French versus English Volume 14

Montreal Coach chastised over golf tournament
The Canadians head coach, Jacques Martin, was subject to a rather vicious rant by a reader who was outraged that he organized a golf tournament outside Quebec.

"Why did this man hold his golf tournament in Rockland, Ontario, Canada. Are we missing golf courses in Quebec, or is it just because some people prefer English Canada and fuck you francophones!!"

Hmm.... Perhaps the tournament was held there because Mr. Martin is a Franco-Ontarian and Rockland is his home town? LINK


Montreal Blacks deserve to be profiled by police
It wasn't a great surprise that an internal study conducted by the Montreal police themselves, found that the police force systemically targets Blacks for random stops at a rate up to eights times higher than whites. LINK
For columnist Richard Martineau, the fault lies with the Blacks themselves. "Do Blacks wearing a suit and tie get hassled?" he asks in his blog. According to him, Blacks deserve to be stopped because of their hip-hop dress. Link 
I wonder if Mr. Martinaeau would care to comment on the incident involving two Montreal Alouette football players who were stopped in the their late model SUV for the crime of "DWB"(driving while black.)  LINK  
Or how about a Black school teacher who was roused by police for no reason while waiting in a car for his friend who went into a restaurant to pick up pizza. LINK
Every time an incident like this occurs, the police invariably make up an excuse about the victim. He was "aggressive," uncooperative," "suspicious," "driving badly," "tail light." blah, blah, blah.. In the case of the school teacher, the police said that the car had no license plate, but the temporary tag was pasted in the window of the car where it was supposed to be. 
When the police act so stupidly, it's fair to attack their credibility under oath. I'm surprised that no defence lawyer hasn't tried to discredit a cop's testimony on the basis of their general untrustworthiness. Targeting Blacks is a fact of life, lying about it is another. The Montreal police need a cultural change and they need to start telling the truth.

Worst language complaint about a sign
Over the years, I've seen and heard a lot of complaints about English signage, but alas this one takes the cake.

"Cimetière Côte-des-Neiges, 31 juillet 2010.

"One of the many reservoirs for watering flowers placed at the disposition of those visiting the departed.
"Even in a cemetery, the predominance of French must be respected!!!" 

Mouvement Montréal français

Letter encouraging students to visit national parks branded propaganda

Bloqhead MP Carole Lavallée branded a letter sent to students by the Prime Minister as propaganda. Prime Minister Harper sent high school students, across Canada  a letter encouraging them to visit Canada's national parks.

The separatist MP branded the invitation as abuse of government money and an intrusion on provincial jurisdiction.  LINK

McGill university sticks it to French language militants

Ever since the famous McGill Français demonstration, forty years ago, where militants marched on the school, demanding that it convert itself to a French language institution, McGill has earned the undying enmity of jealous French language radicals.

The school's success continues to rankle those who see the school as a symbol of anglo dominance.  They complain bitterly about 'over-funding' and the largess displayed by alumni in greasing it's endowment fund, which is bigger than all francophone schools combined.
This week McGill was the only Canadian school to crack the list of the best 25 best universities in the world, another stab in the heart, but nothing compared to the school's decision to launch its Mordecai Richler writer-in-residence program.
To militants, Richler represents one of the most hated historical Anglo personalities, one who personfies the concept of Quebec-bashing. The idea of honouring him by naming a program after him will serve as another painful irritant for years to come!

Return of Nordiques not popular with everyone 
It seems that not everyone in Quebec is excited about the potential return of the Quebec Nordiques to the NHL, especially if it means spending public funds to secure the team's return. That being said at least one commentator has a completely different reason for rejecting the Nordiques project.
Denis Julien wrote;

 "What are the the benefits of  the Quebec Nordiques to Quebec?

English will be the working language of the team. They will still allow Ontario beer companies to get rich by taking our money. The English-speaking players will open bank accounts at the TD Bank and Scotia Bank or outright in U.S. accounts. They will build several million dollar castles in Lac Beauport which will raise taxes of the residents of this suburb of Quebec. Finally, they will send their children to Quebec English schools. These are the vile benefits of Quebec hockey's return. Something to be proud of, right?"LINK(FRench)

Montreal Canadiens-Instrument of federalism? 
According to Pierre Curzi, a Parti Quebecois member of Quebec's Parliament, the Montreal Canadiens have become an instrument of federalism;

"The Canadiens have changed from being an asset for (Quebec) nationalism to an asset for federalism, said the actor-MP. I think there are people in this organization, that are deeply federalist and they are very aware that hockey is a very strong  tool for creating identity. I think they are quite happy to be able to use it for that." LINK(French)

(Thanks to reader 'STEVE' for the link!) 

B.C. sign irks French language militant
This poster in a Vancouver hospital, annoyed a self-proclaimed Quebecoise exile in British Columbia.

 Advising people to wash their wands in seven languages, French was omitted. 
While common courtesy would dictate that French would be added, notwithstanding that less than 2% of British Columbia speak French, it wasn't. LINK

However complaining about the lack of respect for French is a bit hypocritical, because Quebec hospitals (other than Anglo institutions) exclude ALL languages except French!

The French have a great saying - "Deux poids et deux mesures" (Two weights, two different standards) 
 
Intellectuals for Sovereignty?

A most bizarre exchange took place before a Parliamentary committee in Quebec City, that was debating the proposed law that would replace Bill 103, the law struck down by the Supreme  Court of Canada in relation to English language schooling.

One of the groups opposed to the law that creates guidelines whereby children ineligible for English education can carve out a path, is called  "Les Intellectuels pour la souveraineté" (Intellectuals for sovereignty)
In English culture, it sounds a bit bizarre and self-aggrandizing to refer to oneself as an 'intellectual.'  Similarly I always thought it strange to see a room at the Montreal airport labelled as a 'Salon VIP ,'
but I always put it up to a language thing. I can't imagine a reception at Pearson airport named as such.
 
At any rate, Gilbert Paquette, president of this group was making a presentation when the Minister responsible for the language laws, Christine St-Pierre, started asking some uncomfortable questions.

"Who are these  'intellectuals" exactly?" she asked.
"Why have only 15 of the 150 purported members identified themselves?" 
"Who is financing your organization?' 

It fell to Pequiste Pierre Curzi to come to the rescue, accusing the minister of a witch hunt....... 

Maxime Bernier's Sweet Revenge

A while back I wrote about the incredibly rough ride Maxime Bernier received in Quebec over a speech he gave in which he blasted his fellow Quebeckers over their uncontrolled spending and penchant for big government.
See: Maxime Bernier Burns His Bridges  and  Read the speech.

As you can imagine, it went over like a lead balloon and Bernier was chastised and even labelled  a "Quebec-basher' by no less than the Liberal finance Minister Raymond Bachand, himself. The ad hominem attacks failed to address the issues he brought up, which is typical of those who have no arguments to put forth.

“I was flabbergasted to hear his false, contemptuous declarations,” said the former separatist premier,  Bernard Landry

While the speech was received negatively in most of Quebec, it got the opposite reaction amongst traditional conservatives across the country and all of a sudden, Maxim Bernier was lifted from obscurity to someone on everyone's radar.

To refresh everyone's memory, Bernier was a rising star in the Harper cabinet until a silly indiscretion, where he left some confidential documents at his then girlfriends house. It turns out that the girlfriend had some dubious contacts with bikers and the press and the opposition had a field day playing up the story as a national security issue, when in fact it was her boobs and her 'hotness,' more than her dubious contacts that made her interesting.

You may recall that the girlfriend raised eyebrows by showing up to Rideau Hall for Bernier's investiture into cabinet, wearing a dress with a decidedly plunging neckline. Ever since then, reporters were on her case and when the incident over the documents occurred, they went to town.

Stephen Harper could have easily backed his minister and ridden out the storm, but back then, he was riding high on his morality horse and dropped Bernier from the cabinet over the indiscretion.

Bernier had no choice but to accept the demotion with dignity, but felt betrayed. When after a suitable period in purgatory and he wasn't returned to cabinet, he realized that the writing was on the wall for him, as far as Harper goes. 

And so Bernier retired to the back benches, quietly plotting his return. It isn't an uncommon phenomenon, just ask Quebec Liberal Pierre Paradis who is now plotting to overthrow Jean Charest,  after a similar falling out and banishment.
It's all about timing...

Last week Bernier struck and did so with a vengeance.

Stephen Harper was flirting with the idea of helping Quebec City finance a new arena in the hope that it would boost Conservative prospects in Quebec. It isn't clear whether this was a legitimate offer or just a gambit to hold a carrot out to the Quebec electorate, before a possible Fall election.

Although a majority of Harper's Conservative party caucus were aghast at the idea of federal money being spent in support of private industry, Harper was confident that he could hold everyone in line with the promise of a majority government.

Of course, helping Quebec City get a new arena would mean that the feds would have to help Edmonton, Regina and other Canadian cities realize their stadium or arena dreams, but no matter, the whole commitment would cost under two billion dollars, a fair price to pay,  in his estimation, I imagine, for a majority government.
After all, Harper had no qualms about blowing a billion dollars on the G20 conference in Toronto, with zero long-term return.

Plans were going along neatly with Quebec federal Conservative MPs posing for the media in Nordiques jerseys, giving the media and the public, a not so subtle message that help might well be on the way.

But conspicuous by his absence was Maxime Bernier and he was soon questioned by the press as to why he didn't appear in the picture.

At first Bernier played it coy, offering a terse 'NO COMMENT' to reporters, but as the pressure built and a Conservative backlash developed, he finally unloaded in his blog. 

"...I too share the dream of again seeing a professional hockey team come back to play in our region and I sincerely hope that a way will be found to make this dream come true. But dreaming does not make the hard financial reality go away. It’s nice to have dreams, but when you use borrowed money to achieve them and act as if money grows on trees, you may have a brutal awakening. For all these reasons, I cannot in good conscience support this project." Read the blog piece in English

His pronouncements served to act as a 'tipping point' in the Conservative caucus, Bernier saying openly, what so many wanted to, but were afraid to voice in fear of the inevitable Harper retribution.
It seems that Bernier has effectively destroyed Harpers's plans and the 'arena gambit' is dead.

Support for Bernier in the Conservative party is slowly and quietly building. He is now being perceived as an attractive package and a viable alternative to Harper, who is more and more being seen as a sell-out to traditional conservative values and like the biblical Moses, he seems unable to deliver the ultimate prize.

For Harper it's another bitter lesson that punishing foes and adversaries by banishing them, may not be the best prescription.
Like Helena Guergis, who was also thrown under the bus prematurely and who is coming back to haunt Harper now that she has been exonerated, Bernier is now more than a thorn in the side and is launching a legitimate challenge.

Lost on Harper is the old "Art of War" quote;

"Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer" -Sun Tzi

Bernier remains safe in his Beauce Parliamentary seat. The region is atypically federalist, and fiercely entrepreneurial. Nothing will unseat him. Although unpopular for his stand on the Quebec arena now, the press is begrudgingly respectful.
Should he ever become leader of the federal Conservatives, his good looks might even trigger a modern Trudeaumania effect. If he can deliver between 30-35 seats in Quebec, the Conservatives might well achieve a true 'Big C' Conservative majority, something Harper is unlikely to ever produce. It's not impossible, Brian Mulroney once delivered 58 seats. Things change quickly in Quebec.

For Bernier, revenge is sweet.
Not only has he destroyed Harper's "arena gambit," he has raised his profile and stature.

For Bernier, his star is rising, having "passed GO and collected his $200 successfully"

Inspirational Posters Volume 3

 

See    Inspirational posters Volume 2

See    Inspirational posters Volume 1

Please have an EXCELLENT weekend!
BONNE fin de semaine!

 

NDP Joins Forces with Separatists in Anti-English Rally

The NDP, led in Quebec by the indomitable "UNCLE TOM" Mulcair is joining forces with separatist forces to protest the Quebec government's proposed Bill 103, the law that will replace Bill 104, struck down by the Supreme Court as illegal.
That law closed a 'loophole' whereby students who didn't qualify for English education could skirt the law by attending an unsubsidized private English school for as little as one year, thus earning qualification for public English education, the next year.

The law that closed this loophole was deemed too harsh and the Quebec government was given a year's reprieve to write a kinder and gentler law.
That they did, but Bill 103 can hardly be labelled kinder and gentler, it is, if anything, much harsher and just as likely illegal.

That being said, for militant language and separatist groups, it's not enough. They are pushing for the use of the "Notwithstanding Clause" to nullify the Supreme Court's decision, something the government is loathe to do as it might present Quebec internationally as repressive.

"They ask us (PQ) to do what they did not want to do when they were in power, aware of the impact on the international stage. When you say you want to make a country, you're not going to walk around saying you're going to bully, in some cases, fundamental freedoms. The whole debate is here. It is the protection of the image of Quebec abroad, "she said.

-Christine St. Pierre Minister of Education  LINK(French)

Nowhere in the NDP literature or any web site (that I could find) is there any mention that they are taking part  in this coalition, but as you can see, the NDP logo appears prominently under the advertisement for the big 'spectacle' to be held to protest Bill 103 on September 18th.

I wonder if any journalist will put the question of whether the NDP supports the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, in relation to Bill 103,  directly to Mr. Layton?
We don't need to ask Uncle Tom, he is always front and center, when it comes to shafting Quebec Anglophones..

In joining the coalition, the NDP shares company with the Bloc Québécois, Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire.  Federal separatists, provincial separatists and communist separatists. Wonderful company!

What's more interesting is that the NDP has placed its logo besides the Réseau de Résistance Québécoise and  Jeunes Patriotes du Québec, two radical organizations who have either engaged or hinted at violence.

Going down the list we can find the usual suspects of sovereignists, unionists and language militants, not many surprises except for the NDP, who's logo, complete with the Canadian flag, seems a bit out of place.

By the way, I was a bit put off by the inclusion of the Commission scolaire de Montréal, A PUBLIC ORGANIZATION, paid for with tax dollars.

Here is the complete list of members of the the "coalition against Bill 103"
Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal
Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois

Commission scolaire de Montréal

Bloc québécois

Parti Québécois

Québec solidaire

Nouveau parti démocratique

Conseil de la souveraineté

Revue de l’Action nationale
Les Intellectuels pour la souveraineté
SPQLibre
Rassemblement pour un pays souverain
Mouvement souverainiste du Québec
Réseau de Résistance québécoise
Jeunes Patriotes du Québec
Mouvement pacifique pour l’indépendance du Québec
Comité action indépendantiste et culturelle québécoise du Cégep du Vieux-Montréal
Mouvement Montréal français
Mouvement Montérégie français
Mouvement Laurentides français
Mouvement Lanaudière français
Impératif français
Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec
Confédération des syndicats nationaux
Centrale des syndicats du Québec
Syndicat de la fonction publique du Québec
Fédération autonome de l’enseignement
Union des artistes
Mouvement des cégépiens pour le français
Comité souverainiste de l’UQAM
Mouvement des étudiants souverainistes de l’UDM
Mouvement étudiant pour le français-UQAM

I wonder how Canadians outside the province of Quebec, feel about the NDP's decision to join in this anti-English, coalition of separatists.

How low can the knee-dippers sink, trolling for votes?

Sovereignist Support For Israel?

Tonight is New Year's eve for the many Jewish readers of this blog and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish them a healthy and happy New Year.

This blog has little to do with religion and nothing to do with the middle-east situation, but I've seen some anti-Israel-bashing posts creep into the Comments section which is unfortunate.

It is true that Quebec is a hotbed of Israel-bashing, where left wing unionists like Gérald Larose and communist sympathizers like  Amir Khadir perpetuate a campaign of vilification of Israel in the media as if the rest of the world was a Garden of Eden and Israel was the only thorny bush.

One of my favourite bloggers wrote a rather interesting rebuttal. Lifelong sovereignist and ex-MP and PQ cabinet minister, Jacques Brassard who hails from the Saguenay region wrote a rather stinging blog piece, one where he pulls no punches.

Among sovereignists, he's a bit of an anomaly, a free thinker who was sacked from his newspaper job at Le Quotidien du Saguenay-lac-St-Jean, as a columnist for writing an unflattering piece denigrating the Quebec environmental movement and its messiah Steven Guilbeault. He continues to pontificate on his own blog which is one of the most important and interesting examples of free-thinkers, unbound by party politics and loyalties.

Here he takes on the 500 Quebec artists who signed a letter condemning Israel and calling for a boycott;

"A call from Montreal artists to support the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israeli apartheid…" LINK

Mr. Brassard replies;
For those who read French find the original post HERE

The ZARTISTES Furious Over Israel
(note: 'zartistes'- a disparaging term for 'artists')


Ah, these sweet, left wing Quebecois zartistes, how predictable they are!!

How constant and unequivocal is their indignation! How eminently selective!

If Israel were to disappear (as desired so ardently by these Teherani stools), where would our leftist zartistes, so sensitive to human suffering, manifest their compassion for human misery?

Fortunately feeding their compassion, is the oppressed Palestinians, massacred, starved, locked up ... and to stimulate their indignation even further, there are the Jewish oppressors, murderers, starvers and jailers!

But tell me, what do you do for the Tibetans, Sudanese, Tamil, Congolese, the North Koreans, Burmese, Zimbabweans, the Copts, the Christians of Iraq and Pakistan, all persecuted, bullied and murdered?

They're nothing but 'Small Fry!' Our zartistes will not be distracted by these lowly whiners!

Their job, their mission, is to defend the Palestinians, victims 'par excellence' of the entire galaxy, and especially those in Gaza.
500 of them have signed an open letter expressing solidarity with the Palestinians, mistreated by the "Jews-with-no-heart-and-no-soul", calling for a boycott of Israeli products and calling for sanctions against the Jewish state.

I went through the list of the 500. Almost all are zartistic 'nobodies.' Except a few. As Richard Desjardins, for example. This is hardly surprising since the Guru of Abitibi is a well known leftist, eco-pacifist, anti-globalization, anti-American, pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist.

But what saddened me is to see the name of Gilles Vigneault among the petitioners.

Gilles Vigneault! How Sad!

How can he ignore that the people of Gaza are in no way subjected to "a chronic shortage of electricity, fuel,  food and other commodities?" Even during the military operation of 'Cast Lead,' against Hamas terrorists, the supply line to the Gaza Strip never really stopped.

Gilles Vigneault. How can he say that Israel has turned Gaza into a giant prison? Has he forgotten that the Israeli army left the Gaza Strip in 2005?
And if Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are in prison, it is the one established by the Hamas extremist fanatics who impose a bloody tyranny steeped in hateful antisemitism so vicious that it is surprising that the 500 freedom-loving zartiste petitioners, never noticed?

Gilles Vigneault must be aware that he utters a horrible lie and demonstrates an appalling intellectual dishonesty when he proclaims that Israel has created "a system of institutionalized racism and segregation that resembles apartheid South Africa"

This is a charge so vile and so villainous that only the demonization of Israel can explain its presence in the cultural, media, politicians and intellectuals in the West.

"Israel," writes Pierre-Andre Taguieff, embodies the West for anti-Westerners, imperialism for anti-imperialists, infidels for the Islamists and racism for pro-Palestinians. It combines all the negative stereotypes. It is seen as the ultimate state, which should disappear so that man can be delivered from evil. "
How, exactly does Israel impose apartheid in the Gaza Strip, where it exercises no authority?

On its own territory, there is no racist policy, no discriminatory system. The State of Israel is a democratic state where Arab Muslims are full citizens, enjoying all the rights and fundamental freedoms for all and are represented in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. 

But, the anti-Zionists scream- "There is the Wall! The security fence! How horrible! What a disgrace!" Even the Pope is upset.

Before they choke with indignation, they should ask themselves this one simple question: why is there a fence?

Benedict XVI, during his trip to the Middle East, saw fit not to raise this essential issue because the answer is as simple as the question.

Before the "Israeli apartheid wall," as the beautiful souls of the petitioners describe, the terrorists crossed the border easily, wrapped with explosives and would blow themselves up on the terraces of cafes, buses, cafeterias of universities, public places, in the middle of bustling markets. After the construction of the fence (a fence because it is more than a wall), the aim has been largely achieved: the level of security for Israeli civilians, has increased considerably.

It is true that terrorists now favour rockets fired indiscriminately at Israeli towns. This has compelled the Jewish state to resort to other means of protection that include sirens and shelters.

How is it that the security fence Israel has become the "Wall of Shame" 'par excellence'? Because it is far from alone. There are many others, the walls of separation between the U.S. and Mexico, between Morocco and the Sahara between India and Pakistan, between Botswana and Zimbabwe, between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Cyprus, Ireland, and between Thailand and Malaysia.

Why is the indignation of the Western left exclusively focused on the 'monstrous Israeli Wall ?

Because they are Jews who have erected it to protect themselves from Islamist terrorism. And because the Western left is anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic.

Dear Gilles Vigneault, if Gaza is hell now, know that it is the rotten fruit of the culture of hatred and violence in which the Palestinian population have swam in, over the ages.

Palestinian youth are indoctrinated, fanatisized, and fuel the hatred of the Jews, while worshipping a pathological version of Islamist terror.

Know that  Hamas and other Islamist hordes are solely responsible for the confinement of Palestinians in Gaza.

By signing this petition, you behave as useful idiot (in the words of Lenin), "idiot" because you do not comprehend the fundamentally totalitarian, obscurantist, terrorist, barbaric, draconian nature of the nazislamism of Hamas. "Useful," because you are a cog in the machinery of propaganda and disinformation of the Islamofascist Caliphate of Gaza. It's deplorable and pathetic on behalf of a great poet like you.

-Jacques Brassard

Hmmm. That was certainly unexpected!
It's not that often a sovereignist takes such a public stance in favour of Israel and it's not often that anyone uses such strong language in doing so.

Now before we all get into a pro-Israel/anti-Israel slug fest, the point of this post is not really about Israel.

It is about the labeling of sovereignists as left-wingers and federalists as conservatives.

The sovereignty debate in Quebec has redefined people as what they may or may not be, based solely on their position on sovereignty.

But the reality is a little different, within the two camps there lies conservatives and liberals.

We federalists are certainly not a homogeneous lot marching in lockstep with the policies of the Quebec Liberals and the federal Tories. Far from it. We are a diverse group that share a fundamental belief in Canada, but the similarities probably ends there.

The same truths applies to sovereignists, who are also tarred by the same brush and considered radical leftists by most in the English media. It is not true.

A group of famous Quebec conservatives who are generally aligned with the sovereignist camp  known as the "Lucides'  wrote a devastating indictment of Quebec society in an open letter that demonstrated that there is no consensus among sovereignists over liberal/conservative values.

We Quebeckers, whether sovereignists or federalists cannot be defined by one issue alone, even if it is the biggest issue.

But we are.

Editors Note. Gratuitous comments in support of Israel or Palestine, unrelated to the article above will not be posted. This blog is not about the Middle East.