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Saying "in Ontario French is but a very small minority of the population" is a very misleading statement in this context. Yes, it is true by itself, the French are a small minority of the population within Ontario as a whole. But there are REGIONS of Ontario where the French are a substantial portion, even the majority. Geographically significant regions, in fact. Basically the entire region around Sudbury-Timmins-Hearst-Kapuskasing, a very large region geographically as well as the whole region not just within Ottawa but Cornwall-Hawkesbury-Clarence-Rockland and everywhere in between.
In these regions, to the best of my knowledge, the French language and Francophone culture are alive and well.
Yes but it's very easy as the province as whole to support the language.
Yes but it's very easy as the province as whole to support the language.
Ontario as a whole is quite accommodating toward French, I don't know where you've got the idea from that the Ontario government isn't. Pretty much all government documents are in English and French, signs too even in regions where French isn't a major language.
Personally it bugs me that highway signs in Toronto have French but highway signs in Montreal don't have English. Quite a double standard I'd say. Not that I believe the signs in Montreal need to have English, but I think if the highway signs in Toronto were unilingual in English that'd be fine too. Montreal is a far more bilingual city than Toronto, but as I've said I'm willing to accept certain compromises and the sign laws and unilingual French signs are among the compromises I find acceptable personally.
If you got a better solution to the problem I'd love to hear it.
This is not something that the government should seek to solve. Cultural engineering is objectionable.
If the government can't tell consenting adults with whom they can bed down, then why is it reasonable for them to tell you, your co-workers and your boss what language you must use in the workplace? The private affairs of law-abilding citizens should not be subject to public intervention and meddling. Fin.
This is not something that the government should seek to solve. Cultural engineering is objectionable.
If the government can't tell consenting adults with whom they can bed down, then why is it reasonable for them to tell you, your co-workers and your boss what language you must use in the workplace? The private affairs of law-abilding citizens should not be subject to public intervention and meddling. Fin.
But these are not private affairs, there business affairs, most countries have laws dictated the use of a language in business.
Still what is your solution, having no linguistic protection for french is not a scenario that would ever happen, so keeping this in mind do you have any ideas.
Still what is your solution, having no linguistic protection for french is not a scenario that would ever happen, so keeping this in mind do you have any ideas.
My solution is no linguistic protection. My people have largely stopped speaking their language and it doesn't bother me one bit. Instead of speaking a marginal language -- and for the avoidance of doubt, I'm not characterizing French as marginal -- I speak the world's lingua franca. It worked out great for me. Win, win, win.
If people want to keep speaking their language or if there's a market-driven need for them to keep speaking their language, then it will remain a vital force. Otherwise, it will wither and die. Change is constant and language isn't beyond the reach of such dynamic forces.
My solution is no linguistic protection. My people have largely stopped speaking their language and it doesn't bother me one bit. Instead of speaking a marginal language -- and for the avoidance of doubt, I'm not characterizing French as marginal -- I speak the world's lingua franca. It worked out great for me. Win, win, win.
If people want to keep speaking their language or if there's a market-driven need for them to keep speaking their language, then it will remain a vital force. Otherwise, it will wither and die. Change is constant and language isn't beyond the reach of such dynamic forces.
Language has always in part been dictated by the state. Whether it be a democracy or a feudal state. Your idea while decent isn't an answer to a political problem. French canadians are not gonna give up their language.
Almost never? French is the second-most spoken language in six of the nine provinces outside Quebec, and in all of the provinces from Manitoba eastwards. In most provinces it is second by a fair margin.
Oddy though not so much in Toronto. Only 2% of Torontonians have french as a first language. This fact always surprised me. Then again, IMO I prefer Montreal over Toronto (I don't miss TO traffic)
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