Ethnic Tensions in Montreal (spec 1950s-60s)

[pdw]

Define "good use". Homes for its original residents is my idea of good use.

[Petershock]

Originally Posted by pdw

So that's your logic, eh? Anglos speaking one language in a bilingual city are "refusing to learn French", while francophones speaking one language in a bilingual city and expecting to achieve high-ranking jobs is only fair?

Who're the ones making scenes or acting badly when someone's not speaking their favoured language as of this century, Acajack? I can name quite a few instances in only the past year.

Funny thing, in my past six years (I moved to Montreal from Vancouver) i've only come across two people telling me not to speak to them in english. One was at a store in Rosemont and the other one happened at Marché Jean-Talon. Other than that, nothing. It's not as common as you may think. And yeah Montreal is a bilingual city in practice but it's not considerate like one so your argument about how anglos are required to speak french in order to have access to high paying jobs is invalid. Anyway everybody's bilingual here, so it doesn't matter what language you speak, people are nice and pretty patient (except for the couple of jerks in love with french)

[pdw]

I'm not encouraging people to stay unilingual, I'm pointing out a ridiculous double standard. If it's not OK for an anglophone to be unilingual in Montreal, why is it OK for a francophone to be? If you're going to be screaming at people to learn French, you better do it at other people to learn English too. Montreal is not a French city, it's a bilingual city. A bilingual city should be allowed to function bilingually, not function only in French and have people speaking English at home.

[dougie86]

Originally Posted by pdw

I'm not encouraging people to stay unilingual, I'm pointing out a ridiculous double standard. If it's not OK for an anglophone to be unilingual in Montreal, why is it OK for a francophone to be? If you're going to be screaming at people to learn French, you better do it at other people to learn English too. Montreal is not a French city, it's a bilingual city. A bilingual city should be allowed to function bilingually, not function only in French and have people speaking English at home.

.

[BIMBAM]

Originally Posted by pdw

I'm not encouraging people to stay unilingual, I'm pointing out a ridiculous double standard. If it's not OK for an anglophone to be unilingual in Montreal, why is it OK for a francophone to be? If you're going to be screaming at people to learn French, you better do it at other people to learn English too. Montreal is not a French city, it's a bilingual city. A bilingual city should be allowed to function bilingually, not function only in French and have people speaking English at home.

It isn't a bilingual city officially though. It's officially a French city and French speakers do outnumber English speakers more then 2:1. I agree it's kind of functionally bilingual, but they aren't practically speaking on an equal footing by any means.