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To accomodate the English/French nature of Montreal a common way of saying hello is Bonjour-Hi however Quebecs legislature is in a kerfuffle as this expression is apparently demeaning to the French language and are suggesting the term be restricted to just bonjour, evidently its a major threat to the French language and culture. Quebec lawmakers pass motion calling on store clerks to use 'bonjour' greeting | CTV News
To accomodate the English/French nature of Montreal a common way of saying hello is Bonjour-Hi however Quebecs legislature is in a kerfuffle as this expression is apparently demeaning to the French language and are suggesting the term be restricted to just bonjour, evidently its a major threat to the French language and culture. Quebec lawmakers pass motion calling on store clerks to use 'bonjour' greeting | CTV News
I know it's just a motion but still.... holy **** haha. This was debated for TWO DAYS!! WHY!?. But that's what you get in a quasi-authoritarian place like Quebec, where they tell you what's proper to say and what not to say. Either the Liberals played in to get the French vote back (the ones they've lost to CAQ) or everyone in the National Assembly are outdated backward idiots.
I know it's just a motion but still.... holy **** haha. This was debated for TWO DAYS!! WHY!?. But that's what you get in a quasi-authoritarian place like Quebec, where they tell you what's proper to say and what not to say. Either the Liberals played in to get the French vote back (the ones they've lost to CAQ) or everyone in the National Assembly are outdated backward idiots.
Sigh. This was 'debated' for a grand total of less than 10 minutes over two days, involving a grand total of 2 people (the PQ leader asking ideologically-motivated 'questions' and the PM -- Liberal leader -- essentially saying that the PQ are idiots who live in the past).
Then the assembly unanimously voted for a motion that says "clerks should warmly say 'bonjour' when customers enter a store". The CTV's headline and reporting is misleading because the motion does NOT say 'bonjour instead of bonjour/hi' nor does it encourage a French-only greeting -- that was the PQ's original intention but the motion would have been defeated had it contained this. That was right after another unanimous vote congratulating the good performances of Laval U.´s student-athletes in 2017. But hey, nothing spells click bait quite like yet another language ****storm, right? Good for CTV, good for the PQ, waste of time for everybody else..
By the way, thanks for your concern about our "quasi-authoritarian place". Where do you live?
I know it's just a motion but still.... holy **** haha. This was debated for TWO DAYS!! WHY!?. But that's what you get in a quasi-authoritarian place like Quebec, where they tell you what's proper to say and what not to say. Either the Liberals played in to get the French vote back (the ones they've lost to CAQ) or everyone in the National Assembly are outdated backward idiots.
When you live in a place you gotta take the good with the bad. As far as "bad" stuff goes I don't think this is that big a deal.
As for "bonjour-hi", I've definitely noticed it's grown in popularity in Montreal in recent years. It doesn't really bother me even though I do find it sounds a bit weird, or "off".
I understand if it's a way to appear more open and welcoming to the customer, but on the other hand something tells me it's also about *reassuring* anglophones (both residents and tourists BTW) who might be fearful or intimidated about being addressed (only) in French.
If that is the case I don't know what's so negative or scary about French (embodied by a simple "bonjour" greeting I guess) for an anglophone when it's said to them in a city like Montreal.
There is also the question of whether "bonjour-hi" (and the wall-to-wall bilingualism that it suggests) is actually a positive or negative for tourism in the city.
If I travel to New York or Mexico City for a different experience I sure as hell don't expect to be and likely would prefer not to be surrounded by people speaking French with Quebec accents at every turn.
Sigh. This was 'debated' for a grand total of less than 10 minutes over two days, involving a grand total of 2 people (the PQ leader asking ideologically-motivated 'questions' and the PM -- Liberal leader -- essentially saying that the PQ are idiots who live in the past).
Then the assembly unanimously voted for a motion that says "clerks should warmly say 'bonjour' when customers enter a store". The CTV's headline and reporting is misleading because the motion does NOT say 'bonjour instead of bonjour/hi' nor does it encourage a French-only greeting -- that was the PQ's original intention but the motion would have been defeated had it contained this. That was right after another unanimous vote congratulating the good performances of Laval U.´s student-athletes in 2017. But hey, nothing spells click bait quite like yet another language ****storm, right? Good for CTV, good for the PQ, waste of time for everybody else..
By the way, thanks for your concern about our "quasi-authoritarian place". Where do you live?
Being casual about this has brought about bill101 and the language police whos sole objective in life seems to be the eradication of English and its culture from Quebec, seems its working as while many say bonjour hi as a courtesy to Montreals 10 million visitors per year actual posted English signs are virtually non existant thanks to draconian language legislation. My response is i dont say bonjour anymore i just say hi
Bonjour-Hi is unique and accommodates tourists and English speakers in Montreal. Just like how Quebec says "saying bonjour is unique" and represents French identity, so is Bonjour-Hi in Montreal. Furthermore to a poster above, Quebec is quasi-authoritarian due to outdated language laws, how you have the OQLF, bullying businesses, forcing kids to go to a French school even if they do not want to, etc... it infringes on people. You can challenge me if you want, but it would be foolish to challenge someone with a background in Political Science/International relations and International business.
Bonjour-Hi is unique and accommodates tourists and English speakers in Montreal. Just like how Quebec says "saying bonjour is unique" and represents French identity, so is Bonjour-Hi in Montreal. Furthermore to a poster above, Quebec is quasi-authoritarian due to outdated language laws, how you have the OQLF, bullying businesses, forcing kids to go to a French school even if they do not want to, etc... it infringes on people. You can challenge me if you want, but it would be foolish to challenge someone with a background in Political Science/International relations and International business.
Bonjour-Hi is unique and accommodates tourists and English speakers in Montreal. Just like how Quebec says "saying bonjour is unique" and represents French identity, so is Bonjour-Hi in Montreal. Furthermore to a poster above, Quebec is quasi-authoritarian due to outdated language laws, how you have the OQLF, bullying businesses, forcing kids to go to a French school even if they do not want to, etc... it infringes on people. You can challenge me if you want, but it would be foolish to challenge someone with a background in Political Science/International relations and International business.
Forcing kids to go to a French school even if they don't want to? Funny, Quebec is a French language province, and one is not entitled to go to publicly funded English language schools. Those people who strongly prefer to send their kids of English language schools should think twice before moving to a province where the only official language is French. Quebec is still dominated by Francophones, why would they spend money to educate kids in English and pave the road of their own culture extinction?
It is not different from expecting free English school in Paris, sorry, that is not your right. If you want English, go to a private school and no one will prevent you.
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