Quebec versus Canada - Some Statistics

Here is a collection of statistics taken from various sources comparing Quebec to the Rest of Canada (ROC).

Family Income
Quebec = $53K
ROC = $65K

Cell Phone Penetration
Homes with at least one wireless phone-
Quebec = 65%
ROC = 77%

Babies born out of wedlock
Quebec - 62%
ROC - 30%

Quebec has the second highest rate in the world (Iceland=66%). The rest of Canada is at the low end of the scale with Germany, Italy and Ireland. Japan is in a class of it's own with just 2% of babies born out of wedlock. Link

Household net worth
Quebec families are worth aproximately 45% of British Columbians.


Suicide Rate (per 100,000 people)
Quebec = 27
ROC = 17

Number of Christians attending weekly church services
Quebec = 6%
ROC = 20%

Murders rate per 1,000,000 people
Quebec =12
ROC = 20

People who smoke (over the age of 15)
Quebec =25%
ROC = 20%

Average price of a home
Quebec =$232,00
ROC =$360,000

Workers who take no vacation days
Quebec =4%
ROC =11%

Workers who admit to falsely calling in sick
Quebec =47%
ROC =23%

Video Friday- INFOMAN Checks out the State of French in Downtown Montreal

Awhile back INFOMAN, a Quebec humorist who has a TV show on radio Canada set out to humiliate LE JOURNAL DE MONTREAL for a sensationalist story that claimed that downtown Montreal was on the verge of becoming Anglicized.
I added subtitles, so enjoy.
Have a good weekend.

What Makes Quebec Ultra-Extremists Tick?

It was quite unsettling to see a swastika superimposed on the Canadian flag at the demonstration against the Supreme Court's ruling on Bill 104. It happened when a small group of Quebec language ultra-extremists vented their rage in front of the Old Montreal office of Brent Tyler, who successfully challenged the law on behalf of clients.

While there is nothing wrong with exercising one's democratic right to protest, I am amazed at the mindset of these extremists who harbour so much hate.

For the vast majority of Quebeckers, both for and against sovereignty, hate doesn't really enter into the equation. Anglos who remain in Quebec have made peace with the fact that almost half of Francophones would prefer independence. That being said, Anglos don't hate Francophones who share that opinion and by and large the vast majority of Francophones don't hate Anglos at all.
In fact most of us count numerous friends on the other side of the equation, it's the way it is in Quebec.
Most of those who voted for sovereignty don't hate Canada, they just feel that culturally Quebec should become independent to protect it's heritage and future as a Francophone society.
Fair enough.
They recognize, however that they enjoy personal and political rights that are the envy of the world, coupled with one of the highest standards of living.

However, there is a small coterie of language extremists who can best be described as unbalanced.

They equate the struggle of Quebec independence as a heroic battle of oppressor and victim. Breathlessly they re-live the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on a daily basis and view their perseverance of 250 years of Anglo domination as a heroic struggle of epic proportion.

They view themselves as embattled Palestinians, victims of a powerful and overwhelming enemy. In fact, at most demonstrations, they fly the Palestinian flag (sometimes even the Hezbollah flag.)

Here's a collection of hate, culled from various web sites.

These people live in a dangerous fantasy world. Not only do they hate Anglos, but also those Francophones  who don't agree with them.

They rant and rave, using words that confound the imagination;

COLONIZATION
HUMILIATION
CULTURAL GENOCIDE
OPPRESSION
RESISTANCE
FREEDOM

Perhaps Louis Prefontaine, a next generation Anglo-basher sums up their attitude;

"Anglophones and Francophones do not share historical equality. The French carry the weight of 250 years of domination and decline, while Anglophones in Quebec, behave like a small Rhodesian minority, imposing their values and language."

Second Class Citizenship For Quebec Francophones

This last month language militants have kicked into high gear their efforts to coerce citizens, by hook or by crook, into adopting the French language.
The Bill 104 decision by the Supreme Court has sparked a new outbreak of language militancy with extremists demanding that CEGEP (junior college) be subject to Bill 101, the law that forces Quebec residents to attend French only schools, (unless one of their parents were educated in English in Canada.)
As it stands now, the law applies to public primary and public secondary education only. Militants are furious that some citizens are using the Bill 104 loophole to gain English school access for their children. As well, the fact that some high school graduates on the French side of the educational system, in an effort to expand their personal horizons, are opting for an English college experience, has militants seeing red. TRAITORS!!!

A second demand, one being tossed around at a Parti Quebecois policy forum, is that preschoolers be subject to the same law, in relation to daycare.
Yup.... two, three and four year olds would not be allowed to attend an "English" daycare, if their parents didn't qualify. This Kafkaesque idea would be hilarious, if not so sad.

So it seems that language militants want to limit free choice from birth right up until college graduation.

What is the effect of all this?

It transforms Quebec Francophones into second class citizens.

Think about it. The only people with free choice are the Anglophones, who can go to any school that they please. It's a bit perverse!

At any rate, restricting access to English CEGEPS won't change anything. By the time students reach college, they are adults and if they are determined to get an English education, they will either get one by going out of the province or by going to a private school. Quebec already registers the highest percentage of students in private schools in all of North America.

Before I continue, let me re-iterate that the idea that French is in trouble in Quebec is ludicrous. It's the classic 'Big Lie" told by nationalist sovereignists to scare up political support for independence.
They trot out all sorts of selective and twisted statistics (many of which are just plain racist) to 'prove' that the language is losing ground, but almost all don't stand up to scrutiny.
In raw numbers, Quebec has never had as many French speakers as exists today. The Anglophone population has plummeted to about 8.5% from a historical high of 25%. Francophones have taken over all the reigns of power, both in business and government. The only French language crisis that exists is in the creatively tortured minds of extremists.

Even if all the proposed restrictive measures are put into place, it won't be enough to stamp out English, a language which is as attractive and addictive as crack cocaine. There will always be a demand, despite the best efforts of enforcers.

So what will the militants do then? What will they do when restrictive measures in CEGEP and daycares fails to eliminate English in Quebec?

No doubt they'll propose even more restrictive measures, it's a logical next step. Demands will be made for even more restrictive language laws which will have the effect to rob citizens freedom of choice from cradle to grave.

What would these restrictions look like? Here's glimpse into the future;

• Francophones would be banned from using English hospitals.
• Francophones would be fined for speaking to Anglophone sales clerks in English.
• Francophones would be banned from buying English books, software or video games. Purchase of these items would be restricted to Anglophones only.
  
• Non-French Internet sites will be blocked to Francophone Quebeckers. A 'poutine' firewall will be maintained by the OQLF
• English words that have become part of popular French lexicon will be purged from the dictionary. Yessir!!
  
• The Montreal Canadiens and Allouettes will be forced to cease bi-lingual public address announcements.
  
• Cable and satellite providers would be forced to monitor household viewing habits. Francophone homes would be restricted to a certain amount of viewing time of English programming.
• Car manufacturers would be forced to eliminate English only dashboards.
• Special theaters for Anglophone audiences would be set up. Everyone else would be forced to watch the dubbed French versions.
  
• Francophones would be barred from subscribing to English magazines.
• Restaurants would be required to furnish optional English menus on demand only and then only to Anglophones.
  
• Intermarriage between Francophones and non-Francophones would be allowed only if the couple agreed to speak French in the home and to educate the kids in French as well.
• A 'Naming Commission' would be created to find new appellations for English street names, which would be eliminated all together. As a side line, the commission would find alternatives to politically incorrectly named consumer items including 'English muffins', 'English breakfast tea' and English saddles. Billiard players would be advised that henceforth they'd have to apply 'Francais' to their pool shots.
• Priests in Francophone churches would be barred from offering confessions in English.
• Street beggars would be required to communicate with clients in French only.
• Hawkers at sporting events would no longer have the right to announce their wares bilingually. The 'BIERE FROID/ COLD BEER' chant would be relegated to the scrap heap of history.
• All baby names for Francophone children would have to reflect Francophone roots. No more "Tiffanie Poulins" This rule would apply to nicknames and pets, as well. Toy manufacturers would have to provide Quebecois names for their dolls and toys.

You may ask how would all these regulations be enforced. How would Francophones be distinguished from Anglophones in public?
Simple!
Anglophones could wear a scarlet letter on their clothes, setting them apart as a specially privileged class!

For Francophones, it'll be the back of the bus in terms of personal freedom and individual rights. Anglos to the front!

All this in a province where Francophones are the majority and where they make the rules.

Amazing!

Liberal MPs Should Listen to their Wives

It seems that the wives of MP Stéphane Dion and Irwin Cotler have more spunk and good sense than their husbands. Perhaps both men would be better served to listen to their better halves.

This week Janine Krieber, wife of Dion made a blistering attack against the Ignatieff leadership in a blog entry on her Facebook page (it has since been removed.)

"Like all the liberal parties in Europe, it will become a poor little thing at the mercy of ephemeral coalitions. For having refused the historic coalition that could have placed it at the head of the left, it will be punished by history." -Jane Krieber

Dion has been in a funk ever since being unceremoniously dumped as leader of the Liberal Party. I last spotted him a couple of weeks ago as I peered out of my car window while driving towards downtown, on Cote de Neiges Road in Montreal. He was walking up the hill, a sad figure, alone and bundled up against the wind, carrying home a bottle of milk. It was a sad analogy of man who's fortunes had fallen so low.

Since his humiliating exit as leader of the party, Dion has been silent, seemingly resigned to working on his pension from the insignificant reaches of the backbench of Parliament.

Perhaps Ms. Krieber's assault on Ignatieff can restart Mr. Dion's sagging career, it isn't that far-fetched. It's clear that with a little help from his friends, Ignatieff can be purged. A clever alliance led by Bob Rae can take back the leadership and return the party to some semblance of respectability. The Liberal experiment with two 'brainy' intellectuals has been an abject failure. The membership has largely come to the realization that a less cerebral but more savvy and professional politician à la Jean Chretien is in order.

Leading a putsch against Igantieff will never get Dion the top job back, but he can become a respected cabinet minister once again. Under Ignatieff Mr. Dion is toast. His wife's action might have forced his hand and may just have kick started the campaign to dump Ignatieff.
Turning to poor Irwin Cotler, it's too late to save his career, the ex-minister of justice in the Paul Martin government should have listened and followed the wise counsel of his wife Ariella, back in 2006. In reaction to Ignatieff's injudicious statement that Israel committed war crimes in an appearance on a French language talk show, she promptly resigned as a card carrying member of the Liberal party. In a blistering denunciation in the National Post she questioned Ignatieff's moral integrity and accused him of “sacrificing the truth for personal political gains in the upcoming leadership election for the party.”
For Cotler and his family, as well as the constituents of the overwhelmingly Jewish riding of Mount Royal in Montreal which he represents, defence of Israel is not something to be trifled with.

Ariela Cotler is an Israeli citizen and Gila, their daughter has served in the Israel Defence Force. Although Irwin has sat in Parliament these past years, he is really a nerdy academic, it is his wife who possesses the political acumen in the family. She has worked for many years as an Israeli parliamentary assistant for various members of the ultra-right wing Likud party and has received citations from Menachim Begin and Itzhak Shamir. She remains politically active today and frequently returns to Israel to advocate on behalf of the Likud Party.
It is unfortunate that her husband didn't heed her lead to abandon ship, especially when Ignatieff won the leadership.
At that time, friends and confidants of Cotler (as well as his wife, presumably) urged him to leave the confines of the Liberal party and sit as an independent. Others counselled him to cross the floor to the Conservatives.
It should be noted that had he changed allegiances, he would have had no trouble retaining his seat as an independent or Conservative, as he carries one of the highest majorities in the country.

But Cotler hung on in the faint hopes of returning to the cabinet, instead of following his conscience. He still harbours these dreams of glory and this week humiliated himself and his wife by having her write another letter renouncing her abandonment of the Liberal party.
All this was in response to the Conservatives pamphlet campaign targeting Jewish voters in which assertions were made that the Liberal party is anti-Israel. When Cotler went on television to deny the allegations, Conservatives made mincemeat out of him by bringing up his own wife's prior statements, prompting him to undertake some damage control.

The letter was a sad reminder of what politicians will put their spouses through for political gain.

It won't help, he is a spent force and should consider a return to academia.

Come to think of it, so should Ignatieff.