Its always a treat when the local team makes it past the first round of the playoffs, and who can deny that being among the top eight teams in the league is anything but a successful season. I certainly hope the Canadiens beat the Bruins and go on to the Conference final and perhaps farther, but whatever happens, I am satisfied, especially the fact that they are competing so robustly against the Bruins who perhaps thought they'd have a cakewalk through the Habs.
Whenever the Montreal Canadiens make the playoffs, I like to read the sports columns in the pages of the opposing team for a fresh point of view.
Whenever the Montreal Canadiens make the playoffs, I like to read the sports columns in the pages of the opposing team for a fresh point of view.
It's a special treat when that opposition is the Boston Bruins because the writers and fans have an obsessive belief that the Canadiens are divers and the beneficiaries of advantaged refereeing, a theme that has been the hallmark of Bruins lack of success over the Habs for decades. I think it goes back to the very best game that I ever rattended, way back in 1979, when the Canadiens faced off with the Bruins in a tense game seven, the series semi-final that would see the winner go on to challenge for the Stanley Cup.
You may not be familiar with that game, many of you weren't even born back then, but you can see the video evidence during Don Cherry's Coach's Corner opening highlight montage where he is standing on the bench shouting at the referee with arms spread out, mocking the referee over another Canadiens homer penalty call.
The Canadiens trailed the Bruins by 2 going into the third and after making the score 4-3, time was winding down when the Bruins were assessed a too-many men penalty, which led to a Guy Lafleur slap shot goal after which, the Bruins goalie, flopped to the ice in total exasperation, like a child making a snow angel. From there destiny was set with Yvan Lambert scoring half way through the first overtime to eliminate the Bruins and send the Canadiens on to meet the Rangers in the final.
I had a good view of the play and swear until today that Lambert kicked the puck into the net. Back then, there wasn't any video replay and but one referee on the ice, so mistakes like that were common. When I mentioned it to Lambert at a social occasion a couple of years later, that I thought he kicked the puck in, he flew into a rage and swore it was a good goal. Twenty years later, I kid you not, I met Lambert again in the Habs alumni lounge in the Bell Centre and he marched up to me to remind me that it was most certainly a good goal. Ha! Ha!
By the way, Lambert is a fantastic guy who used to work for the Habs until let go during a lockout, years ago. He is as entertaining a hockey character as you'd ever be lucky to meet and I can only wonder why he isn't making the rounds of French sports media.
At any rate, ever since then Don Cherry has been moaning that the Canadiens get away with murder, getting favourable treatment from the referees, especially in Montreal where according to him, referees are intimidated. And so Bruins fans take it as a given that in order to beat the Canadiens, you have to beat the refs as well.
That feeling is shared across the league and manifested itself quite recently with the asinine comment by Cherry's straight man, Don MacLean that the league shouldn't allow a French referee to work a playoff game in Montreal.
I know I've been talking about schadenfreude a lot lately, but what can I say, I'm that type of a guy.
As soon as the Bruins lost the game on Tuesday I headed over to the Bruins fan forum over at HF Boards to enjoy a little of their pain and recharge my batteries with a huge dose of the Bruins fans pissing and moaning.
Here's some of my favourite comments;
PREGAME COMMENTS
 |
| Bruins fans accuse Canadiens of whining...really??? |
-I am fully prepared for the real Embellishment City to rear their ugly heads. The Habs are going to be diving all over the place and the refs are going to be taking the cheese every time. We need to keep the legit penalties to a minimum, because you know the faux ones will be there for sure. The only semblance of a chance the Habs have to win this series, is by getting on the powerplay. 5 on 5 we absolutely eviscerate them.
-you have 21000 people yelling, i mean we are all human, that MUST rattle the best REFS once in a while!
-Good. I hope he sneezes in the room and the Norovirus runs through that crew of asshats like green corn through a goose.
-Home of that most disgusting of creatures...Le Hab. Unlike other beasts he has no way of camouflaging himself- you can see, hear & smell him from a great distance. But you must constantly be on your guard against him, because he will slash, cross check & trip you without the slightest provocation on your part. And then hide behind a ref when you decide retribution is in order while the crowd screams "Ole". Think of Le Hab as a weasel on skates because truly that is what he is.
-Can we find a ref in the league born and raised in Montreal to act this way when games are in Boston
-No, he has a track record and proven history of making calls against Boston that aren't there, not making calls for Boston that are there and waiving off good goals. Additionally, his stats show he is 63% more likely to make a call in favor of the home team, except when it comes to officiating games at the Garden.
-Damned Montreal series is destined to kill me.
-Death,taxes and the first penalty in Montreal.
-Please, please, please, shut these self-important Habs fans u
OPENING CEREMONIES COMMENTS
-Janet Reno is singing the Canadian National Anthem?
-Looking like John Candy cross dressing in Armed and Dangerous.
-Now all I can picture is Paula Dean in a Habs uniform shouting "beurre, y'all."
FIRST PERIOD
-And now Chara injured by a slash the refs ignored. Pretty clear these refs are either going to let a lot to or let a lot to for the Canadiens.-game already sucks
-Can you point me to the throw up emoji???
-Waiting for a habs pp to be called. You know its coming.
-Give me a break what a ****ing lucky re direct to Plekanec wide open...Had to be the turtleneck wearer.
-Well the b's will just have to come from behind ...as usual
-We dominate they score. Typical. I hate these games. Shut those idiots up boys. Turn it on!
-Habs playing dirty = right into Boston's hands-I hate that disgusting piece of ****. (Subban) Rewarded for his dirty play.
-I wish someone would take PK out. But that ***** will just dive and whine not fight back, he has no spine.
-Down 2-0, in the 1st, IN MTL! Yes I'm scared right now!
SECOND PERIOD
-Why do the bruins always suck against montreal. I don't care that we dominated them at the beginning. All that matters is the scoreboard
-One bad period.Relax.This team is going to come back in this game .book it.
-Wow, shocking. When's the last time we got a gift goal like that against the Habs?
-And now the game is over
This is really frustrating. Are the habs really even that good?
-Dale frigging Weise Tuukka????
-Tuukka has just got to make a ****ing. Save. Dale Weisse. Jesus Christ.
THIRD PERIOD
-what bull **** with the no calls. net off on purpose, boarding, interfereance....bull **** we should have had at least one PP in the 3rd.
-BIG UPS TO THE REFS FOR SWALLOWING THAT WHISTLE.-Lets face it. Bruins piss in their pants at the site of the Canadiens. Its not flat, its choke.-Rask sucked, refs were typical montreal officials in the final minute.-What happens when 40 goal score Pacioretty decides to show up or the Bruins killer Vanek wakes up-Boston should call up Malcom Subban for game 4. It would not only throw PK off but I'm not sure Dale Weise would have enough time to figure him out-Habs are a bunch of scrubs, hurts to lose to them.-I gotta step away from the screen. too shook- Let's not make calls that should be made, because the home crowd might get mad.
-This game gonna bother me for a while.Ha Ha!!! Quite enjoyed that....
At any rate, reading a couple of online stories in the Boston press I was totally surprised at the elevated level of writing, considering it's just sports.
The two writers below can write rings around any of the palookas in the sports press corps in Montreal.
The ill-advised roughing debunked Harry Sinden’s oft-repeated claim that the only things certain in life are death, taxes, and the Canadiens getting the benefit of the first penalty at the Forum. Subban was banished for two minutes and the Bruins went to work on a power play that yielded nothing."Thinking back to that 1979 playoff run, I'm reminded that I invited my uncle, my mother's brother who was in Montreal visiting us from the old country, to his first hockey game ever. Really his first game ever.
Amalie Benjamin-Boston Globe
Extensive personal research has determined that Montreal is a coffee town. Before Game 4, it would serve the Bruins well to take advantage of this resource.
On Tuesday night, for the second straight game, the Bruins staggered on full decaf. This time, unlike in their 5-3 Game 2 rally, the Bruins couldn’t overcome a drowsy start in their 4-2 loss. Fluto Shinzawa-Boston Globe
That night the Canadiens won the Stanley cup against the Rangers. Amazing...
By the way, I attended the Habs 4-2 Tuesday night victory over the Bruins with my wife who could not stand the tense situation in the final minutes and buried her eyes in her purse until it was over.
She warned me that if the game went into overtime, we were going home.
Readers, do you think I'da gone home?
We're married 40 years, I'da gone home.....
Some of us are old enough to remember. And there are a few details not quite right in your post. The Bruins led 3-1 in the third, the goalie was Gilles Gilbert not Gerry Cheevers and Don Cherry's straight man is Ron McLean not Don... but what I thought you were going to use from that game as a reference point for today was how Scotty Bowman (good kid from Verdun) outsmarted Cherry to get the too-many-men penalty.
ReplyDeleteCherry had assigned a player to shadow Lafleur and with a few minutes left in the game Bowman had Lafleur come to the bench and start to leave the ice and his Bruin shadow did the same. But the Habs didn't put out another guy and when Lafleur jumped back on the ice so did his shadow and the Bruins had too many players.
Kind of like when Punch Imlach, coaching the Sabres, had Ken Dryden's pads measured near the end of a game to get a penalty.
Good on you for your corrections.
DeleteUsually I'm a meticulous fact checker and this time gave in to some faulty memories, 35 years old.
I t warms my heart that someone reading this blog goes back as long as I.
One more comment over that game which is dedicated to TROY who might appreciate this,
During the 2nd intermission of that fateful game , I made my way down to the concourse right near the wives lounge, and overheard a young boy perhaps 7 or 8 years old tell his dad sadly that perhaps the Habs were cooked.
In French the Dad responded the the boy should have faith, that the ghosts of the Forum have not yet made their appearance....
As I said before....I'm loving it.
Jay as a real fan I've something to tell you personally, would you email me?
Now that Mr. Berlach, the Editor himself makes a whole piece only for hockey, I would like to read student's comment that hockey - and therefore this piece - is not important.
ReplyDelete@troy
Deleteok, this will be the easiest one ever: hockey is not important. it's just millionaires chasing a rubber thing around. if you are gonna waste time watching a game make sure you listen to this before. or between two periods. it will pump you up.
http://tinyurl.com/obdkuq6 .
Icitte au Québec y fait pas froid, y fait frette
C'est de même parce que c'est de même pis c'est ben correct
On a de la place en masse
Et nos face-à-face on les fait sur la glace
Alors, on lace nos patins pis nos casques
Et comme Maurice, on glisse dans l'arène avec la haine de la défaite
Et le feu dans les yeux
Quand on veut, on peut...
Gagner !
En des temps si lointains qu'les franco s'appellaient Canadiens
À une époque où les pucks étaient faites de crottin
On a réuni des hommes dont le destin commun est comme un film sans fin
En Technicolor, et tricolore :
Bleu comme le St-Laurent
Blanc comme l'hiver
Rouge comme le sang qui nous coule à travers
Le corps de l'équipe c'est le coeur de la nation
Et chaque année, faut clore avec une célébration
Ils diront jamais tel quel aux nouvelles
Mais le tissu social de Montréal
C'est de la Sainte-Flanelle
Quand y est question de hockey
Nous on fait pas dans la dentelle, OK?
C'est plus qu'un sport :
c't' une métaphore de notre sort
C'est ça qui nous ressemble
C'est ça qui nous rassemble
Anglo, franco peu importe ta couleur de ta peau
Si tu détestes Toronto le sang qui bouge dans tes artères
Est aussi rouge, mon frère, que le chandail de nos
Vingt cœurs de vainqueurs qui luttent avec honneur
Les Canadiens pour une fois rallient tous les Québécois
Vingt cœurs de vainqueurs pour le pire et le meilleur
Les Canadiens de Montréal : notre équipe nationale
Un plan de match qu'on respecte à la lettre
Un gardien alerte
Des bonnes mises en échec
Des passes drettes sur la palette
Pis des lancers précis et secs
C'est comme ça qu'on va gagner nos épaulettes !
Mais quand ça va mal, quand on cale ou on dévire
Que j'voie pas un sale quitter le pont du navire
C'pas à matin -non!- qu'on accroche nos patins
Un Flying Frenchman, franchement!, ça franchit sans flancher
Allez-y les Habitants, quand vous la mettez dedans
Y a un petit peu de nous autres là d'dans
On est debout avec vous on ira jusqu'au bout
Pendant la saison c'est toute la nation qui vibre au même diapason
Comme quand le gens criaient "Guy Guy Guy"
C'tait en dépit du combat constant de la vie
Ça leur donnait des forces
Ils pouvaient bomber le torse
Voilà l'amorce d'un ralliement réussi
On peut Gagner ! On veut plus que participer nous on veut
Gagner ! À soir on fonce sur la patinoire pour
Gagner ! Si on se défonce pour la victoire, on va
Gagner ! On va gagner !
Enfin on fait les séries, fini les folies
DeleteLà c'est baston et rififi
Boston, Philadelphie
Avec les fantômes du forum
On n'a pas peur de personne
Chaque homme donne le maximum
Pour que cette année soit la bonne
Au printemps la fìèvre est universelle
Pis y'a juste une place où la glace il faut pas qu'elle dégèle
Ici le sang c'est de la sève qui monte jusqu'à nos lèvres
Le cri se change en un chant de ralliement qui s'élève
( ... Allez Montréal ... )
Nos chevaliers sont en cavale pour ramener le graal à Montréal
Le tournoi est un chemin de croix parsemé d'émoi
Mais la coupe on y croit,
Comme autrefois, on a la foi
Pis si c'est pas c't'année,
ben comme dirait René “ à la prochaine fois ”
Québécois ! On va
Gagner ! On veut plus que participer nous on veut
Gagner ! À soir on fonce sur la patinoire pour
Gagner ! Si on se défonce pour la victoire, on va
Gagner ! On va gagner !
Allez Montréal!
Du sang neuf depuis 1909 avec
Jack Laviolette, Lach
Pitre et Pit Lépine en passant par
Newsy Lalonde et Joe Malone
Aurèle et Morenz
Hains', Plante, Gump et le Concombre,
Pocket Rocket, Boum Boum, Cournoyer, Coco, Carbo, Casseau, Naslund
(Oublie pas les anglos, yo )
Toe, Dickie, Doug et Scotty
Shutt, Larry, Ken et Bobby
L'arrêt de Roy , rebond, Butch Bouchard à Savard,
vers Béliveau qui esquive un joueur
Passe à Lafleur, Lafleur accélère remet au Rocket Richard,
deux hommes sur le dos, rien de trop gros
ET LE BUUUUUT!
On a GAGNÉ, on a gagné!
Allez Montréal!
On veut gagner!
On peut gagner!
On va gagner!
Allez Montréal!
On veut gagner!
On peut gagner!
On va gagner!
Yeah, as always, student only has the nerve to attack me. Very rare indeed that it makes the comment directly to the Editor's piece
Deletei'm not attacking you troy. just answering your questions as i understand my opinions are valuable to you. you might have a martyr victim complex to sort troy.
DeleteAnyone who needs to quote lengthy Loco Locass tripe is the one with a real martyr complex.
DeleteThat separatist Loco Locass group is *so clueless* and so eager to hop onto the Canada-bashing bandwagon that they actually diss Toronto instead of Boston in a song about hockey. Even *I* know that Bruins-Habs is the greatest rivalry in the NHL, if not of all professional sports, and that Toronto is trivial in hockey. But Loco Locass is so blinded with their knee-jerk, separatist hatred of anything else in Canada that is outside of Quebec that they readily make fools of themselves with song.
DeleteThank you for pointing that out for us, Student.
@the cat
Delete"Anyone who needs to quote lengthy Loco Locass..."
i didn't "need" to. it was pure altruism. for your enjoyment the cat, as i assume you are not familiar with french canadian culture.
"Even *I* know that Bruins-Habs is the greatest rivalry (...) all professional sports..."
talk about thinking small. india vs pakistan in cricket is way more intense. so is inter vs milan ans so many other european football rivalries. mate you do need to open up and acknowledge the universe doesn't revolve around you.
The Bruins–Canadiens rivalry of the National Hockey League is considered "one of the greatest rivalries in sports.":
Delete- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruins%E2%80%93Canadiens_rivalry
- MacGregor, Roy (April 12, 2011). "Montreal v. Boston 'one of the greatest rivalries in sports'". The Globe and Mail. p. S1.
i’m sorry that i did it again, mate. i couldn’t help myself and posted some of my caca after your comment, the cat. i feel really bad to have purposely twisted your meaning by selectively quoting you and i see now how it was wrong of me.
please accept my humble apologies, mate. i promise I’ll try to step it up and do better in future.
@student 2.0
Deleteyou need to be in a champion's league playoff stadium for a game between madrid and barcelona mate. then maybe you will be entitled to discuss great pro sport rivalries.
canadiens versus bruins is intense, but no where as mad as croatian football, to give you another great example.
BTW, reading comments on HF Boards, my favorites are the ones mocking M. Therrien of his French-Canadian background or simply mocking the team because it is from Quebec, conveniently forgetting the fact that Claude Julien and Patrice Bergeron-Cleary have French-Canadian background.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I am enjoying the dirty looks my colleagues are giving me these several weeks for being in Habs red in the office every game day.
GO HABS GO!!
Now we're talking about something important. I remember in Montreal back in the mid 70's during playoffs, my whole family became Canadians fanatics. If we were out at a restaurant or whatever, we would suddenly notice our watches gave us an hour or so until game time. It was then a race back home to get that game on. Ken Dryden. Henri Richard. Serge Savard. Jacques Lemaire. Rejean Houle. The list goes on. That was Hockey. So long ago.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. Roger Doucette singing " O Canada ". Every game he really put his heart and soul into it.
ReplyDeleteNot hockey related, but WTF?
ReplyDeleteCJAD: Quebec government appealing ruling that major retailers don't have to modify their English commercial signs.
I thought the Libs would put the economy first and ignore this language bs, especially since reversing the ruling would violate NAFTA and other international agreements.
You and me both - damn their asses anyway. Don't we have enough to spend our money on and enough work for our lawyers in this GD province? Watch it Couillard - we who voted for you have you in our sights! Partition this damn place and let's get some of our areas of quebec back to a normal life within Canada. There seems to be no hope for this idiotic place! Appeasing these damn separatists seems to be some kind of hobby in quebec and they can't get one party with the guts to tell them all to piss off.
DeleteFrom Ann
DeleteI sent a letter to several Liberal MNAs outlining my disgust at their decision to appeal the ruling. I suggest that the anglophone community start fighting back. Inundate them with letters asking them to explain how this decision will encourage businesses and people to stay here and to move here. We need to fight back.
Bwahahaa
DeleteAnglos thinking the Liberals are going to do anything for them. smh, roflmao
Kevin
@Ann
DeleteI was thinking along the same lines...let's raise money for a billboard and express our outrage publicly. Get on Facebook, Twitter and let them have it. Never understatement what shaming them will accomplish.
Published on FB:
DeleteHelene David is the Minister of Culture and Communications, Minister responsible for the promotion and protection of the French language.
I called her office and asked her secretary, Madeleine Sultan, to find out why the new Liberal government decided to appeal the Quebec Supreme Court's decision to allow international companies to keep their trademark names without the need for a French translation. The secretary was very polite and took down my name and phone number, saying she would get back to me with an answer.
Madeleine just called me back and promised to email me a response by Monday afternoon. She was also very interested in our groups in a positive way.
Rather than bombarding her with phone calls, I suggest everyone who is concerned, might wish to send Mme. David an email requesting an explanation. You might also wish to express your worry that the Liberals seem to be pandering to the French population and that it would not be conducive to a free and thriving economy.
Madeleine Sultan (Secretary to Helene David)
Tel: 514-482-0199
Fax: 514-482-9985
msultan@assnet.qc.ca
Get busy everyone and put your comments to her and Couillard about the unnecessary expense and time taken up by appealing the court's decision regarding Bill 101! Damn fools anyway - what is the necessity of this? Nothing!
Monday business hours are over. Any response from Madeleine?
DeleteAnother case started today. Anyone know why it has taken so long to be heard?
Merchants on trial contesting Bill 101 sign law
Mark this day.
ReplyDeleteCommon sense as usual is fleeting for the Liberals. Revert to knuckle dragging Francophone thinking and screwing everybody else.
Time to throw Anglo's and immigrants under the bus again in search of building Francophone confidence in themselves yet again.
The same fucking tired song.
http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2014/05/08/liberals-appeal-ruling-saying-retailers-dont-have-to-modify-english-names
Ed, you seeing this shit?
@cebeuq
DeleteNot only is that happening, but apparently, they are going through with some version of the values charter. Just after the Liberals were elected, I stated that we should .....proceed with caution, (other than getting rid of the insidious PQ, I didn't really feel we had cause to celebrate yet....where the real issues were concerned anyway). I stated that..we should consider them on probation, until further notice. It isn't looking really good for them on the Human Rights side, (contesting the courts on their ruling of English signage & this insistence to introduce 'some version' of the charter, is an immediate #FAIL as far as some of us are concerned), which is my biggest beef as you all know. I have serious reservations as well at this point, that they'll fix the Economy, ....my other biggest beef, (sigh).
I am really not at all surprised they've done an 'about face', they've done this time and time again and I may even have mentioned that on previous posts. It makes the rest of us just more resolved that Montreal should be a city state. It is the only way IT will fix itself. It is its only hope for climbing out of the hole, let's face it. Those in charge of Quebec, and it doesn't matter which Party it happens to be, keep flippin' Montreal the bird. It's time Montreal flips it back.
Montréal pour une ville état
Agreed - we have to get our areas out of this stinking province to survive! WE NEED A PARTITION PARTY ASAP in order to be ready for the next election! That is our only hope of claiming some peace again!
Delete@Cutie
DeleteYeah...I think enough is enough, never mind that 'the attitude', and all it entails, is once again, a real nuisance, but as far Montreal is concerned, it doesn't have a real choice. Economically it is in dire straights. 'Jacob' is the latest victim. We need people to move HERE, not move out. If people move here, they will spend money here, gees...it isn't rocket science. We need to encourage that in any way possible, not turning people off again and again. Montreal can no longer afford bill 101, it is that simple and after 40yrs, 'credit' for that law just ran out, here in Montreal. This city needs to do the sensible thing and realize it's very survival is attached to the exemption of bill 101, and it needs to seek that exemption fiercely. We have 4yrs to position Montreal to seek city-state status. Monsieur Coderre êtes-vous à l'ecoute?
Again we see the real problem with Quebec.
DeleteFrancophone culture of manipulation and lies.
Charbonneau shows us our govt to the highest levels has known about rampant corruption for 20 years as an "open secret".
Drainville and the PQ are not the least embarassed by the lies abotu the Charter.
Liberals are not the least bit embarassed about throwing common sense out and endorsing francophone idiocy less then 30 days from the election.
The problem with Quebec is francophone culture that teaches these kind of lies and manipulations of fellow citizens is acceptable time and time again.
We can see howit started. The Gazette gets a call from the Liberals. Run an editorial setting the groundwork the other day and a week later we have the Quebec govt launching.
The Gazette is setting up the groundwork for out new "transparent" govt to manipulate us.
As usual nothing can change because the problem is francophone thinking and culture.
Stealing, lies, destroying human rights are acceptable to Francophones. Their CULTURE teaches it.
Their CULTURE *IS* the problem.
@cebeuq
DeleteI still believe Montreal is different, and 'their culture', as you put it, doesn't prevail here, in this city. I am still a Montrealer because I still see a glimmer of hope, which is that, common sense can prevail. We saw it at the last election, which, in my opinion, (and the opinion of many), was more about saying NO to something, (bad policies & legislation), than saying YES to something, read: Liberals. The fact that the Liberals have fallen into their old bad habits of appeasing a certain segment of society yet again, is enough to convince us we need to GET OUT for once and for all. We just cannot afford to remain in a place which represents a huge Liability for our very welfare and survival. We cannot remain in a house that is being ravaged by Fire looking for the silver to save. As harsh as this may sound to some ....To hell with 'The Silver', ...we're gettin' out.
What the heck did you guys expect???? How many more Liberal governments do you need to experience before you figure out they are useless???!!! They will do nothing to stop the decline..they are part of the reason Quebec is near bankruptcy..they have done nothing for anglos other than being against seperation..that is it..
DeleteTheir support is still majority francophone so of course they will enact policies for the francophone population.
At least with a Liberal minority the CAQ could have forced them to get our financial house in order but this is off the table now..we are stuck with another 4 years of Libs. If I was an anglo I would prepare to leave this province before the shit hits the fan over the next few years. House prices are going down..they will go down all over Canada but start earlier here because of our horrible economy.
The bottom line is that 80 percent of quebecers are francophones..they run the show and they like bill 101..they like protecting their language..they like expensive social programs..they have zero sympathy for anglo rights..so of course governments are going to cater to the majority of the voting public..its not flippin rocket science. We can whine all we want bit we are not a significant voting block and we prove over and over that we always vote Liberal like good little sheep so why would the Liberals have any respect for the anglo community? You have helped create a monster..an arrogant party that breaks the law, that lies, that mismanages the finances, that does nothing to stop corruption and what do the anglos do..they overwhelmingly vote them back in.
And then one month later the anglos are whining about the Liberal policies..are you people for real? No sympathy for you all. Let me know when you are ready to embrace real change..
Hang on to your shorts there ..complicated, no one was expecting anything, we simply wanted to get rid of the PQ, and so did the silent majority, enfin. Heck, the Liberals even won seats in quebec's backwater, even popo got ousted. We all said NO to the PQ, that was the extent of it, but got saddled with the Liberals, who have always been a PQ-Lite, as Mr. Sauga often refers to them...man...don't you read this blog? And don't be fooled, ton chom ...Legault would have appealed the ruling too by the courts on signage, given half a chance, AND pushed through the values charter with little edits from the original version except for punctuation probably, leaving it much like what it was, an uncivil piece of garbage legislation. My point is, no provincial party can save us, Montrealers specifically. In light of the fact thar WE ARE the motor that keeps everything running at the moment, for once, Let's command respect and tell them to take a hike. This island can do that, if it gets organized. We have to seek our own power, our own autonomy, and make our own rules. Carve out our own niche and run with it.
DeleteMontréal pour une ville état.
I never said Laegault and the CAQ were going to do anything for anglos...and they do agree with parts of the charter. All this charter and language talk to me is besides the point. The point is the province is essentially bankrupt..we need a party that can deal with this NOW. Legault has the business experience to get it done..they had the will and the focus to make a good effort..the Liberals have proven beyond a doubt that they have no clue on how to balance the books..I dont care what economic team they have its always the same..more debt..more economic weakness.
Deletei admire your dream but you dont have anywhere near the support to make it happen. Things will have to get a lot worse before people do something and most people will move to the left..ie Quebec Solidaire..they are not going to embrace taking on the debt problem head on because it will be too painful. So we will need to be forced to do it by the financial world who at some point will only lend us money at high interest rates and if we make serious cuts to government spending. In effect we will need to get to Greek or Spain status..that is the reality of what will happe ville etat.
Its a nice fantasy you have but as usual people will just ask the government to do more and more until the government goes totally bankrupt. People in the end are just too apathetic to get involved..too cynical..we are stuck with the Liberals again for over 4 years..too much time.
Okay complicated...we r stuck with the Liberals for 4 year. You are fantastic at pointing out problems...congrats you are the blog SME for that. What about solutions? What alternatives do we have, right now' to deal with what is happening? What are your suggestions? We're in a maze, you've been mandated with finding the cheese...where do we go? Lead the way....
DeleteHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
DeleteLet me just gloat for a moment, to tell you guys a very large and substantial I TOLD YOU SO.
1) The OQLF contravenes the law, going beyond the limits of Bill 101 with regards to the public display English signs. QUEBEC superior court (yes, QUEBEC COURT!) even rules against the OQLF for clearly breaking the law and deems their actions illegal. The Parti Quebecois apparently let it be. YET LO AND BEHOLD, HERE WE HAVE THE LIBERAL PARTY APPEALING THE DECISION!
2) Next we have the Quebec Charter of Values, one of the most damaging things to ever come out of Quebec. Everyone thought it died with the Parti Quebecois' election loss. YET LO AND BEHOLD, HERE WE HAVE THE LIBERAL PARTY ANNOUNCING THEY WILL PUSH THROUGH THEIR OWN CHARTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PRESERVING MUCH OF WHAT THE PQ CREATED. No? Think it can't be serious? The LIBERALS have stated they plan to modify the Quebec charter of human rights and freedoms in order to allow their charter to pass!!
So, what's next? Ah yes, coming soon.....Bill 14 light. More ways to restrict access to English schools. More restrictions on businesses in order to drive them out of the province. More corruption, more of the same damn things the PQ brought us. All so this province can continue to drop like a lead ballon, and take my word, we're still going down!
As I said so many times before, regardless of who won the election April 7th, WE STILL LOSE!
Now you know why I absolutely, positively refused to give my vote to the Liberal party and instead voted Green party. So HAH, there you go, I was undeniably right!
Where's Mr. Sauga? I'm sure he has something to say about these recently Liberal actions!
Call me when the Litany of "I told you so" is over....how is this helpful? This is really not helpful.
DeleteI used to think this Complicated guy was whack but he is making sense.
DeleteWhy not vote CAQ? On paper they are worse than the Liberals for minorities, but if they capture a lot of our votes the opportunist Legault will throw us a few bones. We will also have the outside chance that he actually fixes up things a bit (not holding my breath as he is former PQ).
Even if he fucks us over we don‘t have to deal with being lied to and the sting of betrayal. Also, we can mobilize better against this guy as opposed to our supposed friend the PLQ.
So, teach the Liberals a lesson and maybe have some union sloth cleaned up.
Complicated always made sense...made a fan outa me anyway...but just pointing out problems at this point gets us nowhere. It is true..WE..have 4yrs to mobilize ...how we gonna do this? I say our best shot is for Montreal to show its claws and push back, we need to pressure city hall. Let's start with demanding special powers for Montreal, and go from there. Real & substantial ...special powers. And let's be RELENTLESS, lol, savvy?
DeleteExactly Back. We all should punish the Liberals once and for all for taking our vote for granted then doing absolutely nothing to help our community.
DeleteThe CAQ may or may not fix things here but we know the Libs and the PQ cant so what do we have to lose..thats been my point for the past 2 years. And the whole raison detre of the CAQ is to fix the real problems..the economy, the debt, the crumbling everything, the corruption - then maybe once thay crisis is dealt with then we can look at the language issue. I know the CAQ are not going to change Bill 101 or do much for anglos but neither will the Liberals and at least the debt issue has some chance of being dealth with by the CAQ.
So what do we do ville-etat..well my plan was for the caq to at least hold the balance of power so that one got dashed and not surprisingly so since the anglos only vote Lieberal.
DeleteFrankly I think this place is doomed..I have been here long enough and heard/seen enough bs to realize when a situation is hopeless. Corruption and dishonesty is a way of life here and I mean here in Montreal. In fact your precious Montreal is probably more corrupt than the rest of Quebec. I spent most of my life in western canada and its shocking how different Montreal is and in a bad way. Up is down and down is up here. Its considerend normal here to take sick leave as vacation leave, to ripoff the system to the max, to treat clients like crap (worst customer service ever is right here in Montreal), and on and on. I have had so many experiences that just left me shaking my head. Being yelled at by the company which sold me my furnace because I asked a question he didnt like, workers telling me it would take x number of hours and it taking a lot less but charging me for the x number of hours, construction workers digging up and repaving the same section several times with in a year or two out of incompetence or to make more money, countless cases of total incompetent service from various retail outlets including flat out lies, francophone refusing to speak a word of english to me but working for a mainly anglophone city, anglophones refusing to speak a word of french when in a group of mainly francophones, and on and on.
Dishonesty seems to be no big deal here..you cant count on anyones word..people lie, they cheat, they manipulate, they whine, they dont want to do an honest days work. So how do you change this culture that is so pervasive..this place will never be succesful until you change this and I think its impossible wihtout a crisis such as the greek and spanish crisis. People here are just too self-centered and unwilling to sacrifice to make this place better..its all about what they can get for themselves. In western canada there is a much better sense of right and wrong, being honest, working hard and sacrificing for the greater good.
Not sure why those values are so missing here in Montreal. I suspect it has something to do with the constant fighting between the french and the english..people dont trust one another..there is a constant tension that brings out the worst in people. I suspect the high rate of government or pseuod-government workers, or heavily subsidized/unionized workers has given a high self-entitlement mentality to many people. People expect to do as little work as possible but still get good pay and benefits. Its also hard to fire a lot of people here because of the unions. There are also a lot of people in jobs simply because they speak the right language not because they are the most competent..this further encourages people to take advantage of the system.
I have actually generally found people a lot friendlier outside of Montreal in the rest of Quebec..maybe there is also the big city syndrome..but I have been too other big cities where I found people to be quite friendly including Toronto and Chicago.
I dont know ville etat..please enlighten me on why you think Montreal is such a great place to live..
I admire Legault‘s talk on fixing the public mess and I believe him about not calling a referendum. However I find him a real knuckledragger on identity. I was also a bit dismayed to see him inviting Drainville into his party. That said can he be that much worse than the Liberals that we can‘t switch to him en masse just to teach those entitled bastards a lesson? I will be watching the moves he and Couillard make in the next 4 years very keenly. Then again maybe I‘ll just move.
DeleteBecause it is Home, and when I travel...and I travel a lot, no other place feels like this one. I would rather stay here, at Home, but if we do become Greece or Spain then we'll have to entertain the prospect of moving. Mostly it would be for my kid, ...our kids deserves better. Kids of Allos generally speak several languages. Mine is an amazing athlete and an A-student to boot, she is not bound by any Limitations. She stays the course, gets an education, excels ...she can go anywhere and be anything, opportunities will be limitless, I'm not worried. But our Family and Friends are here, so I stay for pretty much the same reasons everyone else does.
DeleteThe other side of the coin is...I would love to see Montreal pick itself up from a really dark place, especially when everyone counts it ...down and out. A come-back story...I love to see Montreal in come-back story, wouldn't you?
I agree with you tho, we are in bad shape and you do not change human nature overnight, but if you start slowly, and you keep repeating the same things, which happen to be the truth, maybe just maybe, they resonate with people and will spark a reaction. Look, never before was there ever any talk about special status for Montreal, but now we are talking about it..it is what some of us are hoping for.
Change is slow but not impossible!
Well this is not my home and I do miss my home out west. I naively assumed that all of Canada was more or less the same when I moved here 12 years ago..boy was I wrong. I had lived in ontario and a few provinces out west and the differences were pretty muted. But Montreal was a shock in so many ways..I have somehow become accustomed to it now but every time I leave to go elsewhere I am always kind of surprised by how much better the level of service is in general, the friendliness of people and the work ethic..all these traits are in general so lacking here.
DeleteI would love to see Montreal be what is used to be or be what much of the rest of Canada is but I just cant see it. There are too many selfish people here looking out for themselves..there is too much mistrust..too much cynicism..too much dihonesty.
I would have loved to have lived here 50 years ago when Montreal was king..I do love the architecture of the city which shows what a grand place it was. But its sad to see so many crumbling buildings, bridges, roads and a skyline that hasnt changed for 40 years.
I guess I am thankful in a way I didnt grow up here because it must be incredibly sad and depressing to have witnessed the decline of this city. I lived in Calgary for several years and it was literally the anti-Montreal. The city had such a positive vibe to it - everyone was working to make it a better place, so much volunteers, so much sacrifice put it and look at where Calgary is now..its clearly the most propserous and dynamic city in the country. I assume Montreal at one time was like this but likely 50-100 years ago..maybe its a natural decline..Athens and Rome were great cities once too and now are not quite the cities they were. Montreal has declined for 40 years and there is no signs of it changing anytime soon..the change has to come from the people not the politicians. And I dont sense the people here have what it takes to improve things..I hate to be negative but I tell it lile I see it..I was all starry eyed and upbeat when I first moved here but I have been beaten down by so many awful experiences that I dont have any optimism left..
Comps...you need a drink, and I suggest you get some rose colored glasses...I don't mean to poke fun...but honestly, you don't sound happy, and you don't sound like you even like Montreal. You shouldn't live in a place you don't like and don't appreciate.
DeleteThank you for your honesty because a lot of the things you say are kinda true. All I can say is Kudos, don't know how you do it, I couldn't manage it, getting up and loathing my surroundings. One thing is for sure, if you do not speak French here, the surroundings will loathe you. Not sure if that is the problem, but if it is...best on it...it is a contributing factor.
@montreal ville etat
Delete"you don't sound like you even like Montreal."
you sure don't sound like you like it either mate. You shouldn't live in a place you don't like and don't appreciate. same goes for r.s, cutie003 and pple iigs. i'm glad you finally surrendered to this great argument.
"I couldn't manage it, getting up and loathing my surroundings."
no worries dude, you are very good at it. role model for all wannabe loathers.
Ah pinstripes, you haven't run away yet..like s.r and Mohamed? Lol...too bad.
DeleteI love my city and want to turn it into a city-state since those like you, of your ilk, have ravaged and pillaged it for 40yrs. I want to make it better, I want to heal it by getting rid of the toxicity that has made it sick for decades. If that sounds like loathing to you, buy yourself a Webster. In the meantime stop spinning blog contributor posts..you stink at it.
@montreal ville etat
Delete"...I love my city."
ah right. you love it. cause earlier you said it's "in a hole", it's "a dark place" and it's in "bad shape". it gave another impression.
also earlier, you propose montreal to get out of bill 101. the result being, on the long term, to rid montreal of its french culture and main attractive feature. what's cool about hongkong is it's british. what's cool about bolzano is it's tirolese. what's cool about galway is it's gaelic. what's cool about san sebastian is it's basque. what used to be cool in new orleans was it was french. do you have what it takes to understand this? you don't need much.
What part of .."The house is on fire and your still looking for the silver, don't you get?" This is necessary. And there is no issue because French is here to stay, You'll have all surrounding areas still immersed in bill 101, so French is definitely not going anywhere. But exempting Montreal right now from this restrictive Legislation is a necessary evil. We have to try something drastic, cause 40yrs HAVE put us in the hole.
DeleteTu as tort, est tu le sais. Your so desperate to make your point, you're using emotion to strike a chord. Mostly, you have to keep arguing 'The Wrong' side of the argument at every cost..... just because. ABSA is right, it is a defect in your make-up, it is how you people are wired. But now you need to step aside now and let the grown-ups deal with the mess you've made. Go to your rooms if you can't handled the real world and you are too afraid of your own shadows.
Montreal needs this, no amount of 'romanticism' in the world will save it, except difficult but logical decisions, t'inquiète, bill 101 will reign unabated in Quebec City and parts there-of, if you find Montreal too...uncomfortable.
It seems clear that sandwiched between two Liberal bookends Montreal isn;t going to get anything it needs.
DeleteCodierre a longtime provincial Liberal. He's already showing his true Liberal colors again. Wasting time talkign abotu bridge tolls? Hey asshole mayor of Mntreal. you *WANT* bridge tolls so people stay on island.
It's not his job to fight for the idiots that chose to live in brossard and work in Laval and doesn;t want to pay a bridge toll.
Codierre went after Searle. Couillard is fighting the court over the french signs issue yet again.
It seems clear these two are just the usual run of the mill Liberals.
Montreal "special powers" will amount to nothing. We will be exempted from *NOTHING*. It will be a symbolic only document negotiated by two francophones determined to support their "bush brothers".
"Montreal" ie Francophone Montreal will yet again be praised, coddled and protected in whatver "Special status" they come up with. Protecting Montreal from francophones is not part of the agenda.
We are being misled. Montreal special status is yet another Liberal sideshow to destract anglophones and immigrants from the same old business of Quebec and most importantly the LIBERALS.
Get ready for Bill 61 lite, Bill 14 lite shoved down our throats by the very party that was supposed to save us and show common sense.
Meanwhile we will be offered some useless token sybolic gesture through the Montreal special status" bill.
The Liberals will yet again chip away at basic freedoms to advance and reassure hopelessly insecure francophones about their culture yet again.
How many times until they realize that you can;t reassure a Francophone about his culture? It's a never ending quest. The education system teaches them to be insecure so the politicians can then exploit it.
Anglophones and immigrants must constantly be sacrificed at the altar so Francophones can feel better about themselves for 24 hours.
"Anglophones and immigrants must constantly be sacrificed at the altar so Francophones can feel better about themselves for 24 hours."
DeleteChecks and balances is the only true religion. What you say may have validity, but ..checks and balances are KING. They can play this game they've played for just so long. 40yrs is a long time to hide behind the excuse of culture and language, but in Life, there are no free Lunches, and that is the hard cold Reality. In the end, we all face the music, and trust me, this is what keeps me going. The higher powers forget no one, in the end we must all have to live with the consequences of our decisions. Maybe once upon a time something needed to be done to look after culture and language here, but no longer. The patient is no longer sick and there is no reason to keep administering the medicine. This is the Reality. What good does it do us to deny it?
See...this is the thing, perhaps what you say is right, all of this won't amount to a hill of beans, but you have to put it forward. You have to lay the goods on the table for everyone to see. That is all we are doing in here after all. That's all we can hope for day after day of posting, comment, opinions and ideas. We've been given the gift of social media, let's exploit it in the right way. In the past, best you could hope for was that you'd write your local paper and hope and pray your letter would get published. Today, you can express exactly what you think at a moment's notice and thousands of people read it.
Don't underestimate the power of an idea, it is a force of nature, and...it can become a tsunami. For that reason alone you have pinstripes hanging here night and day attempting to shoot down every post, she, and those backing her know how dangerous ideas can be. The Quiet Revolution began with an idea, and then it wasn't so quiet anymore.
Ideas are Freedom. Keep posting.
I actually speak french fairly well so that is not the problem. But there is always the sense that no matter what I as an anglophone will never be a true quebecer and I sense most anglos and allos feel that. It doesnt matter how good are french is..the real quebecois will always know we are anglos and allos because of our accent, our last name and will always put us in another category.
DeleteI would love to leave Montreal but not everyone in my family feels the same..plus I am in a pretty narrow field..not too many equivalent jobs elsewhere..so as in many peoples cases its not trivial. However I will clearly say I do regret moving here..it was one of the worst decisions in my life as the level of stress in my life has gone up so much since living here. There is the traffic to deal with, the generally unfriendly and dishonest population, the constant fighting between the anglos and the francos, the total unreasonable behaviour of various groups of people such as students who will taker the citizens of a city hostage for their own selfish needs, union protected workers who totally abuse the system..ie work as little as possible but still expect to be paid well, constant construction everywhere because everything is falling to pieces because of years of neglect, and of course the nonstop stories of corruption.
I see it literally every day..examples of people abusing the system, doing as little as possibe, being rude and on and on.
Its funny..I have gone on a few trips to Toronto in the past few years and the ambience is so different there. First of all the city is booming, new construction everywhere, people are friendly - they treat you much better in stores and restaurants - there is a certain amount of effort in their work. Same story when I go to the USA or western canada..even France. Here you walk in a store and they often ignore you..you ask a question and they often look irritated or they dont know anything. And of course if you happen to talk to a francophone worker in english then you always get that feeling that they are somehow irritated that you dares spoke english to them. But its not just the francophones,,even the anglos are often not pleasant to deal with.
Well what can we say after that? I concede this province has become mediocre, and even that is paying it a compliment. Since we are stuck for the most part because of varying reason, why not try to improve things? We cannot fix the entire province of quebec, and we cannot do it overnight. But we can attempt to fix a part of it, an important part at that: Montreal. I realize that you've stated that Montreal is the worst piece of the puzzle as far as you're concerned, the apathy, the corruption, the overall malaise of people, "even the Anglos are often not pleasant to deal with", all I can say is they've been abused the most in this province, so their behavior is not surprising. Coming back to the discussion of Montreal, IT also, has been majorly abused. It isn't as homogeneous as the rest of the province and it's paid for it, ALWAYS. Add to that that it's been envied by the RoQ for 40 yrs so those we've elected have always had it in for Montreal. Just look around you, no other part of Quebec is this deteriorated. There has been a silent campaign to do it in and it's undeniable, Montrealers have to wake up to this reality. Hence the reason I insist on a city-state. Now more than ever, especially with the latest shenanigans from the Liberal party, Montreal will pay the most. The Liberals and the PQ should just merge cause I honestly do not see any difference. But at this point, I don't see any difference between ANY provincial party at the helm, they will always make Montreal pay for being different. We have to thank Couillard for what he just pulled actually, cause this puts wind in our sails, and it makes the selling of Montreal as a city state the only sensible alternative at this point. That's the ONLY solution to never have to be at the mercy of any political party that sits in the National Assembly in Quebec City, and never be victimized by them ever again. Look..Venetians were not Venetians to begin with, and Venice did not exist before citizens of neighboring towns decided they has had enough of being harassed and pillaged. They built Venice in the Lagoon to find peace, it was the only safe place where they would no longer be bothered and victimized ever again. Imagine building a town on water, how fed up you have to be and how resolved and committed to your survival you have to be as well. Montreal cannot physically move anywhere, but it can create conditions to disallow anyone in power to victimize it ever again. We have a small window of opportunity to crawl out of an impending ghetto. We can continue to be part of the problem or we can seek solutions, since we are stuck here for a while..why not find a solution. :-) lol.
Delete"also earlier, you propose montreal to get out of bill 101. the result being, on the long term, to rid montreal of its french culture and main attractive feature. what's cool about hongkong is it's british. what's cool about bolzano is it's tirolese. what's cool about galway is it's gaelic. what's cool about san sebastian is it's basque. what used to be cool in new orleans was it was french. do you have what it takes to understand this? you don't need much."
DeleteGetting rid of Bill 101 or making it a bit lighter is not going to eliminate the french culture. It might water down the french influence somewhat but there are too many francophones here and around for the french culture to disappear. Do you really believe french is that weak and vulnerable? Montreal was the hippest and coolest and most dynamic city back in the 1940s through to the 1960s without Bill 101...all Bill 101 has done is make Montreal a lot poorer..everything is crumbling now..the economy and hence the vibrancy of the city is just a shell of what it was.
Hong Kong is great because its a thriving dynamic city..the business centre of China. The natural surrounding also help with islands and hilly terrain. yes the british influence is neat but its far from what makes hong kong interesting. The Chinese culture is still pretty firmly implanted and they didnt need a law like Bill 101 to make it so. They have one of the most capitalist economies int he world..the skyline is constantly changing..the government lets businessnes thrive by not placing onerous laws and taxes and regulations on everyone..hence you can find anything in Hong Kong.
Montreal with Bill 101 compared to Hong Kong with its wide open capitalism and freedom is quite laughable..there is nothing simillar between these two cities now. I think Montreal 50-60 years ago with its thriving economy and openness to both languages was a lot more similar to Hong Kong..that is gone because of constant government intervention pushed by an incredibly fearful and paranoid francophone society.
"....... I think Montreal 50-60 years ago with its thriving economy and openness to both languages was a lot more similar to Hong Kong..that is gone because of constant government intervention pushed by an incredibly fearful and paranoid francophone society."
DeleteWhen it comes to Montreal, it goes beyond the "paranoid francophone society". They feel a real disdain toward It. I have said this previously, Quebec City dwellers in particular, are always bitching about Montreal and their favorite pastime is dissing Montreal. If you don't believe it, try listening to a Quebec City radio station during a morning commute. What we must admit, and it's tough to admit it, is what is being perpetrated on Montreal on a daily basis, intentionally and on purpose. Sorry...is that tough to concede? Look around you, it is the truth. Montrealers have to deal with the fact that they are considered the black sheep by the RoQ, cause we don't look like the rest of them, or even act like the rest of them, so Montreal is constantly harassed. This is what we must come to terms with. This is what must be evoked in the consciousness of all Montrealers. We are part of a Family that does not like us, appreciate us or value us. And I am referring to the Montreal community which consists of Francophone, Anglophones and Allophones.
As cliché as this may sound....we're in a Cinderella story Folks. Montreal has been banished to the dungeon for 4 decades now, laugh if you want, but it happens to be true. This city has been abused and exploited by all the wicked step-mothers and sisters who have pranced through our National Assembly in Quebec City. It deserves better, it deserves to flourish again....and it deserves a Fairy Godmother to help it do just that...a bunch of Fairy Godmothers actually, Montrealers need to do that for their city, no one else will, we cannot trust anyone to look after our interests. We need to recognize this and own it. So spread the word, start discussing this, maybe people are too comatose to even realize it, but it is THE Reality we must deal with NOW, so we can finally, Finally, break free and Live Happily ever After.
Its true that Quebec City and much of the ROQ hate Montreal but they do have some points. All this corruption talk we are hearing in the charbonneau commission is essentially contractors from Montreal. Lets face it too..there is a big mafia presence in this city also which doesnt help. I mean listen to the names of a lot of these contractors..there is a pretty hefty number of allophones in there too. So the ROQ is probably sick and tired of hearing about all this crap going on right here in Montreal.
DeleteOr how about Mirabel..another mega-project for Montreal which ended in disaster..how many farmers were kicked out off their land and how much money pissed down the drain for that. Or the Olympic stadium disaster..read the book from the
French architect..there was so much crap going on via corrupt construction companies, corrupt unions, incompetent local engineers..this was back in the 1970s.
I guess yes in some ways Montreal could be the economic powerhouse it was 40 years ago with a weaker Bill 101..I think the city should be bilingual however I dont think one language should have larger characters than another. I also dont think every business should have to provide training or literature in french..if its a company whose clients are mainly anglos then english should be fine.
Yes there is some corruption everywhere in Quebec but it seems to be at another level here in Montreal..why is that? Perhaps too much government money flows into this place..perhaps there are certain elements only found in Montreal..perhaps the francophones living here are annoyed by all those anglos/allos and go out of their way to get their cut any way they can or vice-versa.
So there is some justificatio for the ROQ to be disdainful of Montreal..this place is the corruption capital of Canada. Oh and notice too how many scams seem to be based in Montreal..telemarketing scams..credit card scams..and on and on. It could be too that a lot of the immigrants here have a hard time getting a decent job so they are pushed into more dubious affairts..I dont know..but there is some sort of toxic waste mix here in Montreal..
"So there is some justificatio for the ROQ to be disdainful of Montreal..this place is the corruption capital of Canada..."
DeleteNah...they hate us cause all the ethnics live here...they are as muddled up in the corruption as anyone else. You seem to be always so apologetic for them, something tells me your bias has a lot to do with you day-to-day associations, a significant other who is of the 'French' persuasion perhaps? In any case, it doesn't matter. I can tell you this, I can speak whatever French the situation calls for, and I go petty much undetected, cause I really do blend in. I have always had a facility for Languages, so I can sound like anyone in the 4 Languages I speak, and trust me on this one. But it never fails, the minute they look at my name tag at a local conference, it's game over. I get ..The Look. THAT'S what I live with, and funny enough, I had never even noticed, till one fateful day, which literally sucked me into the Reality of this place, it occurred to me that I am an Allophone, cause I was put in my place, for speaking my mother-tongue during a private conversation, in a public space....so here I am.
The Allophones you insist on attributing blame to are a minority. The rest CHOSE to come for the ride. When it comes to corruption, let's square the blame exactly where it lies, on those who made the choice, and lately at Charbonneau, there are less and less ethnic sounding names. AND you mean to tell me that the Locals have no values, no principles and no morals to say... NO? It's too damn easy, for a society of people who claim to be "maître chez nous", the majority no less, to be swayed by a minority, immigrants...who arrived with half a suitcase. And these same corrupt individuals are an even bigger minority within the minority, cause they don't represent the rest of us Allophones. To attribute blame to the ethnics again and again for all their evils in this society is a huge cop out, sorry, not on my watch...assumer vos propres responsibilites svp.
And complicated, do me a favor...Please stop indulging this poor pathetic argument.
Thank you.
Well the mafia is certainly not the locals and if you believe they are not part of the problem in a pretty big way then you really have your head in the sand. I never said the locals were innocent but I am also quite tired of the allos pretending to be so innocent all the time either..Montreal is a cesspool of corruption..the worst in Canada and to somehow think only the francophones are involved is pretty naive. If Montreal wants the ROQ to respect them and stop dissing them then they need to clean up their act and that includes everybody.
DeleteI suspect the francophones causing problems here in Quebec are also a minority but they are significant..I suspect there could also be a significant part of the allophones in Montreal that could also be part of the problem and maybe even some anglos thrown in. There is some mix here in Montreal that for whatever reason seems to bring out the worst in people. Maybe its just a case indicating that too many ethnic groups in a city is not a good idea..too much tension..too much distrust..
"Maybe its just a case indicating that too many ethnic groups in a city is not a good idea..too much tension..too much distrust.."
DeleteDid I read that right? The fact that you brought that up, and said it, speaks volumes about you and who you are. Cause let's face it, to have stated such a thing, you must believe such a thing. I suddenly understand why you are so unhappy here in Montreal. The ethnics are a minority here, no one is saying that a few of them aren't bad apples, you have those in all segments of society. Fact remains that the majority are locals, and they jumped on the bandwagon with those bad apples. NONE of THEM stood up and declared that what was going on was wrong, and I'm talking about BEFORE the Charbonneau Commission.
For you to have said what you said......very very disappointing. The ethnics broke their backs building this city. The good honest hard-working ones, 99% of them, came with less than nothing, and built a Life, some even...empires, the honest way, blood, sweat and tears! They helped build the economy, and paid taxes, and you wanna blow them off, this huge contributing group of society? That was undignified. So you caught a few bad breaks in your Life, please don't be like those Losers who blame everyone else for their Failures. Seriously...that was really..uncool, just sayin'
And FYI..no one has the right to treat Montreal like sh*t, no matter if there are "too many ethnic groups in the city" WTF. If you don't like here, and you're such a fan of Quebec City...move there and good luck.
I will disagree with the notion of Montreal being more corrupt. In the city of Gatineau, QC, corruption is an accepted part of the city and the provincial government openly supports it. The province have granted a monopoly to a few construction firms and excluded all others from Ontario from bidding on construction contracts. The project that the city is preparing is a new arena with 5 500 seats. The few companies qualified to bid have all bid higher than the city 63 million, bringing the cost to 80 million. Now the cost are high, considering that the city of Kingston build a 5 300 seat arena (expandable to 6 000) for 50 million dollar (adjusted for inflation). The municipal politician often bring forward project for their own legacy project rather than the need of the community. The elected politician tend to listen to the voices of those easily mobilisable like hockey fan rather than the sick or the poor. The Charbonneau commission isn't investigating the situation of the city of Gatineau because it would attack the Quebec model, focusing on the Montreal and Laval situation, less likely to oppose the relationship between the Quebec government and the Unions.
DeleteVille etat - Its funny how people like you can come on here and trash francophones day after day. Then someone dares say that perhaps some of the allos are part of the problem and you flip out. S you can dish it out but you cant take it..sounds pretty hypocritical to me. Please explain why Montreal is such a cesspool of corruption yet it also has the largest allo and anglo population..perhaps there is a relation..maybe not. But to somehow think that only the francophones are involved is the ultimate in naivety.
DeleteWhat I have noticed is there are also a lot of high and mighty allos here who seem to think they are gods gift to Canada. Sometimes and sometimes not. There is a problem here in Montreal and looking at the names of many of the people involved the allos are also part of the problem.
I suppose 'perception' is 9/10 of the Law, (just like possession) they say, and yours is a little thwarted. I do not trash Francophones, I do not have a high opinion of separatists, big difference. And after what they just pulled with bill 60, no, I am not a fan...who would be? So please let's not invent myths, it's enough we have an insidious troll already, we don't need another one.
DeleteWhen I am in the wrong in regards to something, I step up and admit it, unlike you and a few others who are incapable of objectivity. I have publicly apologized when the situation called for it, again, unlike you, who after expressing that HUGE faux-pas, you did not apologize for your bigoted comment. Rather, you come on here and attack me because I called on it, poor form comps, ....very POOR FORM.
I don't know where you got the idea that Allos think they are god's gift to Canada, but I will say this for them, many are highly accomplished. When you do think they came here from war-torn countries, with nothing in their pockets, not knowing the Language, the customs, in many cases, and built productive contributing Lives, you know what buddy? They are a gift! A gift the 'two founding nations" should be happy to welcome. But here you are, talking about them with disdain. I gather immigrants bother you? What with those unflattering comments you made, "a case of too many ethnics in a city is not a good idea" (wow, I still can't get over the fact that YOU, of all people in here, said that), you're a little closet racist, aren't you? I suppose it is your prerogative to be one, knock yourself out. But please stop deflecting your inadequacies on me, this is about you, and about what you stated, own up to it, don't make it about me.
Thank you.
@complicated
Deleteyou got sucked in a typical pattern mate. you start by making sense, then montreal ville état goes overboard in its francos bad others good, then you don't buy it, and then you're a racist. typical blog troll behaviour. it's documented.
Is that all you got? (yawn)..Really? Mmm...I understand pinstripes, not much you can say after I've slammed your sorry little ass with my recent posts.
Delete@comps, looks like you've been officially welcomed into the troll club by the troll blog president, congrats, how flattering for you! LOL...I'd say there goes your street cred, but at this point, we both know that ship has sailed.
Ville etat - It just blows me away how many incredibly racist comments are made by people here daily against francophones. But if anyone dares says that perhaps some of the allophones could be part of the problem then you all scream racism..is that not a double standard??? I dont believe in political correctness..this blog is awfully sensitive to any criticism against immigrants..why..you know why..because so many people on this blog are from that group not because there may be no truth in it. I know many immigrants are hard workng and come here with nothing..I also know some arent and some do take advantage of the system and some immigrants are worse than others. I also know that some francophones work their butts off to make this a better place and on and on.
DeleteBut I sure as heck dont need to be told that I am a racist because I dare bring up the reality that some allophones do participate in the massive corruption that exists here in Montreal. I have eyes and ears..I have had my own experiences too being ripped of by allophones and francophones and anglophones. So please spare me your sentimental talk about how all allophones are law abiding super hard working people who are never part of the problem because that is total bs.
The truth is that Montreal is a cesspool of corruption and the allos are part of it also..if you want to believe otherwise thats your right but dont attack me as a racist for actually being more objective than 90 percent of the people on this blog.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Delete"The truth is that Montreal is a cesspool of corruption and the allos are part of it also..if you want to believe otherwise thats your right but dont attack me as a racist for actually being more objective than 90 percent of the people on this blog."
DeleteAre you FOR REAL? You don't read very well, do you? Or once again you perceive what you want to. I own up to my sh*t. The few bad apples that may be associated with our community, do not represent our community, our essence. When you say that infamous five-letter word to describe 'the mob', you forget that it isn't exclusive to ethnics, we all have 'our' version of it. Yes there are corrupt people who are Anglo's, Allos, and Francophones. But let's call a spade a spade, when a certain group who represents the majority in a society, goes after it's ethnic minorities in the most blatant and overt fashion (read: bill60), it's called RACISM, pure and simple. But hey, here, apparently its called 'quebec bashing'. There hasn't been any acknowledgement by those who perpetrated this kind of Hatred (including the silent majority/innocent bystanders), denouncing this as unmitigated Racism. No one has stepped up to take ownership and apologize either, for the damage inflicted on race relations in this province, since the introduction of that hideous bill. RATHER, to add insult to injury, it's been further legitimized by the Liberals, who will now introduce their own version of it. I suppose appearances are everything in quebec society, so quebec must be portrayed as this pristine place which never f...up. Ahhh the games we play at the expense of others. Chalk it up to global political posturing and the need to preserve the quebec-brand. At all costs, no one must ever admit they screwed up. Way too go quebec, you are simply perfect!
To start, acknowledge your own short-comings, before expecting others to acknowledge theirs.
For once, Lead by example.
I am very real and very objective unlike the vast majority on this blog. There are no innocents here ville detat..you obviously want to paint the allos as the poor innocent victims..the francophones as the evil ones. Other people paint the francos as the evil ones and the anglos as the angels and vice versa for the seperatists.
DeleteThe facts are there staring you in the face..this city is incredibly corrupt and its full of people from all over the world, full of francophones and anglophones,,we have seen names of all backgrounds involved in corruption. I simply said that perhaps putting too many ethnic groups together brings out the worst in people. I have been to part of Europe where immigrants are a huge problem..ie muslims in France is a huge issue..there are a lot of problems integrating them..one because of their sheer number and also because of policies by the french government which have lumped them all together in HLMsand also because of the large cultural differences. We are not there but in another 20-30 years maybe we will have similar issues. To sit here and pretend that we can accept people from all over the world with totally different cultures and ways of thinking and it wont cause any problems here is very naive. History has shown over and over conflicts breaking out when people of different cultures live too close to each other..is that raicst, is that overblown, its reality.
There has to be some protection of basic Canadians values..it does bother a lot of Canadians when they see people walking aroud in veils..and wearing daggers at school and so on. It does bother Canadians when we are told we cant use the word christmas anymore because its offensive to someone elses religion..there is a point when we have to stand up and protect some basic canadian values. Everytime someone tries to do so then they are labelled a racist. Do you really think one could move to Saudi Arabia and act as we do here without getting in big trouble at some point..they are not going to put up with our western ways. We bend over backwards to accomodate people here..in my opinion too much sometmies. If you come to this country then you should have some basic respect for our ways..most immigrants do but a significant number do not. And it seems as time goes on you cant even bring up the subject without the racism card coming out..very convenient but not a great way to debate the issue. Its a bit the same tactic Quebec uses when criticized..people say its Quebec bashing..or when someone criticizes Israeli policy then you are an anti-semite.
This country was built on christian values..the crucifix should stay..the word christmas should be allowed anywhere without any objections..people should not be allowed to wear ceremonial daggers around in schools..veils should be removed when security requires it and also in certain jobs. You have to draw the line somewhere otherwise its a slipper slope and pretty soon the country you grew up in is gone and tensions could actually get out of hand.
We fundamentally believe very different things. The motivation behind introducing a racist bill like the charter bill, was less than honorable, the least of which, was to improve society. It was introduced for selfish, self-serving reasons by the PQ and in the process they threw a slew of ethnic groups under the bus, and this is completely unacceptable. To sacrifice one's citizens like that, and those deemed unequal to the majority, tossing them away, like expendable garbage, ...who does that? In what is suppose to be civilized North-American society? No one has owned it...THAT is my point. But here you are complaining that now you have to call a christmas tree something else? Really?
DeleteLet's agree to disagree and leave it at that.
I agree that the PQ introduced it for purely selfish reaons..it was clearly to divide our society and to try and provoke the federal government from hitting back. But that doesnt mean some of the spirit behind the charter didnt contain some merit.
DeleteYou at some point have to defend some basic canadian values..as we get more and more immigrants particularily from very different cultural and religious backgrounds there is bound to be some conflict at some point. The ideal is to prevent this from happening and making it clear what we expect from new arrivals in Canada. I dont think we have always done a great job in that regard.
But having said that I have a lot of respect for most immigrants I have met..they typically are hard working, caring and decent people who want to integrate well into our society. But there are other ones who are not and my sense is that these ones are growing in numbers. There also seems to be a growing political force from the ethnic community that seems to be awfully sensitive to any sort of discussion between what is reasonable accomodation. If we cant even talk aboout this without being accused of being racist then there is a problem.
As you say we disagree quite a bit on this issue and not sure much more needs to be said about it. But I think we do agree that Montreal and all of Quebec has some serious issues to deal with soon otherwise things are really going to deteriorate rapidly here. I am not hopeful...you are and thank goodness some people like you are around as optimism goes a long way sometimes.
@editor
Deleteabove comment from "student" at 9:50:00 is not from me. i'd appreciate if you deleted it, thank you.
Mr. Berlach,
ReplyDeleteNow you jinx it! You wrote this praising piece even before the series is over and now Boston regains home-ice advantage. :-)
Did you and Mrs. Berlach stay for the short OT?
Wasn't at the game tonight.....
DeleteTo enjoy the spirit of true sportsmanship, I recommend that even not-typically (or recently-converted) sports/Habs fans such as myself should follow Bruins fan #RealBrianDailey on Twitter (as well as his #StopTheIgnorance campaign), as he’s become somewhat of social media celebrity in this series, following his outspokenness against the racist comments that were made by a few Boston idiots about P.K. Subban last week.
ReplyDeletePeople who still continue to use words such as “angryphone” (even in 2014!) can most especially benefit from learning about his example of true sportsmanship and respect for one’s opponents…
You’re right. Even Global National has discovered him. He’s becoming a mini-vedette in Canada during this series and even appeared in the Journal de Montreal.
DeleteMike Le Couteur @mikelecouteur
Found a smart Bruins fan MT @realbriandailey: Despite the win tonite, I will say Thornton spraying water in PKs face was a punk move.
BUCKLE UP BABY @WhatsTheMaatta_
@realbriandailey is easily the classiest and least obnoxious bruins fan I have ever seen.
It’s certainly fantastic to witness how Student, who not 3 days ago was telling us how propaganda is a powerful weapon, remains so oblivious to the tremendous power that said propaganda presently holds over him/her/it. This extreme, religious fervour is so unconditional that it has gotten to the point where Student even attempted to defend the indefensible regarding Drainville’s claim that alleged verbal chitchat about certain sections of his charter from certain supporters (which was denied and none of which never went to the Ministry of Justice for proper consideration, as is standard) actually consisted his “legal support” for the whole of Drainville’s PQ charter.
ReplyDeleteApparently, only lesser mortals are subject to this tremendous “power of propaganda as a weapon” in shaping their opinions… well at least, according to Student’s humble opinion.
Student is clearly lost in turmoil.
Student is a very good example of "projection:"
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_projection
R.S.
Delete"Lost in Turmoi" ..I like it...mind if I use it? Lol
I didn't want to say anything, lest mentioning the troll would make it appear, but it's too late...
DeleteStudent is the first case I've heard of a referendum denier. Did you notice the claim that neither of the previous two happened? link in response to link
I will never back the Canadiens because they have been appropriated as tools of Quebec nationalism. Who do you think Mario Beaulieu and Pauline Marois cheer for?
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to hockey I live by three letters, "ABH" -- Anyone But the Habs!!!
@Jorge
DeleteNot convinced that popo and co. root for the Habs, too many English and foreign names for their liking, I'm sure. We have a good team this year, but let's be honest, nothing like what we had back in the 70's & 80 and '93, the last year we won the cup. What is amusing however, is to see French Canadian names on Bruins shirts. You can bet that THEIR dad's grew up hating the Bruins! Ah...the irony of it all....
I really hope the Habs pull this one out of the hat, but I seriously doubt it. You'd have to have an entire team of Subbans, with that explosiveness, passion and determination, but you don't. To be fair, they are playing well, better than ever...just not at the level they need to, for the Bruins..... who are relentless..... RELENTLESS! That very important ingredient will get them to the next round, no matter how well the Habs play.
Still...Go Habs Go!
@Jorge
DeletePlease, the Parti Quebeceois cannot even bring themselves to say the team's name.
https://twitter.com/partiquebecois/status/462017587686440960
I'm in agreement with Jorge. Mario Beaulieu and Pauline Marois may or may not cheer for the Canadiens but many separatists certainly do, so I always root for whatever team is playing against them. I also hope that Quebec City NEVER, EVER gets another NHL franchise, especially if there is any involvement with PKP.
DeleteDon't worry ..they won't.
Delete@Montréal ville état
DeleteWhat is amusing however, is to see French Canadian names on Bruins shirts. You can bet that THEIR dad's grew up hating the Bruins! Ah...the irony of it all....
I'm sure the paycheques those Bruins receive compensate for whatever residual guilt they may feel for wearing black and gold sweaters. I do wonder if French-Canadian hockey players in the NHL prefer to play in the U.S. or other Canadian cities than deal with the language nationalism issues in Montréal and Quebec.
@durham
Delete"...so I always root for whatever team is playing against them. I also hope that Quebec City NEVER, EVER gets another NHL franchise,.."
can we conclude that you nurture spite as a dearest value mate? was this something your parents passed on to you? you must be so mad at them.
@durham
Deletetroy is more advanced than you as he is mature enough not to impose a useless exile on himself and root for the canadiens even though a separatist might do the same. you seem stuck at an early stage.
speaking or parents and early stages, guys please bear with me. i'm really trying here and once again, looking back at what i wrote, i realize that it's a bad comment and i've undermined my own credibility.
Deletei will be better.
Mr. Cunningham,
DeleteI do wonder if French-Canadian hockey players in the NHL prefer to play in the U.S. or other Canadian cities than deal with the language nationalism issues in Montréal and Quebec.
While it is difficult to gauge the intent of players without personally know them, the fact remains that a number of francophone Quebec-born players refuse to play in Montreal even if the offers are there. Examples are Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.
@Troy
DeleteConversely, I wonder if it is easier for French-Canadians or indeed other non-English speaking NHL players to play for U.S. based (as well as the ROC) than it was 50 or 60 years ago.
Don't know why I left out "NHL teams" in my last post. Brain fart. Duh!
DeleteMr. Cunningham,
Delete50 - 60 years ago means 1954 - 1964. That is the Original Six era. Canadian teams comprised 33% of the NHL, compared to 23% now. Then, there was no salary cap, no non-North American players, no restriction on players acquisition and people were simply not geographically as mobile as they are now. Of course it was easier for the Canadiens to retain all the local talents.
This discussion was supposed to be about hockey, but has as usual gone back to Quebec politics. The Liberals are just PQ lite. Don't you get it people. The mess in Quebec will NEVER end. Even now, the next generation of separatists are being taught. Complaining by anglos is a waste of time. You are slowly being squeezed out. The separatists will never admit they were wrong. They will just find another scapegoat to blame it on. Actually, the anglos are to blame for their own problems. You have had over 30 years to either fight it or leave the province. If you want to stay that's fine. Just suck it up and become french. Otherwise, pack your bags now and get out. Freedom lies just across the border. Open your cage door and step out. Think about it. If there had been a yes vote in the first referendum, Canada would have completely recovered by now and would have been richer. Meanwhile, Quebecers would be eating dirt just to survive.
ReplyDeleteMore blame should be heaped on the federal government who have done nothing to protect minorities. They were just too afraid to cause any problems. Who cares. The separatists should have been slammed down long ago. Too late now. Quebec is a liability to Canada, and the resentment far too deep. Most Canadians I talk to are absolutely fed up with Quebec. We just don't care if you leave. Another generation of this nonsense and you will be forced out. Gee, I guess you'll get your country in the end.
Call this Quebec bashing if you want. I would prefer not to. I still miss Montreal. But sometimes you have to give up something to save your sanity. I guess I'm just a bit angry this morning.
"I still miss Montreal."
Deletethe other day you bragged about never looking back. now you miss montreal. what's up mate? please be sincere with us, otherwise you'll lose your credibility here.
"I guess I'm just a bit angry this morning."
but you are not alone. cutie003, apple iigs, sauga, r.s and the cat also are angry. a bunch of angries.
Yeah...they're angry cause the bitch-slap you with the Truth. And THAT makes YOU angry! Lol
Delete@montreal ville etat
Deletei'm so sorry for ever attacking your credibility or saying that your comments are bad. last night i checked into rehab to cure my indoctrination. the first step was being made to read what i write. oh god!
i'm so sorry everyone. to tell you the truth, i don't even know how i got so indoctrinated and defend a political movement with the same zeal as a terrorist. i just want you all to know that i'm on the road to recovery and i beg you all for forgiveness.
i will no longer post bad comments.
i promise i will be better.
btw, canada rocks!
@Bob
ReplyDeleteIf you think Quebec ain't YOUR problem just cause you don't live here, I got swamp land in Florida. You're paying just as much as we're paying for this mess EXCEPT you're not reminded daily, I'll give you that, out of sight out of mind. BUT YOU'RE PAYING, cause you're carrying this sick baby too...as a matter of fact, it's heaviest on you cause you gotta dish more than we do, but don't have all the perks we have, so please stop condescending to those of us who still live here, like we're idiots or something, cause you're the biggest sucker not living here and paying for quebec's free ride. Please stop telling us to 'Give it Up' and move out, cause we'd be just become like you..The Bigger Suckers. How's this..instead of sitting there with that resigned attitude and your head up your ass, with the "you can't fix quebec" attitude...stand up and do something about it...this province is stealing you blind, AND LAUGHING all the way to the bank. Start a movement on your end to reign in quebec, give it an ultimatum already...otherwise shurrup yourself and take out your wallet, that means less for your kids one day, if you can live with that....
(Gees...it's bad enough I have to hear it for Mr. Sauga, except, I like him).
*for=from??? Autocorrect...arggggg
DeleteI agree with you (Montreal ville etat). Sorry. But I think after all this time some one would have figured how to do it. We all talk and do nothing. You would think that after so long, we could all live in peace.
DeleteWhy don't you like me? (Weeping Profusely). I just talk for nothing.
Yes AnnecTOTE - It's past time that the ROC told quebec where to stuff it and start supporting our right to remain within Canada - those areas that vote to do so! As we have no real choice here, it's time to put a stop to these militant separatists and kick them to hell out for the good of ALL of Canada; territorial and monetary wise!
Delete@Bob...apologies.. I like you, I like you... here's a tissue.
DeleteMy point is, you are sitting and living where the RoC sits and lives and YOU are the majority in this country. You can't keep ignoring what quebec is doing to you. You fool yourselves into thinking that you have Peace, but there is a hole in your pocket. Expensive ain't it? But guess what, you can resolve to put an end to it. At the end of the day, if quebec really wanted its independence it would have fought high and low, and accomplished it. Struck when the iron was hot, while it was economically vibrant and natural resources to burn. Now it's a shriveled version of its former self, no longer in the driver's seat and hasn't been for a long time, although it acts like it is and the rest you still treat it like it is, talk about a horse shoe up the behind. For the love of god...can you realize that IT is beholden to YOU in the RoC....and YOU call the shots. Don't you see, the kids are in charge of the candy store, but the grown-ups ain't gettin' any. Now go tell the RoC That.... so that we can finally break up and Montreal can become a city-state.
Merci!
I feel better now. I know your frustration and you are right. Everyone in the ROC knows this too and sympathizes with the anglo community . You fully have our support. We in ROC complain about tax money to Quebec, but still nothing gets done. Is the federal government so afraid that they are incapable of doing anything? I guess as Canadians we like to complain, but when action is needed, we run and hide. Wish I had an answer. Most are probably thinking of hockey right now. GO HABS GO.
Delete@Bob
DeleteI feel better too. I think what matters is to forge ahead, not only look at the problems and bitch about them, but look toward solutions. I think the RoC would be interested in the prospect of letting Quebec go if it sat down, took out a piece of paper and pencil and did math the old fashioned way, it would realize, it's a bad investment that will never stop bleeding. On the other hand, we (Montreal- and parts there-of) can still provide an interesting economic slice of a rich pie, if this city is given oxygen to breath by ridding itself of subjugating language legislation which discourages Commerce and Industry. Also by keeping territory in Quebec, Canada will still have a foothold (like a base) in the area....if you know what I mean? Win Win!
We have never had effective Leaders, Prime Ministers, with a backbone to admit how things are and resolve problems. This entire mess could have been dealt with ages ago, decades ago. Back then, they were too scared, and now they just don't care. The problem of quebec isn't going away, it's a fiscal problem that everyone has inherited, ....can't we see that?
@Montréal ville état
DeleteI assume the "you" is directed toward your fellow Canadians who are paying taxes that eventually go into equalisation payments to Quebec. As an American, that doesn't apply to me, but I am concerned as both a neighbour and as a human being. Partly because I'm NOT a Canadian, I usually just keep my mouth shut and sit on the sidelines.
You=RoC
DeleteAn American who sits on the sidelines? You sure you're American? Lol...just kidding. Please...as Editor will tell you, I am sure, all comments welcome!
Bill Maher is ON...lol...catch you folks later.
Edward...make yourself at home!,
You know what really needs to happen to get Montreal back to its glory days. We need a succesful referendum on seperation..its the only way or perhaps a greek style financial crisis. A yes vote would make Canada enter serious negotiations with Quebec including the breakup of the province. But it could result in a civil war, massive civil unrest, an economic collapse, a huge ramp up in tensions between the francos/allos and anglos. Is it worth going through this for years possibly decades? Look around the world at how many conflicts over land and between different ethnic groups turns out..they tend to be nasty and long lasting. These places are often the worst places in the world to live and many peopl from these countries immigrated to Canada to escape these living hells.
DeletePeople are still living ok in Quebec..the standard of living is not bad..but its based on huge debt..but things have not collapsed yet. Yes anglo rights are unfairly restricted but the alternative is what I describe above.
One thing the federal government could do is to make life more difficult for Quebec. They could cut transfer payments..they could cut ei..they could cut federal government operations in Quebec and move them elsewhere in the country. This would be the perfect time..the ROC would love it..Harper has nothing to lose as he will gain no seats in Quebec..however he would gain popularity in the ROC who are sick and tired of pumping billions into Quebec and still hearing Quebec whine. Its time for some tough love IMO..and politically it makes sense..
Exactly, so let's convince the RoC to throw quebec OUT on its freakin' fanny. That way, we can claim our own piece of the pie. Time and time again it is stunted from within, let's convince the ROC to have its own referendum, and simultaneously we can petition Montreal city-hall to have its referendum, regarding city-state status...Win Win. Heck, if it goes bad, we can always move...lol
DeleteI don't know about you, but I'm tied of being held hostage.
And seppies...You're Welcome!
@complicated
Delete"Its time for some tough love IMO..and politically it makes sense."
no it doesn't. federal government being openly unfair to quebec will have independance support kick through 50% in no time. even the liberals will have to acknowledge the deal is not good anymore and become separatists like bourassa did back then. remember? ask sauga about it if you don't.
@montreal ville état
Delete"let's convince the RoC to throw quebec OUT..."
you're doing all you can to block the pq from undertaking steps towards separating, but you propose canada moves towards doing exactly this. so basically you want in independant quebec, but imposed on them rather than through the normal national emancipation process. it looks like you're driven by spite. that's a very shitty motivation mate. doesn't this impression you leave on our readers bother you at all? or don't you have any pride at all?
@MVE
DeleteSince seppies have neither the class nor the dignity after all these decades to acknowledge that they are never, but NEVER going to be leaving with our Quebec intact (including Montreal) and that playing the “extortion game” with Canada is finished now, one option that is left to allow Montreal to flourish does indeed appear to be as you suggest.
".....but imposed on them rather than through the normal national emancipation process. it looks like you're driven by spite. that's a very shitty motivation mate...."
DeleteEmancipation process? Spite? I'm offering you the Holy Grail, the key that opens the door to your much sought-after 'Independence', and you sit there and complain it's the key to the back door? Are you for real? I guess R.S. is totally right...it is an 'extortion game' for you. You don't really want independence, you just want everyone else to think you want it. The other day I stated that had Quebec really wanted it, they would have figured out a way. But you don't want it, and this proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. You just want the free ride the RoC provides. Poor you ..once Canada figures it out...is all I can say. In the meantime, the rest of us have bigger fish to fry.
Montréal pour une ville état.
You're going to have to do a lot better than 50% you little shit. Try to follow just one GD law for a change. The more laws you break, the more territory we take. Got it you little twerp?
Delete"no it doesn't. federal government being openly unfair to quebec will have independance support kick through 50% in no time. even the liberals will have to acknowledge the deal is not good anymore and become separatists like bourassa did back then. remember? ask sauga about it if you don't."
DeleteExactly..the only way for Montreal to be free is for seperation to enter serious negotiations. But will it be worth it in the end..I doubt it..all will suffer including the francophones..economic collapse..civil war. But its the only way I see Montreal becoming the great city it once was..it needs to literally burn to the ground then be rebult from the ashes within Canada while the rest of quebec goes on its way..
@cutie003
Deletei was recently made by the fine people here at rehab, to smell my own shit. what surprised me most was that it doesn't smell like roses, which is what i always assumed it did. now that i see that my shit smells like...well, shit, i understand all your previous points.
i also owe you an apology, cutie003.
see, i've never really accomplished anything in my life and that's why i can narcissistically disregard important factors in your life such as property values and displacement costs. so sorry about that, mate.
my mom and dad pay for everything (including rehab) and i've never had to lift a finger to accomplish anything on my own.
guess i should have considered that before coming to this blog and telling other people how to live when i don't have a personal constitution of my own to base my path on.
i know it seems back and forth right now, meaning that one second i'm showing promise with my progress and then regressing, but please be patient with me. i will be and keep getting better.
love, the student i wish to be.
Your apology is accepted now get back to cracking those books instead of that pipe with that big blond fellow that you seem to have become attached to. I wish all our "students" learned at the quick pace that you have; would do this shit stinking group a lot of good but there are some there is no hope for (as they lean back in their lawn chair in their parent's basement) with their own pipe blowing smoke up our ass. Love back, kiddo.
DeleteHoly Shit, I'm still reeling at how utterly fickle and childish the PQ / Separatists happen to be:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/partiquebecois/status/462017587686440960
Talk about ratcheting the maturity level down to zero.
Know what happened the last time a bunch of twelve-year-olds had their own dominion?
--->>> http://bit.ly/1izK8Ki
Yep.
That would be your new Quebec.
I was thinking more of the Star Trek episode "Miri" from the 1960's.
DeleteNot only that the PQ crass and shameless, they are also not smart enough. If the word "Canadiens" bothered them so much, they could have used nickname. They could have used "le Tricolore" or "le CH", among others. French media do that all the time to differentiate the Canadiens with Team Canada, particularly during the Olympics.
Delete@troy
Deleteyou're right troy, there was so many other ways of saying it that it's impossible that they wanted to avoid naming the team. what's more likely is they really wanted to focus on montreal and its people rather than aim at the team exclusively. the pq tweet is inclusive, contrasting with the expected pq bashing horde who seem to propose not to involve montreal's population in the hockey fever. ridiculous indeed.
ok, sorry guys, i'm full of shit.
Deletei'm looking at that post i wrote last night and i can't help but shake my head at it. i admit it: the pq just can't say the worrd canadiens. let's face it, as separatists its just not who we are and having to say it is like getting a rectal exam.
look, i know we're sad and pathetic, but look, we're beat. i mean we've really been beaten bad. can you please just cut us a wee bit of slack? we're out of the game for close to five years. ive been crying myself to sleep since april 7th.
Troy Friday, May 9, 2014 at 11:11:00 PM EDT
DeleteNot only that the PQ crass and shameless, they are also not smart enough.
student Friday, May 9, 2014 at 11:21:00 PM EDT
@troy
you're right troy, there was so many other ways of saying it
For the first time ever, thank you for acknowledging that I am right.
@troy
Deleteyou are abusing our reader's intelligence troy. please stop the smart ass gig. it's not constructive.
I would think that if the intelligence readers feel abused, they would complain.
Delete@Troy
DeleteGood to see that the ridiculous buffoon can’t even take a little of its own medicine. Thanks for that.
Hahaha! “Angryphone” in 2014! That’s the same as still calling people names like “colonisé” and “vendu” when seppies can’t rebut and don’t have any cogent arguments to make. LOL!
Delete@r.s
Deletewell when a dude's an angryphone in 2014 what should i call it? and was there a new word to decribe a 2014 colonisé that i miss? did all angryphones and colonisés vanished with the passing of the new year?!? please r.s stop writing low quality comments.
@Student
Deletewell when a dude's a faggyphone in 2014 what should I call it? did all the faggyphones vanish with the passing of the new year?
@tom
Deletewhat's a faggyphone mate?
Angryphone? Who's angry? What's there to be angry about?
DeleteOur team won 70 to 30.
You upset that we conquered you. bro?
@student
Deleteby jove what is an angryphone mate? I don't want punks like you in my country, I suggest you take a hike and take the next flight to france.
@tom
Delete"by jove what is an angryphone mate?"
an angryphone is an english-speaking resident of quebec who is a peevish complainer. think cutie003, you, apple iigs, r.s, durham, richard bain, etc. examples abound.
@student
Delete"what's a faggyphone mate?"
a faggyphone is a French-speaking resident of quebec who is a peevish complainer. think s.r, you, y.l, rejean, paul rose, etc. examples abound.
faggyphone! Good stuff!
Delete@tom
Deletewhy would you use an homophobic term to describe whining french canadians? is it because you are an homophobe?
also, please provide a selection of quotes that support your ridiculous proposition that i would be a peevish complainer.
@student
Deletewhy would you use a derogatory term to describe whining anglo Canadians? is it
because you are an anglophobe?
also, please provide a selection of quotes that supports your ridiculous proposition that I
would be a peevish complainer.
@tom
Delete"why would you use a derogatory term..."
i don't think the word angryphone is so bad. most contributors here readily admit they are angry. what's wrong with calling them angryphones?!? it's a bit sarcastic and that's all. i'm not an anglophobe at all. what i'm phobic about though are bad arguments. and angryphones provide plenty, triggering my reaction.
i can't provide so many quotes from you cause you're fairly new. your database is still empty mate. but i sense you will be a great angryphone for our community. keep posting i will be there when you lose it.
@student
Delete"why would you use a homophobic term..."
i don't think the word faggyphone is so bad. most contributors here readily admit they are faggy. what's wrong with calling them faggyphones?!? it's a bit sarcastic and that's all. i'm not an homophobe at all. what i'm phobic about though are bad arguments. and faggyphones provide plenty, triggering my reaction.
i can't provide so many quotes from you cause you're fairly new. your database is still empty mate. but i sense you will be a great faggyphone for our community. keep posting i will be there when you lose it.
@tom
Deletecome on dude, aren't you going to come up with a comment of your own?!? i remember when i was six i used to play that game with my sister, repeating all she said word for word. how old are you tom?
so are you homophobic or not? if not why do you use "fag" to insult french canadians?
"Your own team doesn't even give a fuck about you."
DeleteYes indeed, thank you Réjean for making that point, which pretty much gives credence to my idea that Montreal needs to become a city-state, and break free from the ball-and-chain that has been hindering it for 4 decades now. No government presiding in Quebec City, past or present, has given a crap or gives a crap about Montreal. It is time Montreal sends the RoQ on it's merry ill' way, and looks after it's own affairs.
Montréal pour une ville état.
"most contributors here readily admit they are faggy. what's wrong with calling them faggyphones?!?"
DeleteHow can a faggy be a faggyphone?
Sorry I read as faggyphobe
DeleteAnyway, it's sad the see such backward thinking in the comments section... Only one day after Michael Sam was drafted by an NFL team.
True, indeed, Dale. Michael Sam is a great defensive end.
DeleteUnfortunately, “angryphone” is more euphonious than “frangryphone”, which probably indicates why it’s still being mistakenly used by one angry francophone, even a quarter century later. Remember “BackToTheFuture”? Yep.
It’s so sad to see that one of our humble mates is stuck living in the past, don’t you agree, Dale?
Hate is a strong word but I really really don't like people stuck living in the past.
Delete@the cat
Delete"Unfortunately, “angryphone” is more euphonious than “frangryphone”,..."
don't worry the cat, your ilk is imaginative. many other nicknames are used to describe french canadian nationalists. just on this page you can find clueless, haters, fools, bullshit, idiots, sloth, shit, twerp, etc. there's more, i stopped scrolling a quarter of the page down. just pick one. of course they are infinitely more offensive than angryphone, but it seems trash is the only thing cutie003 and apple iigs can come up with; maybe they need help from a moderate like you to pinpoint the right term.
@ student your responses are soooo eye rolling lame ......don't you ever shut up ? lots of talking and saying nothing ........
ReplyDeleteGab Roy had millions of followers among francophones...
DeleteElle a tort et elle le sait. Don't mind her it is in her DNA.
Deleteactually, it's not my dna - it's my parents.
Deletei mentioned that i'm in rehab for indoctrination and i've already met people who are here for drug addiction and also met sa couple of neo-nazis and during the first group-share session and usually what drives us to do what we do is the people we learn from.
and then there's this fat blond guy here at rehab...keeps saying that he's the mayor of toronto (whatever) anyways, he keeps saying that extreme pressure is also a trigger, so your hypothesis that it's in the dna is false, mate.
@student 2.0.......well I congrat you ..it takes a big person to admit your troubled and going to rehab...I'm sure as you already found out at your stay there that listening instead of shooting of you your mouth at the drop of a hat will make you humble in your opinions..
DeleteThe truth about spectator sports:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxiFdstu6H8
oh come on adski.. That's tinfoil hat territory.
DeleteAAARRRGGGHHHH...!!!
ReplyDeleteit's only a game troy. and you're not even part of it. you'd better save your passional energy for things that matter.
DeleteYou mean like soccer?
Deleteno i mean like anglo rights.
Deletestudent Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 10:50:00 PM EDT
Deleteit's only a game troy. and you're not even part of it. you'd better save your passional energy for things that matter.
Hey, what do you know. For the second time in one thread student is right and I agree with it. Must be a record. What matters? I believe the fate of the Province matters more than hockey. I showed my passion for that by coming to Montreal and voting on 07 April. And we all know the result of that "passional energy" of mine and of those like me...
"it's only a game troy."
DeleteTell that to Maurice Richard
@johnson
Deleteit was different back then mate. cause at that time french canadians were 2nd class citizens. maurice richard stood up, he was a hero. pk subban is very good, but he's no hero.
Yes, Maurice Richard "stood up." It was a strange time. In 1946 Richard did some appearances in Montreal with Jackie Robinson... At the time, of course, the premiere of Quebec was French, there were French Canadians in the federal cabinet, the mayor of Montreal was French, in fact almost every mayor in the province was French... Montreal was a good place for Robinson to fight oppression....
DeleteIt is a complicated situation. Since the end of WWII pretty much every social movement - civil rights, women's rights, LGBT rights and most independence movements have been about making people equal, the same rights for everyone. In Quebec the movement has been about "distinct society" status. In some ways it's the opposite of. American civil rights which was moving away from "separate but equal" which could be called "distinct."
DeleteThere is also the conflict that comes up between individual and collective rights. I'm not sure if we're moving towards more individual rights, we talk about it a lot but we also continue to put people into groups.
@heisenberg
Deletemate, i'm in rehab, but it's getting kind of long in here - what can you sell me? can you send jesse over here? i mean he's an anglo and all, but scoring is scoring. the 350 pound blond guy here in rehab would also like to know if jesse could stop by.
(spoiler alert)
DeleteWell, it might be hard for me to contact Jesse since I'm dead and Gus and Mike are also pushing up daisies, but I'll see if I can reach him telepathically for you.
Forget it, student 2.0... you suck, bitch!
DeleteThe fatso's OK though.
Sorry about that, student 2.0... I tried my best. It's true that you suck, though. Really, can't you get along with anyone else at all??
DeleteIt's a shame that Quebec nationalists have chosen not to take the high road by showing everyone how they think we should all be treated. The Scottish nationalists know at least that much, of course, which is why Alex Salmond was so embarrassed to meet Marois. But the PQ evidently thinks they have lessons to give rather than lessons to learn. Because LOSERS.
PQ's popularity actually drops even further since election 25% to 19%. Ouch
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ledevoir.com/galeries-photos/sondage-leger-creux-historique-pour-le-pq/141265
What a pity that some francophones were bothered by comedian Sugar Sammy winning the Olivier of the Year tonight. “If that’s modern Quebec, well, I put my flag at half-mast,” said one internet user. “Does awarding the Olivier of the Year to Sugar Sammy insult Olivier Guimont, who is profoundly francophone?”, said another.
ReplyDeleteProfoundly shameful Twitter responses (along with a few reassuring ones) can be viewed here:
http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/11/victoire-sugar-sammy-affaire-tous-sur-twitter_n_5307363.html
Sugar Sammy repeats as Olivier of the Year winner:
Deletehttp://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Sugar+Sammy+repeats+Olivier+year+winner/9828824/story.html
It’s so sad that there are some Quebec nationalists who are so cocooned within themselves that they resent the entire world as being a “threat” against our culture.
I'm no longer buyin' it, it's become a sorry-ass excuse to justify everything, and mostly their failures. It is somebody else's fault, so it can't be their own. And these people want to run a country.
Delete“If that’s modern Quebec, well, I put my flag at half-mast,” said one internet user.
DeleteYep, their shortcomings are somebody's else fault. The zinger racist implication is very evident. Perhaps many are upset by the fact that Sugar Sammy has become a real bridge between Anglos/Allos and Francophones. To die-hard separatists/nationalists, this is unacceptable; meanwhile they bitch and complain that their Language and culture isn't being fully adopted by the non-francophones in this province. Who could forget, a while back, being arrogantly chastised by Lisée for not knowing who Marie-Mai is. There is no pleasing these people.
Marie-Mai is going full illuminati
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOTjbCssVRY
According to Léger, the PQ finds itself in a historical pit… and yet PQ voters continue to think that Doucheceppe is their best deal as leader, even though he has already declined the “honour”. Meanwhile, discredited Drainville and sly Lisée are stuck in between PQ stalwarts Sylvain Gaudreault and Véronique Hivon as desirable leaders… oh yeah! People have learned to trust those two, alright!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ledevoir.com/galeries-photos/sondage-leger-creux-historique-pour-le-pq/141265
Oops, sorry for the repeat, Lord Dorchester... but it's worth pointing out the PQ disaster again.
DeletePS: It's still Dorchester Blvd., dammit! I don't care that seppies are excited about trying to erase Montreal's history.
No worries. Speaking of rewriting history through street name changes, I was reading old archived Gazette articles recently and stumbled upon this one you may find interesting from 1984;
Deletehttp://tiny.cc/jg0qfx
Regarding the blog post by Michel C. Auger on “Short-circuiting values” (http://blogues.radio-canada.ca/auger/2014/05/09/le-court-circuit-des-valeurs/):
ReplyDeleteDo you remember that article two months ago that referred to another article that regrettably suggested how francophones cannot be trusted with democracy? This was astounding to me, so I feel very sad about having to point out the following comments made by some of our fellow Quebecers:
Éléonore Charron:
M. Auger est profondémment décevant. Mais que fait un journaliste de RAdio-CAnada dans une croisade anti péquiste. Ce n'est nullement sa place. (“Mr. Auger is profoundly disappointing. What is a CBC/Radio-Canada journalist doing in an anti-PQ crusade. It is not at all his place.”)
Daniel Fournier:
Il nous faut renverser cette oligarchie des juges dont depuis 1982, cette prolifération des avis juridiques, et l'importance qu'on leur accorde, démontre la perversité. La clause dérogatoire existe, servons-nous en pour défendre la démocratie. (“We must overthrow this oligarchy of judges who have, since 1982, provided much legal advice. The importance we give them demonstrates their perversity. The Notwithstanding clause [against the Charter of Rights] exists; let us use it to defend democracy.”)
Many of the comments carry on like that, especially by those who were duped by Drainville’s mendacity. Seriously, how have these people been taught such a twisted worldview? It is beyond comprehension.
first dude éléonore is dispointed to read what she percieves as quebec bashing on radio-canada. no scandal there mate. you comment suggest that radio-canada should be anti pq. now that is outrageous.
Deleteand second dude daniel would prefer to see quebec elected figures to come up with legislation rather than canada supreme court judges based on a document, the canadian constitution, that was imposed on him in 1982 and was never ratified by quebec. seems legit to me mate.
It's not just a matter of violating the Canadian Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The problem with Quebec elected figures coming up with legislation is that it is often in violation of international laws regarding basic human rights.
Delete@durham
Delete"it is often in violation of international laws regarding basic human rights."
what international laws?!? if this is often the case you'll be able to fetch many examples mate. be my guest.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations), Article 18: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
DeleteThe Charter of Values would have directly contradicted this provision.
@counter of numbers
Deletenot at all, as this article doesn't specify that a dude has the right to manifest his religion at all times including when in office for an employer that has a duty to appear neutral in all aspects, including the religious aspect. france has had a harsher law on for a hundred years and they didn't have an issue with the united nations. same with turkey. so i'm sorry i can't consider your argument as valid mate. do you have another example? i guess you do as other clown durham said quebec is "often" in violation with some "international laws", whatever this may mean.
Quebec was condemned by the United Nations for banning all languages except French from public display in the original version of Bill 101. In 1993, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled that Quebec's sign laws broke an international covenant on civil and political rights. "A State may choose one or more official languages," the committee wrote, "but it may not exclude, outside the spheres of public life, the freedom to express oneself in a language of one's choice."
Delete@student
DeleteWhat part of "freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance" don't you understand? If the wearing of a turban or a kippah is an important element of a person's religious observance, whether it is expressed in public or in private, at one's job or at home, then any law that forbids the wearing of such an item is clearly an infringement of religious freedom.
France has only banned the wearing of hijabs (in schools) since 2004--if you're referring to the 1905 law, it did not relate in any way to the wearing of religious clothing. Go and read it if you don't believe me. And you might want to read Joan Wallach Scott on the ways in which the 2004 French law was informed by colonialist/racist/sexist modes of thought.
The United Nations has not taken France to task for this clear infringement of religious freedom because France is an imperial power--in the same way that the UN did not condemn the American invasion of Iraq because of the global influence of the US.
There is a very good article in Sports Illustrated by Michael Farber about the “Too Many Men” penalty that Mr. Berlach talked about in the blog post here:
ReplyDeletehttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/longform/too-many-men/
There is also, in the article, an example of what Student might call cultural genocide - except it’s English Montreal being subtly wiped out. In the opening sentence Farber writes, “Although separated by 300 miles, a border and a language, Montreal and Boston are remarkably similar. Founded 12 years apart in the first half of the 17th century, the cities are home to renowned universities, drivers who treat their turn signals as optional, and distinctive accents, such as that represented by the aigu over the e in the surname of Jean Béliveau, and the pronunciation of number foah, Bobby Oah. The two towns also have the curious ability to mingle religion and hockey.”
Except, of course, for most of their histories, Boston and Montreal were not separated by language. The history of Montreal and Boston was linked mostly by their large Irish immigrant populations. And, as Farber says, by the ‘renowned’ universities - what he doesn’t say, of course, is that he means Harvard and McGill (which were linked by more than just the playing the first ever football game and having Jewish quotas).
But today when people write about Montreal it’s as if there never were any English in the city. Certainly never any working-class, ‘2nd class citizens’ who spoke English. Just like there were never any rich, French bosses.
And for some reason Scotty Bowman is never referred to as a ‘hometown hero,’ even though he was born and raised in Verdun.
Thank you very much for the link, I thoroughly enjoyed the piece, it brought back many fine memories of that night.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't any doubt that it was the greatest hockey game I ever saw, and while some details remain fuzzy, some details remains as clear today as if it happened yesterday.
My tickets at the time were about nine rows up exactly at the face off circle on the side the Canadiens defended twice. Back in the old Forum there was an alleyway on the floor around the ice separating the one row along the boards and the rest of the seats built up.
We'd use the alley to go out at intermission and to a little plaza in front of the wives & girlfriends lounge. I don't know if such a thing exists to day but at any rate during that second intermission a young child, perhaps six or seven, and man came out of the lounge, with the child a little dejected with the Habs down by two.
He told the older man, that it didn't look good and that the Canadiens would probably lose, to which the gentleman took his hand and told the boy to have faith...have faith in the ghosts of the Forum...
I never forgot that scene.
Racists can't deal with Sugay Sammy's victory at Gala des Oliver
ReplyDeletehttp://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/11/victoire-sugar-sammy-affaire-tous-sur-twitter_n_5307363.html
https://www.facebook.com/laurent.desbois2
Congratulations to Sugar Sammy!
ReplyDeletePs: Also the best dressed on the Red Carpet.
Bravo.
Now we're talking about something important. I remember in Montreal back in the mid 70's during playoffs, my whole family became Canadians fanatics. If we were out at a restaurant or whatever, we would suddenly notice our watches gave us an hour or so until game time.
ReplyDeleteVisit: Montreal Canadiens Store