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If English was predominant today it would be great but it wouldn't be Montreal. Still I could imagine this easily happening in the near future too.
You really think Quebec will somehow become English?
That aint gonna happen as the powers that be here in Quebec have spent the better part of a generation eliminating the English and its history in Quebec.
Changing all the old English names of towns throughout Quebec to French names, Changing streets and road names that were once English to French,Closing many English institutions such as schools and hospitals, And the ever present Language police (Office de la Langue Francais) And always that threat of separation just under the surface,
I love Quebec and wouldnt want to live anywhere else but i'm under no illusion that my presence as an Anglo living in Quebec is not appreciated by the government and a sizable portion of the population .
The time is just about ready for a change in Government as the Charest Liberals have run their course and its time for a change but options are limited to the Liberals or The Parti Quebecois.
Heres a good article on basically the only other option Quebecers have
All white, all francophone: is this the Quebec of the future? (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/white+francophone+this+Quebec+future/6242630/story.html - broken link)
Montreal is in Quebec,same rules apply subsequently the English population is not growing its dwindling as the older English Quebecers die off and the newly graduated English Quebecers move elsewhere for jobs.
At present Quebecs English population is down to 8% most of whom live in Montreal with an additional allophone population also at 8%, sure doesnt sound like a recipe whereby the French have to worry about a threat of English taking over Montreal or anywhere else for that matter yet more tax dollars are spent on this type of lunacy.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/a7aise/6386801/story.html (broken link)
To be fair, Montreal proper is still 21% English and 23% allophone (who more often than not speak English way better than French despite rules on French schools). (source: wiki). I don't see Montreal becoming anything other than the bilingual city it currently is in the foreseeable future.
To be fair, Montreal proper is still 21% English and 23% allophone (who more often than not speak English way better than French despite rules on French schools). (source: wiki). I don't see Montreal becoming anything other than the bilingual city it currently is in the foreseeable future.
Montreal is as bilingual as its ever going to get as slowly but surely the government is winning its war on all things English. Granted the English population is now 21% but what was it 20yrs ago and what will it be 20yrs hence and what is it as soon as you leave the island?.
Talking to my two fully bilingual daughters who are nearing the end of their university education has them telling me they have no interest in staying in Quebec as there is no future here for people who's last name is Neil, their friends express similar attitudes and so do all my Anglo friends kids.
As some one who has only been here 35 years i've watched many of my friends leave to establish new lives in the west, my wife who's large family have been here 7 generations have all left, they used to be a large clan in west Shefford area,
an area that no longer exists as it was renamed Bromont.
Montreal is as bilingual as its ever going to get as slowly but surely the government is winning its war on all things English. Granted the English population is now 21% but what was it 20yrs ago and what will it be 20yrs hence and what is it as soon as you leave the island?.
Talking to my two fully bilingual daughters who are nearing the end of their university education has them telling me they have no interest in staying in Quebec as there is no future here for people who's last name is Neil, their friends express similar attitudes and so do all my Anglo friends kids.
As some one who has only been here 35 years i've watched many of my friends leave to establish new lives in the west, my wife who's large family have been here 7 generations have all left, they used to be a large clan in west Shefford area,
an area that no longer exists as it was renamed Bromont.
I don't disagree with any of that, but I wanted to clarify your "Quebec is 8% English" statement given that the thread is about Montreal.
To be fair, Montreal proper is still 21% English and 23% allophone (who more often than not speak English way better than French despite rules on French schools). (source: wiki). I don't see Montreal becoming anything other than the bilingual city it currently is in the foreseeable future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by barneyg
I don't disagree with any of that, but I wanted to clarify your "Quebec is 8% English" statement given that the thread is about Montreal.
True. In parts of Montreal one can still be fully functional without speaking any French at all.
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Montreal
