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imokruok
Lawyers, guns, and money

Registered: Aug 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA / Milwaukee, WI
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You know exactly what I meant with that comment.
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Bill 101
The passing of Bill 22 by the Bourassa government in 1974 became an important issue during the Quebec elections of November 1976. The bill had come under attack from the anglophone community and from those, in the francophone community, who thought that the bill did not go far enough. Once in power, the new government of the Parti Québécois led by René Levesque first issued a white paper on language and then introduced Bill 1 and later a revised version of it, Bill 101, titled Charte de la langue française. The bill, as it was passed in the summer of 1977, proclaimed French as the official language in Quebec for just about every facet of life in the province: government, judicial system, education, advertising, business, contracts, etc. For example, the bill required that all advertising on billboards be done in French only and that all commercial signs in business establishments be in French alone. All public administrations and businesses had to address their employees in French. All government agencies were directed to use the Official language in their dealings with corporations and other governments in Canada. Government Ministries and Agencies, as well as professional associations in Quebec, were to be known by their French name. The laws of the province were to be enacted in French although an English translation might also be made (and indeed continued to be made after bill 101). English education was to be restricted mostly to those already in the system, their siblings, those temporarily posted in Quebec or whose parents had themselves received an English elementary education in the province. While the bill was very prescriptive in several respects, it showed considerable flexibility in connection to businesses, especially head offices of international and national corporations centred in Quebec. While francization programmes were instituted for businesses, they were limited to businesses of more than 50 employees.
The debates around bill 101 have never abetted and seem endless. The law has received very bad press outside of Quebec and anglophone Quebecers have never accepted it. They believe the bill was designed essentially to eradicate English from the face of the province, that many of its provisions are unduly harsh, unfair, and in violation of basic human rights. They reject the view that French is a threatened language and that it requires strong legislative protection. They demand that their language be considered equal and be allowed full visibility. Their perception of the bill is sharpened by sometimes plainly petty application of it by overzealous bureaucrats, called “the language police”.
By contrast, the bill has received widespread support from the francophone community. It views the bill as an essential protection against the increasingly pervasive spread of the dominance of the English language in North America, indeed the world. Many remember the days when French was insignificant as a language of achievement and promotion in the province, when discrimination was rampant, and when businesses did not provide fair and adequate services in the French language. What many anglophones view as an instrument of oppression is seen by many francophones as the thunderous expression of their right to live in French in one corner of North America. Indeed, it is of significance that the name of the law is Charte de la langue française; it conveys for many the same dedicated support one would offer to a Charter of Rights. Thus, both communities have a deep sense that they are right and that the other side is wrong. Both react as endangered minorities fighting for their very existence and appealing to the other side for understanding. Few are able to discuss the subject without becoming emotional.
A number of changes have been effected to the bill. Some were made because provisions of the law have been found to have violated articles of the Constitution or, after 1982, the new Canadian Charter of Rights. Other changes were made willingly by the majority in an attempt to resolve issues as they arose and to show good faith. The most significant of the changes have dealt with the language of legislation (now issued in both English and French), access to English schools (enlarged to guarantee access to English school to all those that have received their education in English in Canada), and with the language of signs (where English is now acceptable provided that French be given priority). Some of these changes were incorporated in a bill issued in 1993 by the Liberal government of Robert Bourassa (Bill 86). Another bill (42) guaranteed to anglophones health and social services in their language. Some of that should have gone a long way to lessen tension on the linguistic front. However, guarantees of social services in a language at a time when governments are cutting so many social services altogether are perhaps not guarantees at all. So the battle rages on.
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FLUSHED THE JOHNS!
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Jul-09-2004 14:06
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malek
drinks your milkshake!

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Montréal
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imacrook: just to put things into perspective for that 101 law. If you take it as is, its evident that its on the fringe of "blind nationalism" and language exclusion for the english people.
the most "contreversial" part of the 101 bill, is the obligation by the buisness to put up signs in french only and later on predomentily french.
till the 70s, the problem was that everywhere you walked in montreal, signs of everykind where in english only, store employees unilingual and answered in english only. For the shop and buisness owners, it was normal because they, buisness owners, were majoritarly english people. Though, they represented a very small fraction of the population, it seemed that Montreal was effectively a completely english city, which was/is not the case.
I don't see whats all the fuss about? If i walk into store, doesn't i have to be served in the majority's language at least?
Even the people in Toronto have started to complain about the lack of bylaws to force store owners to put up signs in at least English.
How about Miami?, you walk into stores and they talk only spanish!?!?
why is it a problem if a people decide to control its destiny? English people aren't persecuted, their schools are still running (and being funded of course), english is well represented on tv, newspapers and the radio.
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[/IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/ngycqo.png[/IMG]
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Jul-09-2004 19:38
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