Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm talking full-out bilingual. French schools opened up for all. Bilingual signs for everything on all provincial government property. More bilingual workers in all provincial government services. French made an official language in every province... If the ROC (even BC) did all of that and more to make itself fully bilingual and liveable for unilingual French-Canadians, would you repeal Bill 101?
Interesting idea pdw but making the rest of Canada super conducive to French isnt going to get every one who is now predominantly English to all of a sudden feel a need to start immersing themselves in the French Language and culture. also most these new French schools and institutions are going to be mostly empty and unused as there just arent enough French people out there who would take advantage of this new cultural opportunity across Canada.
From my perspective here in Montreal Most Quebecois that i know really dont give much thought to the rest of Canada and basically identify themselves as Quebecers and not Canadians,most of them dont care about Bill101 or know much about it as generally they arent on the receiving end of its mission to totally eradicate any language other than FRench.
So to answer the original question= French Canadians: If the ROC was made officially bilingual (a la New Brunswick) would you repeal Bill 101? I'd have to say no as Francophones generally arent interested or dont care about the rest of Canada and view bill101 as some kind of shield or armor that protects them against the ravaging hoardes of Anglo/ethnic oppressors just outside their borders just waiting to turn them all into Anglos..
I think that jambo (welcome back BTW!) is pretty much on the right track. Any changes to Quebec language policies would likely come as a result of a change in the situation in Quebec. Realistically, outside of Quebec even a major push in favour of French at this point would probably only yield very slim pickings anyway.
So really it's probably an increase in the use of French by anglophones in their dealings with francophones that might allow for a change to the language laws. That's how I see it.
Note that in the period between 1976 and 1995 there was a significant change in this respect (in favour of French) and this is one of things that is credited with helping the Non win the 1995 referendum.
Since then though there seems to be more slippage in the other direction - probably not so much due to Quebec-born anglos but to new anglo arrivals and also immigrants in Quebec who don't seem to be inclined to learn any French for their new lives here.
I'm talking full-out bilingual. French schools opened up for all. Bilingual signs for everything on all provincial government property. More bilingual workers in all provincial government services. French made an official language in every province... If the ROC (even BC) did all of that and more to make itself fully bilingual and liveable for unilingual French-Canadians, would you repeal Bill 101?
No, you're describing the Trudeauian dream that never came to pass. Most Canadians don't care about french and most Quebecers don't care if Canadians care about french. You can post all the signs you want but if you don't actually use the language, you'll never be able to speak it.
Francophone Quebeckers know that if they want to travel within Canada (their warm and welcoming country!) then they have to be able to speak english. They accept that. They EXPECT that. Anglophone Canadians know that if they they want to travel within their Province of Quebec (part of their warm and welcoming country!) they should be spoken to in english every step of the way as well! They accept that. They EXPECT that. After all, this is supposed to be a bilingual country isn't it? And god forbid if the guy at the gas station in Jonquière doesn't meet that expectation, it will become the headline in tomorrow's Globe and Mail "GAS STATION REFUSES SERVICE IN ENGLISH TO INNOCENT CANADIANS! WTF IS WRONG WITH QUEBEC?" And 900 derogatory comments from ROC rednecks will follow...
Last edited by Habfanman; 06-08-2013 at 08:35 PM..
Francophone Quebeckers know that if they want to travel within Canada (their warm and welcoming country!) then they have to be able to speak english. They accept that. They EXPECT that. Anglophone Canadians know that if they they want to travel within their Province of Quebec (part of their warm and welcoming country!) they should be spoken to in english every step of the way as well! They accept that. They EXPECT that. After all, this is supposed to be a bilingual country isn't it? And god forbid if the guy at the gas station in Jonquière doesn't meet that expectation, it will become the headline in tomorrow's Globe and Mail "GAS STATION REFUSES SERVICE IN ENGLISH TO INNOCENT CANADIANS! WTF IS WRONG WITH QUEBEC?" And 900 derogatory comments from ROC rednecks will follow...
I dont agree, every Anglophone i know outside of quebec has accepted the fact that quebec is totally french, they dont automatically expect to be addressed/served in English in quebec, as for the rest of your comments either i'm missing it as satire or you have some anger management issues with Anglos and how they interact with francophones in quebec..
No, you're describing the Trudeauian dream that never came to pass. Most Canadians don't care about french and most Quebecers don't care if Canadians care about french. You can post all the signs you want but if you don't actually use the language, you'll never be able to speak it.
Francophone Quebeckers know that if they want to travel within Canada (their warm and welcoming country!) then they have to be able to speak english. They accept that. They EXPECT that. Anglophone Canadians know that if they they want to travel within their Province of Quebec (part of their warm and welcoming country!) they should be spoken to in english every step of the way as well! They accept that. They EXPECT that. After all, this is supposed to be a bilingual country isn't it? And god forbid if the guy at the gas station in Jonquière doesn't meet that expectation, it will become the headline in tomorrow's Globe and Mail "GAS STATION REFUSES SERVICE IN ENGLISH TO INNOCENT CANADIANS! WTF IS WRONG WITH QUEBEC?" And 900 derogatory comments from ROC rednecks will follow...
From my perspective and opinion as an Anglo in Quebec all i've seen since the institution of bill101 is the gradual erosion of all things Anglo, it seems the prevailing trend in Quebec is to rid itself of the English language entirely.Many linguistic rules and regulations conspire to have those Anglo's born here leave and those thinking of coming look elsewhere in Canada for a place to settle down.Basically the choice for those moving to Quebec is become so French that you assimilate totally.Resistance is futile.
Ultimately in the near future there will be no more Anglophones in Quebec or so few as to be irrelevant and perhaps number in the few thousands and with that prospect comes the inevitability of 5 million or so uni-lingual Francophones living in a milieu of close to 400 million Anglo/allophones and due to their lack of exposure to the English language entrap themselves in a cultural Francophone prison of sorts.
Bill101,and bill14 let em keep it, become totally French,probably eventually even separate from Canada.
Good Luck eh!
The myth of anglicisation is fooling even the Americans. Makes me want to vomit. Here are the facts: Montreal has no where near the English population today that it had at its peak. French is NOT threatened in Quebec, never has been, never will be. The whole province outside of Montreal is rapidly experiencing francisation at rates never before, while Montreal's English community is just barely holding on by a thread. Lie to yourself all you want, being unilingually French has NEVER been a part of Montreal's identity.
Well, technically, it was unilingual French from 1642 to 1763. Granted, it was a while ago and Montreal was a small town at the time...
Exactly. Therefore it should be accepted that in terms of importance to the city, English is equal to French in Montreal.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
