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Do you really dislike us or do you think we don't like you? Honestly I really like french Canadian culture as a southern Ontario Anglo. I really look up to you.
There isn't much hostility these days (compared to 20-30-40 years ago), but to be quite honest most French Canadians don't think much about Anglo-Canadians. It's not necessarily a bad thing.
Pretty general question Bluebird, Most dont mind Anglos others hold onto notions of the past and view Anglos as former dominators/oppressors of the French culture and as a result feel the need to eradicate the Anglo culture from existence in Quebec.IMO most Anglos and Francophones get along well with not much in the way of animosity. If you are wondering the separatist issue is dead and buried and doesnt carry much weight with todays youth.
I work in a French-language company, to their French I answer in English, having such perpendicular conversations of sorts. (the key is that I, of course, understand everything they say, as well as they understand English). Nothing happens to me, as a result. Don't feel any hostility. They ask me how to say this or that in English. I ask them how to write this or that in French. I was curious at the beginning, what was the difference of the French folk. Now I can say there is not much of a difference: take your basic polite Canadian, blow some French magic dust all over, et voilà .
As a French-speaking Anglo (although not a Montrealer but a US citizen), I can honestly say I've never felt any hostility in Quebec during over 20 years of frequent visits to the province. I've had several political conversations with francophone Quebecers who were either outright separatists or softer nationalists who had issues with their place in Canada. But I've always found the people to be quite welcoming to Anglos on an individual level - provided, of course, that the Anglos in question have a basic level of respect when it comes to the local culture.
I 100% agree with jambo's comment that separatism is pretty much a non-issue for younger francophones in Quebec - at least in the cities. I don't really spend time in rural Quebec, but I gather that separatism is rather stronger in those isolated places where Anglos are only a remote abstraction.
This is a bit of a tangent, but I think Anglo Canadians generally don't realize what a treasure Quebec is and how much poorer their lives would be without Quebec in the country. From a purely political standpoint, Quebec acts as a firewall that prevents narrow-minded Anglo nationalist xenophobia a la Trump/Brexit from taking over the country - remove Quebec, and who's to say that a coalition of Alberta Harperites, Rob Ford-supporting types, and your basic rural yahoos couldn't band together to win a parliamentary majority at some point? That's very hard to do when the second-largest province: a) doesn't share the Anglo nationalist myths, and b) is so far to the left that the conservatives need to tamp down their ideology in order to compete there. For those Anglo Canadians who are liberal (with a small L), Quebec is really your safeguard. Respect it and freaking learn French already. :-P
This is a bit of a tangent, but I think Anglo Canadians generally don't realize what a treasure Quebec is and how much poorer their lives would be without Quebec in the country. From a purely political standpoint, Quebec acts as a firewall that prevents narrow-minded Anglo nationalist xenophobia a la Trump/Brexit from taking over the country - remove Quebec, and who's to say that a coalition of Alberta Harperites, Rob Ford-supporting types, and your basic rural yahoos couldn't band together to win a parliamentary majority at some point? That's very hard to do when the second-largest province: a) doesn't share the Anglo nationalist myths, and b) is so far to the left that the conservatives need to tamp down their ideology in order to compete there. For those Anglo Canadians who are liberal (with a small L), Quebec is really your safeguard. Respect it and freaking learn French already. :-P
Actually Quebec isn't that much of a safeguard. In 2011 Harper and his Conservatives won a majority even though Quebec voted mostly in favour of the NDP. What does learning French have to do with conservative and liberal politics?
To go back to what OP asked there isn't much of a divide between francophones and anglophones anymore. Sure you get the occasional individual who harbours resentment towards anglos but they are the exception not the rule. As others have pointed out separatism is dying here especially with the younger generations.
If you dont live in Quebec whats the point of learning French? i dont see where being liberal or conservative has much to do with the issue.?
The point of learning French is because it's a key part of your country's culture, and it enables you to relate to a large group of your countrymen as equals. Of course, there's also the fact that it opens up huge doors - professional, personal, and cultural.
And politically - I'm not saying that Quebec means the Conservatives will never again win power. I'm saying that having Quebec in Confederation makes it rather harder for an ethnonationalist demagogue to take over, as in the US. Having two large populations with different foundational myths is helpful in that regard.
The point of learning French is because it's a key part of your country's culture, and it enables you to relate to a large group of your countrymen as equals. Of course, there's also the fact that it opens up huge doors - professional, personal, and cultural.
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Some get this misconception that Canada is a bilingual country,its not, French is spoken in Quebec and the rest of Canada is English.If one doesnt live in Quebec or its immediate environs you'll never hear a word of French so whats the point of learning a language you will never use.?
The point of learning French is because it's a key part of your country's culture, and it enables you to relate to a large group of your countrymen as equals. Of course, there's also the fact that it opens up huge doors - professional, personal, and cultural.
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As you can plainly see, many Canadians don't give a hoot about all that stuff.
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