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Montreal isn't the only part of Quebec that is bilingual. There are majority English speaking communities in the Eastern Townships, the Gaspe, the Magdalen islands, the Lower North Shore and the Outaouais as well. Not all of rural Quebec is French-speaking. I would definitely call Quebec a bilingual province.
There are only ~5 million home language English speakers (10% vs Quebec's 11%) in South Africa, does that mean that English is not one of South Africa's languages?
Neither. Government shouldn't be in the business of picking winners, language included.
Every government anywhere in the world picks language winners and losers: you can tell which ones they are by the language that they use for teaching in their public schools, which language their public institutions function in, and which language they use to communicate with citizens in.
Some people seem to think that English where they live became dominant and ubiquitous simply out of some form of natural evolution, simply because that's normalcy for them. But it's far from the truth - at least in areas that were not populated or settled by native English speakers. (Which is much of North America.)
English was and is imposed as well. Make no mistake.
When we visited Quebec we noted that English was spoken in many places in Quebec City but not very much in the towns along the North Shore of the St Lawrence River such as Baie St Paul. Nonetheless we really enjoyed our visit and most of the people were very friendly and helpful.
FWIW the North shore of the river is drop dead gorgeous.
When we visited Quebec we noted that English was spoken in many places in Quebec City but not very much in the towns along the North Shore of the St Lawrence River such as Baie St Paul. Nonetheless we really enjoyed our visit and most of the people were very friendly and helpful.
FWIW the North shore of the river is drop dead gorgeous.
If you go further north to communities like Harrington Harbour and Saint Augustine, you'll meet lots of English speakers. The people of Quebec are truly wonderful, friendly people. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to Canada.
English was and is imposed as well. Make no mistake.
Not that it bothers me in the least. The English took from my forebears the comparatively useless language used by them and replaced it with the tongue that rules the world. I couldn't be happier about the result.
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