Brit-haters in Quebec
Feb 16th 2009, 2:51 pm
#61
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
and yes the driving is atrocious here.
Feb 16th 2009, 2:59 pm
#62
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
So would I because Quebec only complains about everything and stamps its feet when it does'nt get any money.
Quebec is holding Canada back from being a great country. Ask yourself what the true cost of "bilingualism is" don't even get me started on that.
Every single day in the Ottawa area, folk are discussing bilingualism.
I don't begrudge their culture and their language but I really get ticked off when we they impose it on us in Ontario. There are small towns just east of Ottawa that have had major arguments because the minority French are demanding services in French languages- at extra cost to the businesses there.
My best friend is French descent so don't say that I am a rascist cos I am not- but I can only speak as I find!!
As far as road signs- its a dangerous thing not to be able to read them- took us 45 minutes to get out of the park at Gatineau once, never go back to Quebec again. Anyway all Federal Roads are supposed to have dual signage and the Quebecans don't bother, yet expect us to have signs in dual language- are we playing on a level playing field? Nope as usual the French get their own way and say "stuff the rest of you. "
If we got rid of the cost of bilingualism we would'nt be facing a deficit in Canada for the next 5 years.
Quebec is holding Canada back from being a great country. Ask yourself what the true cost of "bilingualism is" don't even get me started on that.
Every single day in the Ottawa area, folk are discussing bilingualism.
I don't begrudge their culture and their language but I really get ticked off when we they impose it on us in Ontario. There are small towns just east of Ottawa that have had major arguments because the minority French are demanding services in French languages- at extra cost to the businesses there.
My best friend is French descent so don't say that I am a rascist cos I am not- but I can only speak as I find!!
As far as road signs- its a dangerous thing not to be able to read them- took us 45 minutes to get out of the park at Gatineau once, never go back to Quebec again. Anyway all Federal Roads are supposed to have dual signage and the Quebecans don't bother, yet expect us to have signs in dual language- are we playing on a level playing field? Nope as usual the French get their own way and say "stuff the rest of you. "
If we got rid of the cost of bilingualism we would'nt be facing a deficit in Canada for the next 5 years.
BTW its not Quebecans, it's Quebecois...
It sounds like you should go live in America if you want stuff to be in English only.
Feb 16th 2009, 3:02 pm
#63
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
This is exactly your problem - you're not up to date with Canadian history. A quick look up on Canadian history with Quebec will easily explain why French-speakers in Quebec don't particularly appreciate English-speakers and don't look highly to anyone of English commonwealth. As far as they're concerned, they're "pure laine" - 100% ancestry from the French pioneers who founded Quebec back in the 1600's.
Language, if you have not quite learned yet, is very much a political issue in Quebec. Language defines the person in Quebec.
The French language practically defines the French-speaking nation of Quebec. Yes, that's right - Quebec sees itself as a national separare from Canada. If you haven't yet learned yet, the majority of Quebecois francophones are fiercely passionate about preserving their French language and are willing to separate from the rest of Canada to preserve their unique French-speaking culture.
You, in their eyes, are a threat to the perseverence of their culture. They see the English language (and English-speaking immigrants) as a threat to their culture and everything they stand for. They don't see themselves as a part of the commonwealth. As far as they're concerned, they're victims of English colonialism, hence their desire to separate from Canada.
Language, if you have not quite learned yet, is very much a political issue in Quebec. Language defines the person in Quebec.
The French language practically defines the French-speaking nation of Quebec. Yes, that's right - Quebec sees itself as a national separare from Canada. If you haven't yet learned yet, the majority of Quebecois francophones are fiercely passionate about preserving their French language and are willing to separate from the rest of Canada to preserve their unique French-speaking culture.
You, in their eyes, are a threat to the perseverence of their culture. They see the English language (and English-speaking immigrants) as a threat to their culture and everything they stand for. They don't see themselves as a part of the commonwealth. As far as they're concerned, they're victims of English colonialism, hence their desire to separate from Canada.
I have a lot of friends with English and French blood of equal amounts, also pure laine quebecois and they do NOT subscribe to this view.
Feb 16th 2009, 3:12 pm
#64
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
Is it really that hard to understand frenchy road signs? Most of them are pictorial here!! unlike America... A lot of signs in Toronto are English only, and out west, English is pretty much the norm.
BTW its not Quebecans, it's Quebecois...
It sounds like you should go live in America if you want stuff to be in English only.
BTW its not Quebecans, it's Quebecois...
It sounds like you should go live in America if you want stuff to be in English only.
FYI in USA its not English only, they are having dual signage with Spanish now!!! Go to Lowes in Ogdensburg and you will see Spanish every where!! GUess you have'nt been lately!
Feb 16th 2009, 3:17 pm
#65
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
No I don't want stuff to be in English only,don't take my words out of context but I would have appreciated dual signage in the Gatineau Park so I could have least taken less time than 45 minutes to get out if it! If you come over the bridge in Ottawa, the minute you get to the other side, the signs are in French, there were no pictures! By the time I had looked at the map, we had gone past and I could'nt work out where the heck we were...
FYI in USA its not English only, they are having dual signage with Spanish now!!! Go to Lowes in Ogdensburg and you will see Spanish every where!! GUess you have'nt been lately!
FYI in USA its not English only, they are having dual signage with Spanish now!!! Go to Lowes in Ogdensburg and you will see Spanish every where!! GUess you have'nt been lately!
USA is an officially english speaking country.
Canada is an officially bilingual country.
Probably a good thing you stay in Ontario where it's nice and safe.
Feb 16th 2009, 3:20 pm
#66
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
No I don't want stuff to be in English only,don't take my words out of context but I would have appreciated dual signage in the Gatineau Park so I could have least taken less time than 45 minutes to get out if it! If you come over the bridge in Ottawa, the minute you get to the other side, the signs are in French, there were no pictures! By the time I had looked at the map, we had gone past and I could'nt work out where the heck we were...
FYI in USA its not English only, they are having dual signage with Spanish now!!! Go to Lowes in Ogdensburg and you will see Spanish every where!! GUess you have'nt been lately!
FYI in USA its not English only, they are having dual signage with Spanish now!!! Go to Lowes in Ogdensburg and you will see Spanish every where!! GUess you have'nt been lately!
...Quebec take note..
.The only Province in Canada that is not really bilingual seems to be Quebec...Bill 101 not withstanding....
Last edited by macadian; Feb 16th 2009 at 3:36 pm.
Feb 16th 2009, 4:24 pm
#67
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
Thank you- I concur!
Feb 16th 2009, 4:26 pm
#68
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
Take you out of context, let's see... "Canada would be a great country if it weren't for bilingualism".... or words like that.
USA is an officially english speaking country.
Canada is an officially bilingual country.
Probably a good thing you stay in Ontario where it's nice and safe.
USA is an officially english speaking country.
Canada is an officially bilingual country.
Probably a good thing you stay in Ontario where it's nice and safe.
Feb 16th 2009, 4:36 pm
#69
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Location: Ontario
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
The one area of significant cost in Ontario is the school system, having four school boards governing four sets of state funded schools in every district is plainly inefficient, however my answer to that is to eliminate Catholicism, not the francohonie.
Feb 16th 2009, 5:01 pm
#70
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Feb 16th 2009, 5:15 pm
#72
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
Good job Shelly - if you had spent less time typing your pathetic rant into this discussion, you could have googled 'quiet revolution' or 'flq' and kept your openly racist comments to yourself.
'oh, my best friend is french'. whatever. you probably chastize them for their poor grammar.
'oh, my best friend is french'. whatever. you probably chastize them for their poor grammar.
Feb 16th 2009, 5:52 pm
#73
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
After moving to Canada, I lived in Quebec (Montreal's South Shore) with my wife and her parents for 9 months. I never experienced any problems, particularly in Montreal itself. The neighbours barely acknowledged me - whereas one might think the new foreign spouse of an apartment building neighbour might at least attract a polite hello and I do recall my wife saying there were people who were very anti-Anglo.
I also recall several apparent inconsistencies in some of the language issues - if something was in English there had to be a French equivalent but if it was French there didn't need to be an English one (or less of a fuss was made) - but that could have been the way the English language Gazette reported matters.
Thinking of the Gazette, I now remember that the French papers were delivered to the front doors of the individual apartments (inside) whereas my Gazette was left outside the building (occasionally in the snow
) but that could just have been a different carrier.
Something that is noticeable in this thread are the examples of negative attitudes changing upon the discovery that someone was Irish (for example) and not actually English. The book mentioned in the second post even recommends giving the impression one is Scottish, for example, and not English.
So perhaps the problem is more than simply not speaking French as some appear to be suggesting.
I also recall several apparent inconsistencies in some of the language issues - if something was in English there had to be a French equivalent but if it was French there didn't need to be an English one (or less of a fuss was made) - but that could have been the way the English language Gazette reported matters.
Thinking of the Gazette, I now remember that the French papers were delivered to the front doors of the individual apartments (inside) whereas my Gazette was left outside the building (occasionally in the snow
) but that could just have been a different carrier.Something that is noticeable in this thread are the examples of negative attitudes changing upon the discovery that someone was Irish (for example) and not actually English. The book mentioned in the second post even recommends giving the impression one is Scottish, for example, and not English.
So perhaps the problem is more than simply not speaking French as some appear to be suggesting.
Feb 16th 2009, 6:25 pm
#74
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
Good job Shelly - if you had spent less time typing your pathetic rant into this discussion, you could have googled 'quiet revolution' or 'flq' and kept your openly racist comments to yourself.
'oh, my best friend is french'. whatever. you probably chastize them for their poor grammar.
'oh, my best friend is french'. whatever. you probably chastize them for their poor grammar.
I will shut up.
Feb 16th 2009, 6:41 pm
#75
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Re: Brit-haters in Quebec
I don't think you should shut up. Anti-bilingualism is a mainstream point of view, it might even be the majority view in Canada. Nothing racist about it. In any case people are too willing to abandon an argument upon being called racist, most of us hold views which, although racist, are still arguably valid.