Why all the fuss about English in Montreal? (fit in, 2013)
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I'm an outsider (American) who enjoys visiting all of Canada - so feel free to tell me to shut up - but I am puzzled by all the hot emotions over English language rights in Quebec province.
From what I understand, Quebec is the only French-dominant province in Canada (or North America as a whole) and the people there have an interest in preserving that culture, even at the expense of English. So why all the fuss from English Canadians if you have 9 other provinces to live in (and 50 states, for that matter), where English is the dominant if not exclusive language and you have unrestricted rights to use it and be educated in it? Not to be sarcastic, but if you don't like the French language, why not just move to Ontario or elsewhere? I mean why would you want to stay somewhere and be so angry about language all the time?
It seems to me (again, I am just on the outside looking in), the passion for Quebec separatism would probably fizzle if French Quebecers felt that their language and culture was secure, in a French dominant (or even French-only) Quebec. English is certainly under no threat in the rest of Canada and maybe just New Brunswick needs to be bilingual? Would Canada be so bad if Quebec was all French, New Brunswick and Ottawa were Bilingual, and the rest of Canada is all English? And then if you move in to an area from somewhere else, you just deal with the local situation. I think Switzerland works that way.
Its a very complex issue but in a nutshell the English of Quebec were a very relevant co culture in Quebec, at one time numbering 25% of the population and were instrumental in setting up much infrastructure in the province,Cultural heritage of English was wide spread through out the province,
Then back in the mid 50's the idea came about in the Francophone community we are in jeopardy and that the French language and culture should take measures to address the situation,
first up a separatist party intent on separating Quebec from Canada, then lots of linguistic rules and regulations ensued based on The Francophones new Charter of Quebec commonly called Bill101.
With all the hassle of Quebec thinking it for some reason owned the province most Anglos over the last 40 years left for other parts of Canada and now numbers a mere 7% of the population in Quebec, youd think with so few Anglos remaining the Francophone would be secure his culture is safe however thats not the case as more rules regulations and language police are called for to combat the never ending danger of English invasion. a separatist government runs the Province and a third referendum on separation seems inevitable...
As an Anglo in Quebec i.m a bit biased on the issue and could go on for some time, however suppers on the table.
But I guess my point was, regardless of the past, why do English Canadians put up with a situation that makes them so mad? From the outside, it almost seems silly complaining at being a persecuted minority when all you have to do is move outside Quebec, and suddenly you are part of another bigger, even more dominant, majority. Perhaps it is hard to see my point if you are in it and not looking from outside? It seemed like Quebec Anglos are stuck in a bad marriage - so why stay and suffer?
I only say this because I've met some English Canadians that go on and on about this and they seem to hate everything French and anything about Quebec. We Americans totally don't get it. It's like we are talking to someone we just met in a bar, who is complaining about their awful marriage (and this is in no way to say that we Americans don't have plenty of problems of our own!).
i would think that if your anglo family has also been in quebec for generations, you may feel that you are being denied your own historical context and being disrespected in the same way that the french were prior to the Quiet Revolution. why should you have to leave your homeland?
on the other side, i can see the french point of view where they see speaking french as inclusion rather than discrimination, where language and social cohesiveness are flip sides of the same coin and how they uniquely define Quebec identity. i read a book called 'selling illusions' by neil bisoondath which was very illuminating (and apologetic) about the french canadians' position.
as an objective and impartial observer, i see a lot of unnecessary lines drawn in the sand from both sides and passions exploited for political gain by the current party. a lot of tantrums and flailing arms from both sides.
We could paint a picture of Florida having its Spanish residents feeling their culture needs protecting. resulting in them rising up and instituting harsh language laws ,what language signs you could post,which language schools you could send your kids to what language must be used in the workplace, language police to insure compliance with all linguistic regulations,names of towns and street names being changed to Spanish, strict language qualification exams for some jobs.English becomes a language no longer seen..
What do you think the longterm English residents of Florida are going to think of this scenario, do you think they`d just happily move out of the state.
Plenty of online resource describing the Quebec situation, heres on such.http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...e-separatists/
I agree with jambo. How would you feel if a group of people in your home state put restrictions on your language and tried to establish a nation state there when your community was an integral part of its history, society and culture? If you can go tell anglophones to move out of Quebec if they don't like Bill 101, why not tell French Canadians to leave if they don't like the way things were for 200 years? If French was ever under threat in Quebec, it was when there were only about 75 000 francophones and nearly as many anglophones during the late 18th century. Montreal used to be a majority English-speaking city and even today consists of barely 50% native francophones. Montreal and Quebec's bilingual identity shouldn't be dismissed in pursuit of a nation state where there never was one.
I am not arguing with anyone's views or whatever history / perceived rights are involved. And I am not telling anyone to move out of Quebec. I am just pointing out that some Anglo Quebecers seem very unhappy with the language situation in Quebec - and that situation doesn't seem likely to change - so just in practical terms: why put up with it and complain all the time, when you've got a huge beautiful country to live in, most of which is solidly English-Speaking? Wouldn't you be happier away from the French if you don't like the language and culture? Or do people just like to complain about the language problem for fun?
As for the comparison with Florida - well there already are large patches of Florida (and other states) I wouldn't want to live in, where I wouldn't feel like I fit in. But I don't need to live in every part of the US. I only need a little bit!
We could paint a picture of Florida having its Spanish residents feeling their culture needs protecting. resulting in them rising up and instituting harsh language laws ,what language signs you could post,which language schools you could send your kids to what language must be used in the workplace, language police to insure compliance with all linguistic regulations,names of towns and street names being changed to Spanish, strict language qualification exams for some jobs.English becomes a language no longer seen..
What do you think the longterm English residents of Florida are going to think of this scenario, do you think they`d just happily move out of the state.
Plenty of online resource describing the Quebec situation, heres on such.Conrad Black: Taking the offensive against the separatists | National Post
Comparing Spanish in Florida to the situation in Quebec is completely bogus. If anything, although English has long roots in Quebec, it's still a relative newcomer here compared to French, and so you're not equating it with the right language in Florida when it comes to history.
It seems to me (again, I am just on the outside looking in), the passion for Quebec separatism would probably fizzle if French Quebecers felt that their language and culture was secure, in a French dominant (or even French-only) Quebec. English is certainly under no threat in the rest of Canada and maybe just New Brunswick needs to be bilingual? Would Canada be so bad if Quebec was all French, New Brunswick and Ottawa were Bilingual, and the rest of Canada is all English? And then if you move in to an area from somewhere else, you just deal with the local situation. I think Switzerland works that way.
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