bien sûr,merci pour la correction.

    ReplyDelete
  95. "en passant, pogne toi une poupée gonflable pour te changer les idées, because you seem to be in a great deal of desperate need!!!"

    Juste au canaya.

    Deux langues dans une même phrase.Bravo l'abruti.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Now there's a typical proud of our ethnic cleansing comment: 'Avez-vous remarqué qu'il est de plus en plus difficile de trouver une école anglo?
    On en ferme une pratiquement chaque semaine...Une réelle catastrophe ;('

    Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1951)
    (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part (in this case, Anglo Exodus parimary, and in part, by slowly destroying our school system...quietly and using the 'we are saving the language shield' as the excuse)
    (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. (eventhough the EN school system in QC produced more bilinguals, Legault recently suggested their abolishment - the CAQ leader is just a right-wing nationalist waiting for his winning conditions before another referendum. (remember his comments on Sabia)

    Bill 101 has committed both of these heinous crimes. It would be a dream come true if we could get a lawyer to prove that Quebec's fascist anti-English elite is guilty of these crimes and therefore, punished under the convention, which is binding. However, as we have noticed time and time again the belligerencts running this province give no shite for the what is better for the greater good of ALL Quebeckers, and just want to line their pockets and their friends with cash.

    ReplyDelete
  97. "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1951)"

    Déjà sur le party de Noel Hugo?J'espère que tu ne conduit pas dans cet état ce soir ;D

    ReplyDelete
  98. Anonymous @ 9:02 PM

    T'es ben épais!

    ReplyDelete
  99. ...Hugo, I fully respect, applaud and agree with all you are trying to do, and it is your privilege to spend half your short life (may that "short life" exceed 100 years of good health). In the greater realm of life itself, even 100 years is a blink of an eye.

    Quebec people won't know what has hit them until their ability to float debt ends. As it is, taxes are the highest on the continent and they're only going to get worse. Quebec's infrastructure is collapsing faster than everyone else's, they've cut health care spending more than everybody else in Canada, yet the taxes still continue to rise, more interest on the debt eats away at the revenues taxes raise, and there are evermore cuts in spending. Debt interest taxes the tax revenues.

    Is it worth fighting for a sinking ship, especially when the crew is trying to shoot at you while the ship is sinking.

    Yes, it took years to destroy Napoleon and Hitler. Only 12 years in the latter case, but he drew attention by taking on the world country by country until he finally and foolishly took on that huge hybernating bear A.K.A. the U.S.S.R. Napoleon fell about a year short of Hitler's mark, so between those two despots, they ruled for a combined total of just under 24 years.

    The current rumblings in Quebec has gone on for going on 42 years! That's approaching double the length of time the two most infamous despots ruled. Even Caligula was only at the helm for 4 years. I'm starting the clock in 1970 with the founding of the PQ and the very, very beginning of the Anglo exodus. Of course 1977 was when the s--t hit the fan. Then again, Bill 22 in 1974 got the minority community up to full boil with Bill 101 turning the heat up that much more. 42 years, 34 years, tomayto, tomahto...what's the diff?

    Hugo, the simple fact of the matter is it's the SOSDDBS, and the shovel is just getting bigger and you haul more stench with every shovelfull.

    I think all the minorities should leave, live better elsewhere and blow cannon balls and torpedos at the sinking ship. It is only then they (the majority) will know what they had before it was gone. Screw the sentiments of "my Canada includes Quebec". Get rid of the tumor before it kills the whole body. The old Montreal we knew and loved is gone, gone, gone!

    If the majority is not going to fight for better, you can have the passion, fight and enrgy of Hercules, ten Hercules and it STILL won't be anywhere nearly enough to win the fight.

    All the foregoing notwithstanding, I'll cheer myself hoarse while you fight the good fight.

    A final tidbit for thought: Galganov had a radio show and attracted crowds in the thousands at rallys, and HE couldn't win. He took on the Township of Russell, IN ONTARIO YET, and couldn't win. With all that passion, energy and clout, he finally gave it up. The taxes he pays into the Ontario coffers are most welcome. Ontario's gains are Quebec losses. Make Quebec the loser. Take your intellectual prowess and tax dollars where they will be welcome and appreciated. Same goes for Apple IIGS and the rest of you.

    ReplyDelete
  100. Hugo à l'aides des médias sociaux,a réussi à attirer...11 racistes au total.On lui avait pourtant conseillé d'apporter des donuts mais il a ignoré nos conseils et voilà le résultat.J'espère que lors de sa prochaine manifestation il arborera fièrement le joli chapeau de cowboy que galganov lui a offert en cadeau.

    ReplyDelete
  101. Speaking of racists: The fascist language bully is leaving his cause because, what? He cannot stand all the bullies and intimidation from the RRQ and MMF internally? Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap Louis...although I doubt he'll quit (listen to him be interviewed, by none other, than himself..!): louisprefontaine.com

    La loi 101 (famous quote)- Les gens n’y croient plus. Ils ont baissé les bras." That's right Connard, it is because it is a stooooopid law put in place by the sépérateux.

    Here is another famous one (from the guy who yells out 'you're racists' to everyone who speaks English in Quebec!: 'Notre combat est pour le français et contre l'anglais. Si Bouchard veut écrire dans une langue étrangère, qu'il se trouve un babillard fédéraliste ou canadien pour le faire. Icite, on parle français.' Note the AGAINST part?

    No Master KT, it is all about watching the last of them fall on their own swords, or be pelted with rocks on the corner of Guy and Maisonneuve.

    We had three small, but loud anti Bill-101 protest this year, and next year they will be larger.
    We are demanding equality and the end of language discrimination - our opponents, play personal attacks, intimidation and use criminals to push through their politics - and as Louis noticed, he's getting out of what he was dealing in himself:
    Carl Contant, chef de section du RRQ dans Lanaudière, a tout fait pour empêcher cette manifestation. Insultes, harcèlement, intimidation. Il a fallu se faire accompagner par la milice parce que des participants avaient peur du RRQ. Ensuite, on a averti le RRQ du comportement de Carl Contant, et le RRQ n’a pas sévi.'

    We are rebuilding our 1M strong community in QC, and this time the boyscouts will have to stay out of the province to make progress - because playing nice ain't going to work. Harper knows this, thus he is turning the screw (just lay off Cotler already, phrack!). And those who live here know that illegal Militias have to go, and so says Montreal Crown Prosecutors - Serge Provost will be tried in March for his death threats and other criminal code violations, à suivre :)

    ReplyDelete
  102. It's Wednesday, after midnight, so where is the next blog? Hugo, I like your enthusiasm, but don't expect too much, or you'll just be disappoined again. Don't be surprised if Serge Provost gets a light tap on the knuckles.

    Lookit, Karla Homolka is living a nice, quiet, peaceful life in Quebec, a luxury she'd likely never enjoy in any part of Ontario or unlikely too in any other part of Canada. Paul Rose and the other FLQ terrorists who killed a man and kept another hostage for weeks are all free as birds. Quebec doesn't take crime seriously. This is part of the reason organized crime thrives, survives and grows in Quebec. It's a haven for organized crime, esp. if you provide the right amount of graft to the right people.

    I hope I'm wrong, believe you me, but I don't think I will be wrong...unfortunately. Quebec is a fast-sinking ship and YOU ain't gonna repair it. Don't be surprised if each and everyone of your children ends up leaving Quebec.

    ReplyDelete
  103. @ Mr. Sauga and the rest...

    If a magic genie spontaneously snapped into existence and asked what my fondest wish to be granted is. Absolutely, and no joking here, it would be: TO GET OUT OF QUEBEC, IMMEDIATELY.

    The one positive spin is my greatest wish in life isn't a fantasy, I can make it real!

    I was born, grew up and lived all my life in Quebec, but there is nothing left here for me now. Most of my family has left the province, my father has passed away (oh, did I mention he was denied a potential life-saving cancer study because the medical staff had to delay his treatment *4* months for it to be translated into French? He died while waiting, thank you once again Quebec). And my mother is now in the process of selling the house I grew up in in Chomedey. I haven't lived there in years, but I've always thought of it as home...has been since the early 70's. Funny to think that she's the second to last one to leave, most of the families on the street I knew left the province years ago! (I often wonder if Mr. Sauga wasn't one of them, or a neighbor from around the block). :)

    I do applaud Hugo for staying and fighting, someone has to stand up to them as long as there are Anglophones left behind. As for myself, I'm tired of wasting time and energy on such nonsense. I've tried ignoring it, but even when I'm not looking to rock the boat I get hit in the face with Quebec crap. It's sad I should have to leave my home, but when I wake up everyday feeling unhappy because of where I'm living, then it's time to change that. I don't care where I go, as long as it's not Quebec.

    Looking at Toronto as a destination, or at least a launch pad.

    ReplyDelete
  104. ...to Apple IIGS: Yes, we were very likely neighbours, and my much belated condolences on your father`s passing under those disturbing circumstances. My father sold our Chomedey home of 30 years about 14 months after my mother passed away. He went to live in the city with other family.

    I can`t say I didn`t figure that day would come, but that Chomedey house was the only one I remember from my childhood, having moved in around my third birthday. I was already living in Toronto for seven years, but that house still gave me the feeling of security and planted roots even if six hours of pavement separated me from it.

    It`s truly a pity though that I left Quebec for circumstances similar to why my grandparents immigrated there...for political stability and peace. Granted, I was never a victim of pogroms like my grandparents were, especially my maternal grandparents, and my paternal grandparents would have faced certain slaughter by the Poles in Radom, Poland had they not left about ten years before THAT uprising. I nevertheless was made to feel like I was something lesser than others within the confines of Quebec and the federal governments, one after another, had and still have no political will to do anything about it.

    Like you Apple, I don`t feel it was worth staying behind to fight. I left Quebec to try and build myself a life without endless political obstruction rather than have to fight for it. Unlike Hugo, I feel the best revenge is to pay my taxes where the money is better spent on infrastructure, pristine parks and better equipped hospitals and schools than in a place where I`m looked down upon collectively by a society that wrecklessly spends its money on unpalatable things like language and so-called culture (backward political priorities really).

    My son has some learning challenges, but thanks to teacher`s aids and other programs within his public and high school, he`s managing splendidly. He`s thriving, and I think their program has put a light in his eyes that would never, never have been there had he been in the inferior system that is now the Quebec public school. Their input has been worth every damn tax dollar I have paid to the Government of Ontario and I don`t regret my moving here one iota back in 1984--not one!

    ReplyDelete
  105. ...looking again at Apple IIGS`s last commentary, I noticed he applauds Hugo S.`s efforts with as much fervor and zeal as I do.

    Every point Hugo has made in this blog, and many others, is absolutely valid and completely cogent. If he and I debated on the subject of staying in Quebec to fight the good fight vs my decision at the tender age of 16 to eventually leave, I`d have one hell of a battle finding gaps in his argument. Rare is the time he and I have butted heads on the topic of Quebec. His ardent defense of his views and battles are hard as iron and good as gold.

    Some of my lessons in life took me time to learn there are times we simply have to agree to disagree; besides, with age comes the maturity of acquiescing when there is no point in arguing any further. We make choices. We regret some, while others we embrace until our dying days, and we move forward.

    ReplyDelete
  106. @ Mr. Sauga...

    Your life almost seems like a mirror of my own. A little more than a year after my father died, my mother decided it was too painful to keep the house (where they lived together for 35 years) and now in the process of selling it. She's already moved into the city, I imagine this house will be gone by early in the new year.

    I was about 2 and half when we moved in, and it being the only house I've ever known, it's probably the last thing in this province I feel a sense of solid attachment to (well, my remaining two family members too of course).

    My grandmother, from Lithuania, also experienced pogroms as a child. Soldiers ransacked her house, looking for people to murder...I remember hearing stories about how she had to hide in a stove to avoid detection to survive. Ironically she came to Canada (Quebec) to start a new life and escape the prosecution. What irony that I can see parallels seeding in Quebec.

    I would have been just starting junior high school when you left Quebec. I probably didn't start thinking about how I wanted leave the province until the early 90's, and reaching the peak of that desire to leave in 1995. I suppose the anchor keeping me here has been the house from my childhood, my family and friends. At one point even a job I really enjoyed, which by no surprise I lost when the company pulled out of Quebec for political reasons (gotta love that feeling of instability working for most employers in this province). I hope to get myself out of here soon, maybe these final losses will be my catalyst for leaving and letting go.

    Incidentally, on a side topic. Do the names Ronnie, Larry, Diane, Josh or David ring a bell? Just some of the older kids in the neighborhood that would have been about your age. I wonder if you didn't know any of them growing up or in school. Probably not, but when you mentioned Kennedy Park a while back, I couldn't help but wonder. :)

    ReplyDelete
  107. "My grandmother, from Lithuania, also experienced pogroms as a child. Soldiers ransacked her house, looking for people to murder...I remember hearing stories about how she had to hide in a stove to avoid detection to survive. Ironically she came to Canada (Quebec) to start a new life and escape the prosecution. What irony that I can see parallels seeding in Quebec"




    Oh please!

    Yeah, we all know that jews in quebec are getting killed on a daily basis.

    On a more serious note, the jewish community is probably the most thriving community in quebec. You have always been welcomed here since centuries, depite the fact that most of you never integrated to your francophone host society.

    But despite that, a lot of quebec's jews ( not all) seems to hate us and always remind us about a few antisemite incidents in our past. Of course you never talk about all the antimetism that was coming from anglo-canada at the same time (does "none is too many" remind you anything ?)

    I got a question for you, why you guys never talk about Louis-Joseph Papineau, the 19th century french-canadian nationalist leader ? After all, he was the one who defended Aaron Hart, the jewish politician who was elected by the francophone population of Trois-rivieres and couldnt seat at the assembly because jews could not vote at that time.

    Because of Papineau, jews have been allowed to vote in the british empire. But of course, you guys always prefer to talk about Lionel Groulx because he wrote one or two bad things about jews.

    Frankly, i'm quite tired of your ingratitude.

    ReplyDelete
  108. The best ingredient for violent uprisings and eventual ethnic cleanings is to laugh at the warning signs and say "that could never happen here!". That is what happened before the holocaust. Before Bosnia. And before Rwanda. Ignorance and inaction leads to tragic outcome, and Quebec is the perfect breeding ground for such a toxic stew. Generations of children brainwashed, unchallenged xenophobia and hate (from the government no less!), poor economic climate, largely under-educated population, specific ethnic groups labeled the scapegoats (Jew, Anglophones and ethnics) and continual telling and teaching that ONE race/culture is superior to all others. Where is that going to lead?

    I suppose the what happened in Hampstead recently, with the police escorting and SUPPORTING the mob...that is nothing to worry about. The police actually said the French Charter gave them the right to assault the Jewish community....it was within their right! It's like the police supporting a KKK rally, whom are driving burning crosses through a Black neighborhood. In this case they were flying those separatist flags and honking horns.

    Another story recently, the city of Montreal is forcing a 30 year old synagog in Outremount to shutdown, because several Quebecois in the area dislike that it exists (apparently there are sudden zoning laws at play, how convenient). Or the coordinated smashing of windows of several synagogs and Jewish in the west island overnight about a year back. The racist comments and cartoons I've seen published in French newspapers against Jews recently, which have gone unchallenged. Not to mention firebombing of Jewish schools.

    Nice that Quebec doesn't have a police hate crimes unit, the only district in North America not to have one. Not that it matters, Montreal police have refused to label the firebombings of Jewish schools and smashing of synagog windows as hate crimes. I'm not kidding.


    "depite the fact that most of you never integrated to your francophone host society."


    Francophone host society? You are not our hosts, we are not guests here. I'm sure it offends you to know Anglophones and Jews have as much claim to Quebec and living here as the so-called Quebecois. No one should bow before Francophones or see them as the owners and hosts of Quebec....they are just equal citizens, who happen to live in the same geographic area. We all have history, culture and language to be proud of, but no one's is superior than the other.

    I'm so sick of hearing Francaphones are the masters, they are right heirs to this land, it's history, etc, etc. You have no more claim or rights over Quebec than anyone else born here. Get over it. Stop isolating yourselves from the rest of the world.

    ReplyDelete
  109. "I'm so sick of hearing Francaphones are the masters, they are right heirs to this land, it's history, etc, etc. You have no more claim or rights over Quebec than anyone else born here. Get over it. Stop isolating yourselves from the rest of the world."



    Oh fuck you, im so sick of hearing ingrates RACISTS morons like you who cant respect the fact that they live in the only french-speaking part of north america.

    And yes, we have the right to own this territory, just like the natives have a right too on their lands. We are there since 400 years, and our forefathers built this place ( while building an alliance with the indians, contrarely to the anglos bullies on forced them into reserves).

    Just because our ancestors lost a war 250 years does not mean that we cant claim this place as our own. Anyways, everybody, including you, is welcome here as long as you respect the fact that you live in a francophone society.

    In rome, do as the romans, if you are too intolerant to respect that, you got all the rest of north america for you.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Hah. So my refusal to accept you as a dominant race, and proclaim that I am an EQUAL HUMAN makes me a "racist"?

    Why not look at it this way. We are two human beings living in this part of planet Earth. Both you and I have a language, culture and history that we value, and have every right to embrace and share with others. Both of us respect that, and have absolutely no right to ever tell each other to stop embracing those things, they're what make us....us.

    I'm curious what you think of that? Does that scenario frighten you?

    ReplyDelete
  111. "On a more serious note, the jewish community is probably the most thriving community in quebec. You have always been welcomed here since centuries, depite the fact that most of you never integrated to your francophone host society."

    Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that Jews were not allowed into French Catholic schools for most of Quebec's history, so most of them attended English schools instead.

    ReplyDelete
  112. "ah. So my refusal to accept you as a dominant race, and proclaim that I am an EQUAL HUMAN makes me a "racist"?

    Why not look at it this way. We are two human beings living in this part of planet Earth. Both you and I have a language, culture and history that we value, and have every right to embrace and share with others. Both of us respect that, and have absolutely no right to ever tell each other to stop embracing those things, they're what make us....us.

    I'm curious what you think of that? Does that scenario frighten you?"



    Oh yeah, where exactly did i say that we are a superior race? Nobody ever said that. We are not even a race you moron. Francophone quebecers, even "pur laines" are in fact mixed with indians, irish and scottish blood. These no blood test to be accepted as on of our own.

    If you believe, like me, that all humans are equals, then you should believe in the right of EVERY nations around the world to be respected on their own soil, even if they are not independant countries. Diversity is what make humanity great and strong and i believe the world will be a much better place when every nations on this planet will be allowed to flourish on their own territory. Then, respect, cooperation and tolerance will be greater between humans. Equality between humans, also mean respecting every humans culture.

    If you believe that it is OK for someone to live here without integrating to its francophone majority, then you are an extremely intolerant person. There is not greater racism than deny a whole people its legetimicy on their territory.

    The fact that you try to disguise your intolerant mentality as some kind of humanitarian progessisvness show what kind of deluded person you are.

    ReplyDelete
  113. "If you believe that it is OK for someone to live here without integrating to its francophone majority, then you are an extremely intolerant person."

    If you believe that it is OK for someone to live in this country (Canada) without integrating to its Anglophone majority, then you are an extremely intolerant person. See how easy it is to turn your argument on its head.

    "Then, respect, cooperation and tolerance will be greater between humans. Equality between humans, also mean respecting every humans culture."

    Francophones in Quebec show very little respect or tolerance for the Anglophone community and culture in the province. They are doing everything within their power to stamp out the presence of English, including passing racist language laws that have even been condemned by the United Nations.

    ReplyDelete
  114. "Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that Jews were not allowed into French Catholic schools for most of Quebec's history, so most of them attended English schools instead."



    You ever saw religious jews follow a catholic education with catholic priests ? I mean common.

    You do realize that before the quiet revolution the french public school system was pratically non-existent.. right ? We had to rely on our catholic church to get a basic education.

    Anyways, i dont blame the jews for not having integrated to us in the past. From the end of the 18th century to the start of the 20th century, british-canadians were dominating the political and economical life in quebec. I understand that jews wanted to be on the "better side" to have more chance of sucesses.

    I blame a certain part of todays jewish community to refuse to ackowledge that they live in a francophone society and adapt to it. I also blame them of having a very intolerant opinion of us and justify it because of some antisemite incidents in the past. And frankly i dont believe it was worse here than anywhere else in the world as far as antisemitism is concerned.

    ReplyDelete
  115. First of all, Quebec is not a country or nation. It is a PROVINCE in Canada...nothing more, nothing less. That is fact, so let's stop talking about fantasy and fairy tales.

    Secondly, if you want to play that game, there are two official languages in the country you live in and they are English and French. Are you respecting that? Maybe you should be integrating into the Anglophone majority by your logic, because as you say, you're not respecting the soil of Canada.

    Of course only a Quebecois would believe erasing another culture, language and people (particularly ones who founded and built Quebec) is very noble cause. So noble in fact, you need government sanctioned language laws and inspectors to help erase it.

    The only thing that makes me a moron is arguing with people like you. Or continuing to live in the cesspool that people like yourself have turned Quebec into.

    Let's reword your statement above with a slight tweak. Tell me how it feels now? Still sounds noble?

    ------
    If you believe that it is OK for someone to live in Canada without integrating to its Anglophone majority, then you are an extremely intolerant person.
    ------

    ReplyDelete
  116. "If you believe that it is OK for someone to live in this country (Canada) without integrating to its Anglophone majority, then you are an extremely intolerant person. See how easy it is to turn your argument on its head."


    Ah! what a stupid argument. First of all the francophones outised quebec are well integrated into the anglophone majority, in fact most of them are now assimilited.

    The fact is that there multiples nations in this country, the anglo-canadian being biggest one. We were here first, but that doesnt mean that the anglos cant have their own nation. Its just that we are a nation too, therefore we dont have to integrate to the ROC and neither vice-versa.

    I believe that someone living in the ROC without knowing english is as stupid as someone living in quebec without knowing french.



    Oh, and when the ROC gonna be as bilingual as we are, when 42 % of english-canadians will know how to speak french (the same number than french-candians know english), have the exact amount of bilingual signs on commerce than us, finance 30% of its superior education system in french, accept unilingual francophones to boss their state society and accept without bitching that 50% of their immigrants live there without knowing english, then you will be allowed to give me lessons of tolerance for Quebec's anglos.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Roc ne nous laisse pas envoyer nos enfants à l'école française. ROC ne nous permet pas d'utiliser le français sur les panneaux. Entre 1885 et 1955 ROC révisé notre histoire française, puis, en 1985, le PQ a baissé pour les libéraux. Je crains en 2015 française va disparaître!

    ReplyDelete
  118. @ Bloc de ROC,

    "Roc ne nous laisse pas envoyer nos enfants à l'école française."

    There are French schools across Canada. There was opposition to French schools in the past by the Ontario and Manitoba governments, but they were overridden by the federal government. And it happened nearly a 100 years ago!

    "ROC ne nous permet pas d'utiliser le français sur les panneaux."

    Well, that's an outright lie. You can put a sign up in French ANYWHERE in Canada without restrictions.

    "Entre 1885 et 1955 ROC révisé notre histoire française..."

    How did they revise the history of Francophones? In which history books???

    "Je crains en 2015 française va disparaître!"

    If you think that French will disappear within 4 years you are either on drugs or mentally disturbed or both.

    ReplyDelete
  119. "There are French schools across Canada. There was opposition to French schools in the past by the Ontario and Manitoba governments, but they were overridden by the federal government. And it happened nearly a 100 years ago!"

    Il n'ya pas d'écoles françaises au Canada. Tu ne penses qu'ils sont français, mais c'est seulement une illusion faite par notre surpressors et maîtres de ROC.

    Il ya 100 ans que vous dites? Je vais aller à l'époque et changer cela!

    "How did they revise the history of Francophones? In which history books???"

    Le livre Grays Sports Almanac!

    "If you think that French will disappear within 4 years you are either on drugs or mentally disturbed or both."

    J'ai été là, je l'ai vu.

    ReplyDelete
  120. "First of all the francophones outised quebec are well integrated into the anglophone majority, in fact most of them are now assimilited."

    There are plenty of unilingual Francophones outside Quebec. And the Acadians, for example, are not assimilated.

    "We were here first, but that doesnt mean that the anglos cant have their own nation."

    We have our own nation. It's called Canada. And Quebec is STILL a part of it.

    The aboriginals were actually here first - by thousands of years. The French only had a tiny colony in Quebec for a hundred and fifty years before they were defeated by the English. That's only a few generations. Big deal.

    "...have the exact amount of bilingual signs on commerce than us,"

    Where are all these bilingual signs in Quebec? I don't see many. There is hardly any English on signs with the exception of some national and international corporate trademarks. And the language police are harassing the companies with those signs.

    English on signs was completely banned until the United Nations cited Quebec for human rights violations, and there are still restrictions on it. There are no bans or restrictions on French on signs anywhere else in Canada.

    "...accept unilingual francophones to boss their state society..."

    Which unilingual Anglos are in charge of the Quebec government? Two employees at the Caisse de depot et placement? Oh, the horror! They're just a few remaining employees from a company that was bought out by the caisse. In Quebec, where 20% of the population is non-Francophone, less than 1% of them work for the provincial government. And I'm sure that 99.9 % of those who do are bilingual.

    If you're talking about the people recently appointed by Stephen Harper at the federal level...well good. We need to get rid of the Official Languages Act altogether and treat Francophones across Canada the way Anglophones are being treated in Quebec.

    "...without bitching that 50% of their immigrants live there without knowing english..."

    Many immigrants in Quebec are driven away from the Quebecois language and culture because they face discrimination and they know they will never be accepted by the pur lainers.

    ReplyDelete
  121. Apple IIGS: I'm about 15 years older than you are, I know several Davids, a couple of Ronnies and Larrys and Dianes too. No Joshes.

    Your arguments have merit, just like Hugo's. Ontario, and anywhere else for that matter, will welcome you with open arms.

    ReplyDelete
  122. No doubt about it, language laws have hurt Montreal economically, retarded her growth and pushed wealth elsewhere. Francophones have had the keys to the economy for the past 40 years (they have always held the keys to the Government) and haven't brought home the bacon, economically speaking. This isn't lost on us Allophones and Anglophones living in Montreal.  Things must change and trust me they will.  Montreal needs to be governed differently than the rest of Quebec. Other than the "pur lainers" among us,  no one has this obsession with language.  As more and more Haitians and North Africans are airlifted into Quebec to bolster the economy/population, language will increasingly take a backseat to other more pressing issues. People immigrate here for economic reasons, not to save the last outpost of French colonialism in North America. Not by a long shot. 
    A couple of years ago a concerned Montrealer named Michel David put out there a proposal of governing Montreal as a city state within Quebec, free of language laws where the teaching of North America's big three languages would be promoted. I think he was onto something. I would vote for that. 

    ReplyDelete
  123. @Anonymous 12:15

    The Acadians in Nova Scotia and PEI have been almost entirely assimilated, only a few rural outposts of a disconcerting hill-billy feel survive to this day.

    It is true that Acadians have resisted assimilation in New Brunswick; I blame the proximity to Quebec.

    As for unilingual francophones : according to census 2006, outside quebec about 85% of francophones are billingual. Even in New Brunswick the figure is 70%.

    Sometimes it really feels like it is one-way billingualism : the francophones are billingual, the anglophones complain about billingual road signs.

    ReplyDelete
  124. Who's complaining about bilingual road signs? In Quebec they are unilingual French. The state banned the use of English on all road signs!

    ReplyDelete
  125. "Sometimes it really feels like it is one-way billingualism : the francophones are billingual, the anglophones complain about billingual road signs."

    There may be more bilingual Francophones in Canada because the majority of people in Canada and North America are English speaking, English is the language of international communication, and English is a much easier language to learn than French.

    However, significant numbers of Anglos in Quebec are bilingual while relatively few Quebecois speak English off the island of Montreal.

    There are bilingual road signs in many areas across Canada but none in Quebec. It is the French speaking language zealots who are complaining the most about other languages on signs and they are backed up by neo-fascist government appointed language police.

    ReplyDelete
  126. 'I remain in favour of Quebecers maintaining the right to work in French. Gone are the days of the master and slave.'

    Really? When were these days of master and slave? You're slipping into demagoguery. Don't belittle the experience of millions on this continent that have had to actually experience the relationship of master and slave - Africans and Native Americans, so you can garner a little understanding from those that came here to exploit them in the first place.

    Why should French Quebecers be accorded a right that is denied to these two groups that shouldered the real burden of making a white north America? How dare you even equate the condition of the exploited to those that continue to exploit them? Humility may be hard to come by amongst the socialites of the Plateau and Outremont - try visiting a reserve for a change.

    ReplyDelete
  127. "I remain in favour of Quebecers maintaining the right to work in French."

    In a united Canada, there can be no French Canadian rights or English Canadian rights while the rest of us slip into the voids and cracks in between. There must only be the rights of all Canadian citizens and the freedom for them to live and work in any territory that flies the maple leaf. Anything else is just the hot air that escapes the weak kneed apologists of a system that creates second class citizens in this country.

    ReplyDelete