French versus English Volume 88

This week in Quebec corruption

With the summer recess of the Charbonneau Commission, it would be reasonable to assume that news on the corruption front would peter out over the next month or two, but alas this certainly isn't the case.
It seems that the Quebec Tax department has taken up the slack and charged two infamous and notorious titans of Quebec's construction industry with hundreds of charges of fraud.

Tony Accurso and the various companies that he once owned have been charged with over 900 criminal charges of cheating the department out of taxes and so it is looking to recoup over $8 million dollars. Link
And in an announcement just a couple of days later, the department charged Frank Catania and his companies with almost 1000 charges of fiscal fraud. Link

On Wednesday, the police executed 15 search warrants and questioned another 15 people in relation to another tax fraud investigation, so the process continues.....

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Mr. Dressup?

In a bizarre story, the interim mayor of Laval, Alexandre Duplessis, has resigned, but not over allegations that he was involved in some illegal campaign financing (that case remains under investigation) but rather the more traditional sex scandal.
It seems that the mayor got into a pay dispute with an escort and accused her of shaking him down. Link
The cheeky owner of the escort service hit back hard going on television claiming that the mayor stiffed the escort for payment for a private party that the mayor initiated wherein he and the escort engaged in a girls night of dress-up, where the order of the day was trying on female underwear and dresses and applying makeup. Yeechhh!!!!!!!!

Once that allegation hit the airwaves, it was all over but the crying.
As for the mayor's job....NEXT!!!

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By the way, UPAC, the corruption police have a new target on the radar scope, the city of Granby and the ruling party which is suspected of illegal campaign financing as well.

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In a weird turn of events, UPAC served a warrant on the Charbonneau Commission to seize the $700,000 that was turned over to it by a Laval political fixer. The money was seized via a warrant to preserve the chain of custody and will be used as evidence in future criminal prosecutions.

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"Trust me, I'm not under investigation!"

Questions are being raised about UPACs behavior in the investigation of Michael Applebaum.
Clearly he was under investigation while he was campaigning for the interim-mayoral position, yet the police said nothing even though they were pretty sure he'd be soon be arrested.

Now it would have been unethical to announce publicly that Applebaum was under serious investigation, but a leak to a friendly journalist would have saved the city a lot of embarrassment. Let us remember that Applebaum vehemently denied that he was the target of a police investigation in light of the raids conducted on his office by UPAC, clearly what he and UPAC knew to be a bold-faced lie.
The question remains as to whether UPAC had an obligation to somehow set the record straight about the raids in light of Applebaum's false statements.

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Swiss police claim they have wiretap evidence proving that SNC-Lavalin made millions of dollars in illegal payoffs  in relation to the awarding of the Montreal super hospital contract. Link{fr}.

Now French police are investigating another case of SNC-Lavalin illegal payoffs; 

"The paper said French police are looking into $13.5-million of suspected kickbacks to someone based in the United Arab Emirates. It said an external auditor first discovered the sum as an anomaly in SNC Europe’s books and that the money appeared to have nothing to do with the company’s European business." link

Quebec minister's demands are a 'bridge too far.'

Gaudrealt: "..Gimme dat ting!, Gimme dat ting!!"

If ever there was an award for political 'Chutzpah', Quebec Minister of Transportation Sylvain Gaudreault would win hands down for his rolls-Royce demands that Ottawa pay for a diamond-plated bridge to replace the crumbling Champlain span connecting Montreal to the south shore.

I'm not really sure why it falls to Ottawa to pay for a bridge that lies completely within Quebec's borders, but apparently it does.
At any rate Mr. Gaudreault sent a letter to his federal counterpart, Denis Lebel,  chock full of hilarious demands.

Now if you are one of those readers, furious at Quebec's sense of entitlement, I heartily suggest that you calm yourself before proceeding to the details, or alternately, skip ahead to the next story...

 First, Mr. Gaudreault explained that tolls were out of the question because they weren't equitable (and for the fact that Ottawa would get the money to pay for and maintain the bridge) because it penalized poor people and slowed traffic down. He wants Ottawa to pick up the $5 billion tab exclusively and without conditions.
The fact that Montreal's newest bridge connecting Laval to eastern Montreal is a private toll bridge, is of course of no never-mind.

Then Mr. Gaudreault demanded that the bridge include a light rail system of Quebec's choosing that Ottawa would, of course pay for as well.

And then, for the cherry on top, the Minister demands that the bridge be an expensive architectural gem, a symbol worthy of Montreal as an international city.
To whit, the minister demanded that an international competition between world renowned architects  be held in order to secure the most lavish and expensive vanity prize.
I wonder if the minister recalls the last great Montreal project built by a renowned 'international architect,' one Roger Taililbert.

The whole affair reminds of the family member who orders an expensive appetizer, and a pricey bottle of wine to accompany the five-pound lobster he ordered, just because it was an uncle picking up the tab at the family reunion at Gibby's.
For those unfamiliar with the Yiddish word Chutzpah, here's an English expression that aptly describes such behavior...'Unmitigated gall!'

"They don't build'em like they used to!

Now what really amazes me is the fact that the ministers involved seem perfectly comfortable with the ten-year plan to build the bridge.
TEN YEARS!!!!! ...you've got to be kidding!

It only took around thirteen years to build the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and that was 143 years ago!
That was without computers or even motor-driven vehicles or power tools!

The George Washington Bridge, the behemoth 14 lane masterpiece over the Hudson in New York, was built in four years, back in 1927, as was San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge, built also in four years starting in 1927.

And by the way, all these bridges remain highly functional today, the average age between them, about 100 years.
Our Champlain bridge in Montreal is but 52 years old and on life support.

Readers, I bet the Chinese could knock up a new Champlain Bridge in under  eighteen months, they built a 27 mile ocean bridge (seven times bigger than the proposed Champlain replacement) in about four years. Link

Think I'm kidding?
Watch the Chinese erect and complete a 30 story hotel in 15 days!

  

How long would it take to build here? One, two or three years?

PQ loses gun registry appeal in Quebec's highest court.

In a unanimous and brief judgment, the appeal court found Quebec has no say in what Ottawa does with data in the federal long-gun registry that is now defunct in every province and territory except Quebec.
“Quebec has no rights over the data,” Chief Justice Nicole Duval Hesler wrote on behalf of a five-judge appeal panel. “The data does not belong to the province, the provinces exercise no control over the data, it is the sole responsibility of the director of the registry – a federal civil servant – from the moment the data is collected until their destruction.”  Link

The PQ government reacted swiftly, promising to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court of Canada in a cynical and devious political manoeuvre where the inevitable loss would serve the PQ's purpose.

Readers, when you lose an appeals court verdict, 5-0, there's not much chance of succeeding in a higher court and the PQ knows it.
But it prefers and in fact is drooling for a loss in the Supreme Court rather than in it's very own Quebec Court of Appeal. Such is the politics of sovereigntist governance,

The Supremos must do us all a favour and quickly decide not to hear their case, making the gun registry loss a Quebec court issue.

If the Supreme Court foolishly decides to hear the appeal,  they are doing a disservice to the country and so I hope they quash the appeal as soon as possible.

Quebec City fretting about NHL franchise

It seems that the NHL's agreement with the city of Glendale, assuring that the Coyotes will be there for the foreseeable future has delivered a painful reality check to fans in Quebec City who were holding out hope that the franchise would be moved to their fair city.

PQ minister Agnès Maltais shared her disappointment with the Press but insisted that the new 'Field of Dreams' arena (build it and they will come) remains necessary with or with out an NHL LNH franchise.
That being said she deftly handed off responsibility to Quebec city Mayor Regis Lebeaume, calling it his baby, just in case the worst happens.

The palpable disappointment has some local writers and sportcasters musing that Quebec doesn't have what it takes to be an NHL franchise, with fans that are too poor to pay NHL ticket prices and little in the way of corporate sponsorship. Listen to a radio show in French
By the way, listening to the show you might be inclined to believe that commentator read my piece published the week before entitled: PQ & Péladeau Holding Back NHL Franchise in Quebec. 

But the truth is that Quebec is the most viable market available to the NHL, hands down, as long as the Toronto Maple Leafs assert their territorial rights to block expansion to Hamilton.

At any rate, the news of the Coyotes agreement set off a wave of disappointment high lighted by this ad placed in Kijiji, offering the new arena for rent.....

Odds'n Ends

A reader sent in this email and asks if anybody else has had the same experience.

"In 2011 I moved the headquarters of my federal corporation from Montreal to out of province. Almost like clockwork, 1 month after the PQ took power, we received a letter from Revenue Quebec stating that they are considering us a "compagnie mondiale" and are asking for an addition 2% on all our source deductions back to 2008. We called and explained that we simply moved to another part of Canada, but they said that since we didn't answer within 10 days, their decision was final (it takes letters approximately 10 days to reach me from Montreal). We have since spoken to them and they are willing to accept summaries of our federal T4's which we need to produce by Friday. I am wondering if this is blatant harassment of companies that leave Quebec and I wonder if it is more widespread. Have you heard anything about this from your readers? Could be an interesting story."

Joke of the Week
 "For those who haven't heard, Washington State just passed two landmark laws: "Gay marriage" & the "Legalization of marijuana".
 The fact that gay marriage and marijuana were legalized on the same day makes perfect biblical sense because Leviticus 20:13 says: "If a man lies with another man they should be stoned."
(S/O to Judy)
 
The rehabilitation of Quebec’s Maurice Duplessis

"To listen to the apologists of the Quiet Revolution, Quebeckers under Duplessis lived a benighted existence under the thumb of the Catholic Church, denied the economic opportunity available to other Canadians, and particularly to their neighbours in prosperous Ontario. ".......
......The historical record, as set out in Mr. Geloso’s book and other recent works, says otherwise. Duplessis’s was an era of unprecedented expansion of the economy and public services, closing the gap with Ontario at a rapid clip." Read a fascinating article in the Globe and Mail

BTW (By the Way) Two new acronyms for this blog... S/O "Shout out"   P/W 'Paywall'

Here's an interesting ad;

'Moving Day' replaces 'Canada Day' in Quebec Best Buy ad

 Quebecers work almost three weeks less a year than Ontarians. Link{fr}

Poll: Quebec 'worst managed,' 'least friendly';

Read the complete survey results here

What's wrong with this picture?

I was watching an episode of 'Magic City,' a television series surrounding Miami Beach circa 1959, featuring the trials and tribulations of a Jewish hotel owner, backed by the mob.
In this episode, that is accurately dated by its storyline which includes Castro taking over Havana and closing the casinos, a view of the front of the hotel had me scratching my head.
Can you identify the gaffe?

Montreal Canadiens sign  francophone has-been.

I wrote this over a year and a half ago, the fact that Canadiens are having trouble attracting talent, especially francophone Quebecers.

"This coupled with the strange fact that francophone stars eschew Montreal as well, ensures that the team is on a downward spiral, sucked into a linguistic black hole, never to escape....
.....Agents of star players will cross off Montreal from the list of acceptable destinations and so the Canadiens will choose from has-beens, also-rans and aging veterans closing out their career. Its already happened, but no one will admit it."  Language Flap Damages Canadiens Brand 

And so the Canadiens signed Daniel Briere, the very same player who rejected Montreal out of hand when he was a hot property six years ago, enraging fans who have booed him on every visit to Montreal.

No doubt there will be joy in Mudville tonight, but lets us remember that after a disastrous season, Briere was bought out and tossed aside by Philadelphia Flyers like a bad burrito.
All I can say about the Canadiens signing him is summed up in the line that got by Sean Avery dumped from the New York Ranger...."Sloppy Seconds'

How did the signing go over ?
Well the language militants are thrilled to repatriate and a francophone to the team, but hockey fans are not so impressed.
Read the vicious comments below a story on the signing in La Presse, entitled Six Years Later. Ouch!!


Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks, especially for beating the Bruins!

CLICK HERE if you'd like to see more Ice Girls!

Have a great weekend

Bonne fin de semaine

Quebec's New Ayatollahs

The debate currently raging in Quebec over the the government's role in the regulation of religion, is actually the direct result of Quebec's grand failure to understand or manage its language and immigration policy.

The province and its native francophone population finds itself in the uncomfortable situation of needing  immigrants to fill the void caused by a falling birthrate, yet cannot abide by those immigrants who are welcomed, but who fail to fully adopt the language, mores, values and convention of the host state.
It isn't a problem indigenous to Quebec, all western societies face the very same problem to varying degrees, but in Quebec the problem of assimilation is exacerbated by the choice of two competing cultures,

The spectre of the disastrous European immigration experiment looms large over the debate and Quebecers look with trepidation at the rise of Islam in Europe and the perceived threat of a growing community seen as disloyal, distinct and dangerous.

It's a nasty conundrum, Quebec needs immigrants, but doesn't like the ones who are accepted, specifically Muslims, who are seen as a threat to social cohesion.
I won't get into the immigration question here, except to say that in choosing immigrants based on language, Quebec has boxed itself into a corner. By trying to fix its language problem through selective immigration, where French speakers are selected before more qualified immigrants, Quebec may do itself more harm then good.

It's a Catch-22 where it seems that Quebec cannot solve its language situation without affecting its social situation. As they say, Damned if you do, or damned if you don't.

Since the political decision to continue accepting these French speaking immigrants seems to over-ride social and economic issues, it falls to suppression of faith as the only manner to stem and reverse the perceived tide of the 'Islamization' of Quebec.
While any such effect, if it exists at all, is vastly overblown, the perceived notion or urban myth that Muslims are a threat, is something militants and the PQ are determined to face-off against.

And so Quebec is taking its lead from France, where the Muslim population has reach over 10% of the population and where their large urban pockets amplifies the community's influence in many key cities.
In France (as in many European countries), it isn't a case of turning off the spigot of immigration, the Muslims are already installed in large enough to 'pose a problem'
The problem is not that they are Muslim, but that a significant number of them are religiously observant and whose many core beliefs are at odds with the principles of French society. Where those principles clash, (like the equality of men and women), the orthodox Muslims are (or are perceived) to be unbending and therein lies the rub.

And so France is imposing a solution in which it is attempting to damper the zeal of observant Muslim by edict. By banning traditional garb in public, the government sends a clear and unambiguous message, that observant Muslims are not welcome in France and as these restrictive rules are promulgated, those who are observant are forced to abandon their orthodoxy or go underground. To ordinary Frenchman the first solution is preferable, but the second acceptable.

All these measures are justified by the notion of separation of Church and state, a concept that harks back to the American Bill of Rights of 1791, an act amending the United States Declaration of Independence, which was a keystone in advancing and codifying the concept of the government staying out of the religion business.

 It fell to Thomas Jefferson to expand on the concept in a letter he wrote to the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut, in1802, a part of which is reproduced below.

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."
-Thomas Jefferson

It is important to note that while modern politicians in France and Quebec reference the concept of the separation of Church and State, they fail to understand or deliberately misinterpret exactly what is or should be implicit in that policy, that is, that outside government people are free to choose what and how to believe.
While the state may act neutral in its position on religion, banning individuals from expressing their beliefs in public, is a direct violation of the covenant of the separation of Church and State.

Today the anti-religion Ayatollahs of Quebec seek to pervert the concept of separation of Church and State in order to banish religion from all walks of public life, using the state to bludgeon the faith out of the observant by means of restrictive regulations based on contrived and fitted rules that hold that any contact with the state must be sanitized from religion in the name of separation. 

In a society like Quebec where the State contols our education system from daycare to post-secondary education, our entire health system, our political system and where one-thid of workers are in the direct or indirect employ of  the government, enforcing such limitations is a direct attack of the right to practice one's faith free from state interference.

The new anti-religious Ayatollahs in the PQ and the Francophone Press make no bones about their visceral hatred of religion and openly admit that they want religion out of the lives of Quebecers, largely because they see it as a competing force for the alter-religion that they themselves promote, that of sovereignty.

It was with some amusement tinged with sadness that I watched a television advertisement paid for by the Quebec government promoting tolerance towards gays and lesbians.
It seems that in its wisdom the government believes the general population needs to be more accepting towards gays and lesbians,( a good idea) all the while asking the public to be intolerant towards other minorities, those who are religiously observant.

In one such commercial, two men openly kiss in the arrivals area of the airport while the announcer challenges viewers who feel uncomfortable with the scene.
I wonder if the government would dare run the same advertisement featuring a Hasid family or a man wearing a turban or Hijab clad women, again asking for the public to modify its perception.....Fat chance of that!

In Quebec, led by the PQ and the anti-religious Ayatollahs in the Press, a campaign of  'salisage' is underfoot, meant to discredit and humiliate the religiously observant, based on the idea that these people are social misfits, out of tune and step with society in general and thus a threat to good order (read: the march towards Independence) .

How else could this drivel ever find its way into the main press.

"For an immigrant, a good way to integrate is to respect the customs of the host society. This obviously implies greater discretion in expressing his beliefs in public spaces that come as contrasted with it. This is nothing but a sign of respect to the host society. -Mathieu Bock-Coté Link{fr}{PW}

"Ostentatious religious symbols are not primarily a sign faith. If that were the case, the signs could be discreet. Rather they meant to have a political impact.  They are a provocative and formalized declaration of a refusal to integrate. It is a showdown by those who wish to break the host society and force it to capitulate. -Mathieu Bock-Coté   link-{fr}{PW}

I'd expect a statement like this from the religious police in Saudi Arabia or Iran, certainly not in any North American context.

In an article by journalist Richard Martineau he calls the turban affair a victory for 'Extremists' a term that is shocking by its connotation. The idea that these Sikhs are a somehow  dangerous and violent fifth column, based solely on religious garb, can only be described as racist.
Pardon my ignorance, but my interpretation of an extremist in the religious context, is someone who resorts to violence or terrorism to further their ends.
I'd hardly characterize our local turban-wearing Sikhs as extremists, nor would I characterize a Quebecer wearing a kippah, or a women wearing a Hijab as such.
It seems that hate and intolerance is alive and well in the PQ and their trusted media dogs.

So I'm not uncomfortable calling these haters, Ayatollahs.

They emulate the very worst traits of the religious bosses in Iran and Saudi Arabia where not conforming to state-mandated standards is a punishable act under the law.
We're not far from that in Quebec, if ever the PQ pass their Quebec values legislation, banning religious regalia in public.
Let's go back to something else the illustrious Thomas Jefferson said in regards to the religious affinity of others;

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

This goes to the essential debate, in other words what is the big deal about a turban on the soccer field, a kippah worn by a doctor, or a scarf worn by a cashier at the license bureau?

There are many things we don't like or agree with in life, be it rock music, punkism, religious orthodoxy, country music, rock music, left or right wing politicians etc. etc.
Is it reasonable to suppress a concept, a lifestyle, a political opinion or a religious persuasion based only on the fact that the majority is against it?

That is exactly what the Ayatollahs of Quebec, Iran and Saudi Arabia are telling us.

Conform or get the Hell out....

Howard Galganov's Misguided Rally of Rage

I didn't really plan on writing this piece, because many good people have made a great effort in attempting to organize a rally that they believe will shock anglophones into action in defense of their language, their freedom, their religion and their way of life.
But inviting Howard Galganov, the infamous firebrand who will lob his personal version of fire and brimstone, taking no prisoners and pulling no punches, is just plain and simple, a strategic mistake.

I like Howard Galganov for his passion and his patriotism, but politics is the art of getting things done and he's has chosen a dead end path that has no chance of success and every chance of exacerbating our situation.

I actually believe in most of the things he does, yet I'm mature enough to realize that baiting those who opposes us with vitriolic and hateful speech, meant to enrage, hasn't the proverbial snowball's chance in Hell of resulting in any tangible improvement in our current language situation.

I'm reminded of a scene in the "Untouchables' movie, when some dubious methods are employed by good cops to elicit a bad guy to talk.

For those who missed it, Sean Connery's character, in an attempt to get a closed mouth villain to talk, shoots an already dead villain  (unbeknownst to those on the other side of the window) demonstrating that he will go to all ends to get his way, even murder.
The crook soils himself in fear and sings like a canary, but the Canadian Mountie, cooperating with the FBI, is not amused and delivers one of my favorite movie lines of all time.

"MR. NESS I not approve of your methods!"

So too, gentle readers, I don't approve of Howard's methods, even though I believe in the principle he advances.
I've written before about his methods which in this humble blogger's opinion are too clever by half .
Read:
Revenge of the Galganov!
Howard Galganov- The Empire Strikes Back!

And so Howard will have his moment, he will call Quebecers and the Quebec government an evil naziesque entity, get his news blurb which will only convince Quebecers in the middle of the road and perhaps reachable, that the anglo rights movement is populated by unreasonable, angry and dangerous fanatics.

I'll pass.

Here's a letter I received on the subject from a reader, whose effort deserves to be published.

"As we gird for Mr. Howard Galganov’s next planned spectacle June 30th in Montreal, it is clear from the vitriol on social media and elsewhere that the suggestion that many in Montreal’s growing bilingual community who are less than enthusiastic about his return, are being miscast as somehow anti-Canadian or anti-anglo.

Far from it.

In the face of regressive language restrictions embodied in the upcoming Bill 14, and while we understand the importance of visibility on this issue, these ends should not come at any price. And most reasonable Quebecers - French, English or Allophone alike would consider a Galganov event a price too dear to pay.

In fact, it’s fair to say it would be difficult to imagine a more divisive figure and one more potentially damaging to the movement than Howard Galganov. His public statements, the vitriol with which he dismisses Quebec as a legitimate member and co-founder of the Canadian confederation and his decided location outside of the province, puts him in the unique position of possibly being the very worst representatives of Montreal anglophones or unity in general.

As we now see the promotional materials for Mr. Galganov’s rally being distributed, we are at once turned off by the imagery and frightened at what they suggest to be attitudes of anglo Montrealers or anyone who self-identifies as Canadian here in Quebec. We have come a very long way in the nearly two decades since the last referendum, but unfortunately it seems that Mr. Galganov hasn’t. While we would have hoped that his tack would have evolved to reflect the better wisdom of maturity, and even a cognizance and respect of the changing identities of all the people of this province, here he is once again, being “that angry guy”, at a time when Montreal and the province of Quebec least needs or deserves it.

In the very first line of the press release, Mr. Galganov states on our behalf “We are Canadians. We are not Quebecois” with the accompanying image of a Fleur de Lys being tattered and torn in the storming gale of his megaphone.

Clearly this isn’t just about a language rights fight anymore, but quite overtly an anti-Quebec rally. If there was one sure fire way to be certain that not a single legitimizing francophone would show up, this was it. How terribly, terribly sad that what might have been a clearly messaged stand against an unfair law (which a great many francophone Quebecers feel Bill 14 is), is dumbed down and turned negative at the hands of the guy with some money and clearly too much time on his hands.

At certain points along the path to a goal, be it protecting basic constitutional rights or nurturing a spirit of mutual celebration in place of enforcement, the players will naturally change as the movement becomes more inclusive and nuanced. While when it comes to language rights and the positive progression of Montreal to the promising bilingual city by the hill that it can be, unity is critical. However unity it comes not of a mere desire to have it, but as a bi-product of a truly inclusive, respectful and indeed visionary platform and cast of characters around which to unite.

Clearly, our complex collective of shared and overlapping identities as at once Canadians, Quebecers and Montrealers, however fragile, has come a very long way since 1995. One could go so far as to say that the last decade has represented our best example of a pax linguistica, coming to a head in the firm rejection of the Bloq Quebecois and overwhelming support of a true federalist voice of opposition in Ottawa. Further strong evidence is found in the Anglophone community, where bilingualism is the standard, and where the idea of being a Quebecer is no longer anathema to being proudly Canadian. This is the unique identity of the vast majority of not just anglo Montrealers, but Francophones and Allophones alike.

The sad irony in all of this is that if Quebec were finally cede (whatever the legalities), the blood of that amputation will be as much on the hands of likes of Howard Galganov as those of Mario Beaulieu, Pauline Marois and the unilingualist drones in the Parti Quebecois.

We hope with our growing collective hearts and spirit that true leaders will emerge to help us all move in a new direction that welcomes a more resonantly common vision for Quebec and Montreal.

In united bilingualism,
MB-BM"

I know my position may be a disappointment to some, but in a free and democratic society, even those on the same side have differing opinions as to how to advance the same principles.

17 year-Old Girl Shows up Entire Anglo Community as Cowards

“It's becoming too restrictive.”

If there is anything that extremists and extremist movements cannot tolerate, it is the cruel spotlight of publicity and up to now, the English and Ethnic community has been cowered and afraid to expose the cruel and excessive force displayed by French language militants and the OQLF.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and yet with all the thousands of inspections by OQLF thugs who employ intimidation and threats to subdue their targets, nobody has had the guts to film or record the encounter and publicly expose the truth about language intimidation.

Shame on us all.

It fell to a young part-time grocery employee, Meaghan Moran, to record a conversation with her boss, who demanded that she cease speaking English on her breaks with other English employees, or anywhere else while on the premises.
The bilingual young lady had no problem speaking with customers and other francophone employees in French, but drew the line at being forced to speak French to English customers and co-workers .

She then turned over the recording to the media who ran with the ball.
If you speak French, listen to the rough ride  the bosses give the young lady over French. The later denial by the store owner tht the girl was never ordered not to speak English is nonsenses. By the way, the two bosses outright lie about the law;

"All she wanted was a part-time job, but what a South Shore teenager got was a hard lesson about language in Quebec.
Meaghan Moran, 17, got a job working at an IGA on Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier Blvd. in Saint-Lambert. She was told that she didn't have the right to speak English at the store.
A fluently bilingual Anglophone, she told CTV Montreal she picked up on some language tension one day.

 “One of the guys I was working with is English and I knew him and he said, ‘No, talk to me in French because we're not allowed speaking English on the floor,” she said, adding that she quickly heard what her friend and ex-employee Alex Caldwell knew: employees don't feel comfortable speaking English anywhere in the store.

“I was warned by a friend in the lunchroom to watch what I say and keep my English down, because the management didn't like it and she got a warning,” said Caldwell.
That didn’t sit well with Moran.
“It's just about the principle. You should be able to speak whatever you like. I understand if they want to impose (some rules) -- I'm not going to talk to clients in English, I would talk to them in French -- but if I want to talk to my friend on my break in English, I should be allowed,” she said. “It's becoming too restrictive.” Watch a video report and read the story at CTV

The OQLF, sensing another public relations disaster,  immediately responded that the assertion that English could be banned was false.

And so like David facing off against Goliath, it took a 17 year old girl to show us all up as the gutless and spineless toads that we are.
Yes I said it.

The fact that we are collectively too afraid to record incidents between the OQLF and ourselves, in fear of retribution, speaks to the lack of resolve that our community displays in defense of our rights.

I hear it often enough from businesses and bosses.
"Ooh, we're afraid of the legal costs, afraid of a boycott by francophone customers and  afraid of the fines."

So we suck it up and take it up the rear end.....Again, sorry to be graphic, but Meaghan dished out  a monumental lesson in civics.

Without sacrifice and commitment, evil cannot be overcome.
Our English community has for too long rolled over and played dead because it was just too damn inconvenient to fight.

If we are to protect English  language rights in Quebec we are going to have to do so ourselves.
Truth be told, the OQLF and language militants are paper tigers, we've seen them cave whenever real pressure has been applied.

I am hopeful that a young, brave girl can inspire us to resist, otherwise, let's turn out the lights on English as a respected and essential part of Quebec life.

********************  UPDATE ********************

After initially denying that Meghan was ordered not to speak English and that the matter was closed, the owner of the IGA has been forced to rethink her position.

Meghan has contacted  the Quebec Human Rights Commission with a view to laying a complaint.

The bad publicity and the damning recording has got Soebys, the owner of the franchise involved, ordering the franchisee to get into full damage control mode and end this thing before further damage is done.

"Our relationships with our franchisees are on a one-to-one basis, and we will deal with Madame Ménard in the appropriate fashion, within the context of our contractual relationship with her." Marc Poulin, CEO  Link

Sounds Madame Menard is in for a first class ass-kicking!

And so the manager on the tape has been suspended and it won't be long before a humbling public apology is offered. Link

Another ex-employee has come out and confirmed that she was fired for speaking English and so it is time to offer a settlement in order to put this thing to bed, as the bad publicity in having this case heard at the Human Rights Tribunal will be traumatic for the company, sure to lose anyways.

At any rate the decision is out of the hands of the franchisee, as the reputation of the entire IGA is at stake.

I predict this thing will be settled quietly by the weekend, with a cash payment and a non-disclosure agreement.

I think $20,000 is appropriate.

But you never know, Meaghan might hold out for a better offer or milk the publicity for all it's worth! 

********************  UPDATE #2  *******************

The story has finally crossed over to the French press, which can no longer ignore the growing firestorm.

'About 50 Anglophones demonstrated outside an IGA in Saint-Lambert on the South Shore, to demand respect for their language on Friday night. This effort follows a linguistic conflict that shook the business community on  Sir Wilfrid Laurier Boulevard these last few days." Link

 

Listen to this:

Letter to Quebec's Language Police

Dear OQLF,

You are my last hope, business is down and I'm not sure I can make it through the summer.

My store sells sports equipment and clothing and it is harder and harder to compete with the big box American retailers, unfair competitors who have set out to overwhelm and conquer Quebec merchants like myself, using their massive buying power to undersell and by offering an unfair selection that in no way can I duplicate.

I've written to the department of Industry in the hope that they could limit competition or fix prices as they do in the dairy industry.
When I suggested that minimum prices be enforced on important items like running shoes or hockey sticks, they told me that they couldn't or wouldn't do anything because these products aren't manufactured in Quebec,
They did say that in order to qualify for any 'price protection' like the proposed minimum price for French books, it would have to be a question of 'national importance', whatever that means.

I also asked why no law is being proposed to keep all these damn foreign retailers out of our province as they are gobbling up our Quebecois business at an alarming rate, sucking out profits that should deservedly stay here.

The agriculture minister has bravely proposed a new law limiting those creepy Chinese from buying up our farmland, so why not sports retailers too?

How come the government acts selectively,  as in the case of 'Rona Hardware,' where it wisely interfered to keep 'Lowes' from snatching this Quebecois pearl, but it does nothing for the little guys like me.

Are we chopped liver?

I asked for relief from the tax department, help from the economic development department, etc.etc. All to no avail, so you are my last hope.

I read with interest those media stories about the OQLF forbidding certain products in certain stores which caused quite the media storm, like in the case of 'pastagate,' and now 'spoongate.'
What a fantastic boon to these businesses as the outpouring of support translated to big bucks in new business .

So I'm begging you, esteemed OQLF, please raid my establishment and find me guilty of some offenses and if it isn't too much trouble, can you lay a complaint over something ridiculous or trivial, something that can capture the imagination of journalists.

I've gone out of the way to provide you ample reason to raid visit my premises and I've even gone so far as to submit my own complaints.

I hope they violate your sense of justice and that you make the right decision to put an end to my tomfoolery in presenting stuff in my store that is clearly offensive to sensibilities of all good francophones.

If it isn't too much to ask, could you provide me with one of your nastier inspectors so that the effect of the raid will be amplified.

And one last thing, a request that I understand will be very hard to fulfill.

Could you come this week?

Yours truly,
John Q. Merchant

French versus English Volume 87

This week in Quebec corruption

It was of course a monumental week with the police arresting the interim mayor of Montreal Michael Applebaum and ex-city councilor Sollie Zajdel (who actually ran under the Conservative banner in the last federal election) for allegedly accepting bribes to effect zoning changes.
Both men have professed their innocence, but alas, it doesn't look good as the police seem to have a squealer in hand.
The story has gone viral and has again put Montreal and Quebec on the world map for all the wrong reasons;

New York Times
Wall Street Journal
CBS News -Montreal's interim mayor Michael Applebaum arrested on fraud charges
CNN -Montreal's interim mayor arrested on fraud charges
Le Monde -Au Québec, un vaste système de corruption mis au jour
From Denmar -Borgmester anholdt i sag om korruption
From Russia -Как мэр Монреаля стал мафией
From Israel -  מונטריאול: ראש העיר היהודי נעצר בחשד לשחיתות - חדשות - בחדרי חרדים
From Mexico - El alcalde de Montreal es detenido por corrupción el primer año de mandato
From Italy - Il sindaco di Montreal è stato arrestato

You get the idea.....

Overshadowed is the news that three Montreal police officers were suspended in relation to a possible fraud over a security contract for the Montreal Police HQ, where a company with dubious provenance was awarded the contract under less than kosher circumstances.

"Montreal La Presse reported that the investigation is related to a contract handed to the now-defunct BCIA firm for surveillance at police headquarters. That contract was handed out by the force's former administration.
Ex-chief Yvan Delorme, who unexpectedly resigned in 2010, has said there might have been "administrative errors" in the awarding of the contract but that they were committed in good faith." Link

In the meantime, the federal Competition Bureau is investigating whether price-fixing has been going on by Quebec companies involved with the production, of all things, lampposts. Link

Shout out to Tim C for the pic

And in what only can be termed 'hilarious' testimony at the Charbonneau Commission, ex-Laval City manager, Claude Asselin pulled a Sgt. Shultz;

"He said it was common knowledge that there was collusion but he didn't do anything to stop it. Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt decided which construction company got contracts with the city and Asselin respected his authority, he said.
But commission chair France Charbonneau didn't seem to buy his explanations.
"It's hard to understand how a general manager who was in charge can say there was collusion yet didn't do anything about it," she said. Link

In negotiation for amnesty for himself, a corrupt fundraiser, Pierre Lambert turned over more than $700,000 in cash to police. The cash, a slush fund that belonged to the crooks that ran the city of Laval was stored in a mini-warehouse.

The part I found interesting was the $1,000 bills found in the plastic bag in the top left position.
The 'Pinkie' as it was then affectionately known as, actually went out of circulation back in 1990, replaced by a newer bill which also went out of circulation in 2001, the government rightly concluding that the bills served the interests of crime.
These bills were used widely in the construction industry to settle large debts and to transfer wealth abroad to tax-haven banks. The above picture is proof that they continue to be used to this day.
As for drug dealers and other criminals, the bills were never that popular because they couldn't be easily spent or readily deposited in local banks without raising questions.

All this to say, that twenty-three years after the bills were removed from circulation, they are still being used to crookedly transfer wealth.
By the way, there remains in circulation over one billion dollars worth of these bills, most in the employ of tax dodgers and crooks.
I'm pretty sure that Fintrac, the agency tracking loose money has the banks on the lookout for these bills, with reporting mandatory for anyone trying to deposit one.
It makes for an interesting scenario, where the bills cannot be easily cashed, yet remain common currency in the underground and illegal market.

Pq hits a new popularity low

"There is not a single positive element for the PQ government to take away from the latest CROP poll.

Published in this morning's La Presse, 70% of respondents say they are not satisfied with the government's performance to date.
Part of the problem may be the leader.
Only 11% of respondents see Pauline Marois as the best candidate for  Premier, compared to 26% per cent for Liberal leader Philippe Couillard and 17% for Francois Legault of the CAQ. Read more

According to the La Presse story;

"A problem of leadership or leader? The question remains.  
Only 11% of people see Pauline Marois the best candidate for the post of Premier, slipping five points in a month - and a steady decline since the beginning of the year. Only 51% of PQ voters see Marois as the best person for the post of prime minister. "

Philippe Couillard, who arrived this spring, is down by two points - 28 to 26%. François Legault, more present in the media in recent weeks, gaining three points to 17%. Françoise David made a good showing, her personal support rising from 6 to 9%.

Voting intentions in June did move much from the previous month. The Parti Quebecois (PQ) remains at 25%, the Liberal Party (PLQ) and the Coalition Future (CAQ) are treading water with, respectively, 38% and 22% of voting intentions. Québec solidaire is up one point to 11%.

According to the pollster, these results predict a comfortable victory for the Liberal Party of Quebec, "probably the majority." Link{fr}

Jean-Martin Aussant steps down as head of Option Nationale

The Editor calls "BULLSHIT"

"The founder and leader of Quebec's pro-sovereignty party Option Nationale is quitting politics.
Jean-Martin Aussant made the announcement Wednesday morning, saying the struggle to run a fledgling party and raise twin two-year-olds is just too much.
He clearly found the decision heartbreaking, and as he read his statement broke into tears, thanking the 80,000 people -- 2 per cent of the vote -- who voted for Option Nationale and thanked his wife for her support.
"It's more sadness than frustration. Polls still show that about 40 per cent of Quebecers are in favour of sovereignty and the largest party doesn't really talk about it," said Aussant. Link

Readers, I haven't heard such a bullshit excuse since Frank Zampino called a news conference to resign his position as deputy mayor of Montreal, in the middle of his mandate. He told reporters this cockamamie story;
"My intentions are to take a step back, and spend the next few months to consider the opportunities that could emerge in the private sector," Zampino told reporters at a news conference at city hall."

Not one reporter called Zampino out on what his real motives were.
The same for Jean-Martin Aussant, who claims he is leaving his job as leader for family reasons.
Another crock.
I don't know why Jean-Martin Aussant, is leaving, I've got no contacts on the separatist side to spill the beans, but he is either;

• Burnt out and dejected.
• Facing a health or scandal issue.
• Already committed to a new job.

Or perhaps, it may be that Pauline Marois has promised him a secure job, to get him out of the way, just like Gilles Duceppe.
Does a committed father of twins really leave a secure job just like that without having something lined up?
Look for a well deserved summer vacation for a month or two, followed by the announcement that to nobody's surprise, Aussant has 'found' a new position.
Care to bet a two/four?

 Turban war leaves bitter taste for losers

I must say that even I was a bit surprised at the rage expressed by certain francophone journalists over the  turbangate affair where the most extreme anti-religion sentiments were expressed in response to a humiliating defeat for Quebec public secularism.

Réjean Tremblay -Journal de Montreal- "It's evident that English Canada is taking advantage of another occasion to vomit on Quebec" Link{fr}

Richard Martineau  -Journal de Montreal- "Extremists Win"  Link{fr}

Joseph Facal  -Journal de Montreal- "FIFA -Incoherent and afraid"  Link{fr}

The level of anti-religion venom spouted was surprising and leaves one to wonder exactly who the real fundamentalists are.
By the way, detractors of this blog often point out the comments section as a hotbed of anti- Quebec hate.
Check out the comments under the Martineau article, this in a mainstream newspaper.

And according to Don Don Macpherson of the Montreal Gazette; 

The soccer turban controversy: It started with a lie.
When the Fédération de soccer du Québec announced on Saturday that it was lifting its ban on players wearing the turban, it said it was because the sport’s international governing body, FIFA, had decided only the day before to allow the Sikh religious head covering.
That’s not true.
A Radio-Canada television report on Saturday evening showed documents proving that the Quebec soccer federation knew as early as last September that FIFA allowed the turban.
That’s when the Canadian Soccer Association sent the FSQ and other provincial  associations a letter informing them that the international governing body had decided to allow the turban.
So FIFA’s statement of Friday simply reiterated a position it had already taken nine months earlier.
And in the Radio-Canada report, the Quebec federation’s director-general, Brigitte Frot, made a damning admission.
She said the federation’s board of directors “heard of” FIFA’s position in the letter from the CSA, the sport’s governing body in Canada, in which it ordered the provincial associations to allow the turban.  Read the rest of the story

Thanks to many readers for the story.

PQ proposes law to battle imaginary urban myth

Well perhaps it isn't an urban myth, but rather a rural myth, the one that is circulating around Quebec that says that foreigners, especially the fearful Chinese, are buying up Quebec farmland for speculative purposes.

The xenophobic PQ minister of Agriculture, François Gendron, is so concerned that he's proposing a law to block the sales, EVEN THOUGH HE ADMITS THAT THE PRACTICE ISN'T TRUE, the whole story, nothing but a myth.
He told TV interviewer Mario Dumont, that even though it isn't true that foreigners are buying up farmland in any significant amount, the fear that they are, must be addressed.
I kid you not.
This idiot is actually proposing a law to ban something that is not happening, because some fools believe it is.

"(translation) "Mr. Gendron acknowledged that the phenomenon is relatively marginal, but his goal is to ensure that agriculture remains in the hands of Quebec."

"One thing that's for sure, I'd rather take preventative action than propose a cure later on," he said during a press briefing at the National Assembly, after the filing of the bill. Link{fr}

The amount of hectares of farmland that is actually bought each year by foreigners is about 2,000, which may sound like a lot but is actually insignificant considering that Quebec has 3,500,000 hectares of farmland with about 1,000,000 unused anyways.
And so the yearly foreign purchases represent about .02% of farmland not in use.

Let me summarize this story as follows;
(Paranoia + Xenophobia) x Idiocy = PQ

What's next?...An anti-Zombie law?

French in Burlington, Vt.=Good

English in Montreal, Qc=Bad

The Journal de Montreal ran a gushing article on the City of Burlington, Vermont, which is making an effort to make Quebecers welcome by adding French to signage.

"Vermont wants to say "Hello" to more Quebec tourists by displaying more French in one of its busiest border towns.
Following the adoption of a motion of "French friendship" by the Burlington City Council, the French Alliance has installed about 700 stickers on parking meters downtown during the weekend explaining their operation in French and English, reported television station WCAX. 

It is a way to welcome visitors arriving from Quebec, just across the border. Link{fr}

Hmmm. I wonder what the reaction of the newspaper would be if the story would be reversed?
"Quebec wants to say "Hello" to more Vermont tourists by displaying more English"

Weekend reading;

"But it seems we've ignored a silent threat tucked into the bill for too long: an extra two months a year for Canadian snowbirds to hang out in South Florida.
That's right, America. If the Senate has its way, those Quebecois bikers flooding your favorite beachside tiki bar with their poutine and their Fin Du Monde will be allowed to stay up to eight months at a time in the U.S.
 Read more  - The Silent Threat: Canadian Snowbirds 


"Angry Ontario truckers will block part of the Champlain Bridge on Thursday morning to highlight their frustration over the presence of Quebec construction workers on this side of the provincial border. Link

McGill University obliterated its goal of a $750-million fundraising campaign and succeeded in raising more than $1 billion over the last nine years to boost support to students and research — a historic achievement for the university and the most raised by a Canadian university in that amount of time. Link

Have a laugh...

Many readers of this blog are polyglots (like me), able to speak three or more languages.
I bet we're all proud of our abilities, that is until we compare ourselves to this guy;

... Count the traffic violations

By the way, since Quebec has decided to exclude anything non-French from the provincial celebratory day, I shall roundly ignore the holiday.

Read: St. Jean Baptiste Day, Time To Get Out Of Town 

Have a great weekend.

Bonne fin de Semaine

UPAC Leads Quebec Out of Corruption Wilderness

I wasn't surprised at the reaction to Monday's blog piece where I told readers that Quebec was well on the road to becoming the least corrupt province in the country.
Admittedly, it was a bold prediction that few are willing to entertain in these dark days of humiliating revelations and arrests of politicians in high places.

It's understandable that going from the most corrupt to the least corrupt province is a concept hard to wrap one's head around, but like the Montreal Canadiens who went from last place to first place in their NHL division, sometimes change happens virtually overnight.

There isn't any doubt that Quebecers have lived under the jackboot of systemic corruption ever since the Duplessis years and so it's hard to fathom that we can make such a fundamental shift so quickly, but we can, and sometimes change can only occur through a sudden and profound paradigm shift.

For those who believe that Quebecers are too complacent to demand an end to corruption I can only say that it is no longer the case.
Premier Jean Charest was forced into calling the Charbonneau Commission not because of pressure from the opposition parties but by regular voters and most importantly, members of his own constituency.

The public clamored for action and the government had absolutely no option but to acquiesce. When revelations about corruption surfaced in the Montreal suburb of Mascouche implicating the mayor, regular citizens invaded city hall and forced out of office what was a recalcitrant and stubborn mayor Richard Marcotte.
Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay was drummed out of office by public pressure as was the Mayor of Laval.
Every single mayor and town council in the province is under the strictest scrutiny by an energized public which has discovered that they can demand transparency and effect change.

Leading the charge is UPAC(Unité permanente anticorruption), the special police unit formed by the Charest government to root out  corruption on any level. Styled after the New York City anti-corruption unit, the Department of Investigation, UPAC employs 200 people and enjoys a budget of 30 million dollars a year.
After just two years, the unit has already taken down over 100 crooks, from politicians to construction magnates to professionals, politicians and public servants.
These results have been nothing less than spectacular and like shooting fish in a barrel, the unit has arrested and charged so many that heads are spinning.
It seems that these thieves were so blasé about stealing that they didn't even bother hiding their tracks effectively.
And so they fall like dominoes, bewildered and befuddled that their house of corruption has finally been brought down.

The  utter contempt that UPAC displays for those they catch was manifestly displayed at the humiliating arrest accorded to Quebec's most powerful mayor, Michael Applebaum. It speaks to the confidence that UPAC has in itself and speaks to the support that the public has for the work it is conducting.
In fact UPAC toyed with Applebaum, privately letting  him know that an arrest was imminent. He was clearly out of sorts in the days leading up to his arrest, in fact giving a disjointed and convoluted speech days ahead of his arrest.

It has sent a frightening signal to those not yet caught, underlining clearly that their time is soon up and that justice is coming for them in the not too distant future in the form of a humiliating knock on the door at six in the morning.
I can imagine that a lot of crooks are sleeping rather poorly these days.

I am reliably informed that there is a parade of confessors lining up before UPAC to cut a deal by ratting out  co-conspirators.
Plainly this has happened with Applebaum because while he was charged with corruption, his alleged partners in crime were not, even though their names have been publicly revealed.

I have also been reliably informed that government departments are sharpening their defenses and now independent department proctors are sitting in on planning meetings where details are discussed between construction companies and government officials.

We are going to witness many more arrests before this is over, but the tide has turned.

I don't believe that the most seasoned and cynical journalists understand what is happening, their experiences of the past, colouring their reading of the situation today.

The forces unleashed are unstoppable, politicians couldn't call off the dogs even if they wanted to, lest they become a target of UPAC themselves.

For we the public, it is a spectacle that we should sit back and enjoy, because short of sending the crooks into the coliseum to do battle with the lions, it's the best serving of revenge that we can expect.

Let's not feel bad or humiliated, let's feel empowered and brave.
While the rest of Canada may tut-tut, the truth is they have plenty of their own crooks to deal with and no political will or UPAC to do battle for them.

I know of a couple of Ontarto mayors that well deserve the UPAC treatment, including Mister Sauga's favorite mayor Hazel McCallion.

As one commenter in the New York Times wrote under a story describing Applebaum's arrest;
"At least they arrest their crooks"