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More discrimination against English speakers in Quebec
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| Jayx1 |
Very sad....
| quote: | For the first time in 20 years, Montreal's Town of Mount Royal has French-only street signs after painting over the English words.
That move came after a bitter dispute with the province's Office de la langue française (OLF).
All of which has left the mayor of the nearby bilingual municipality of Côte Saint-Luc confused. He says he won't give in to pressure from the language police and can't figure out why Mount Royal backed down.
"It's absolutely baffling that they would remove the English language that is part of the history of Town of Mount Royal," said Mayor Anthony Housefather.
"I mean, I don't want to ascribe motives to a council, but it seems to me to be a very foolish thing to have done."
Housefather said bilingual municipalities have the right to put up bilingual signs, as long as the French portion is to the left or at the top of the sign.
French must predominate
He said Côte Saint-Luc received the same warning as Mount Royal did from the OLF in 2002.
But the city refused to change, and it hasn't heard back from the language watchdog.
The OLF is also puzzled about Mount Royal's decision to paint over the English words. It thinks the city overacted.
"They could have erected these signs in both French and in English as long as the French is predominating," said OLF spokesman Gerald Paquette.
He said the city just needed to make some slight changes to the signs.
Signs did not comply
Mount Royal mayor Vera Danyluk says the language police have been hounding her city because the signs didn't comply with the Charter of the French Language.
Danyluk said the city was tired of fighting with the OLF, so it hired municipal workers to paint over the English words.
"Well, [it's] not that we threw in the towel," she said. "We feel that there are so many important things we should be doing in our municipality to improve the quality of life for our citizens."
Danyluk said the fight over the bilingual signs is petty and narrow-minded, and a waste of money. However, the Côte Saint-Luc mayor said covering up the English on street signs sends the wrong message to anglophone youth in the community.
Housefather said it's an issue that crosses municipal boundaries, and bilingual municipalities should stick together.
"Côte Saint-Luc will keep bilingual signs, and it's gonna be over my dead body that we ever take off the English from our signs while I'm mayor of Côte Saint Luc."
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| all-nite-freak |
dude, stick to politics in your own province.
Im an anglo, and i have no qualms witht the french signs.It makes this city different and unique in times that other Canadian cities are starting to feel more american like.90% of the time i speak in English, but still when i go to Toronto its so english its like culture shock.English people in Montreal just have to adapt to their surroundings and learn some french.Are you goint to start a thread blaming those damn germans for having signs in german?
if people want to live here learn french, if they dont want to learn then its their fault that they are ignorant and wont educate themselves. |
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| tatgirl |
| quote: | | It makes this city different and unique in times that other Canadian cities are starting to feel more american like |
Sorry, but English does not 'equal' American. English is spoken in many other countries too.
Language Police in a country thats majority english speaking is nothing short of fascist, especially when the rest of the country has to have bi-lingual signage in French. I've always had an issue with the 'language police' (in Quebec City) going around and taking photos of places where the english lettering was 'too big', etc... so they can fine the shop owners. Seriously people- get a life and worry about other things. |
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| all-nite-freak |
| quote: | Originally posted by tatgirl
Sorry, but English does not 'equal' American. English is spoken in many other countries too.
Language Police in a country thats majority english speaking is nothing short of fascist, especially when the rest of the country has to have bi-lingual signage in French. I've always had an issue with the 'language police' (in Quebec City) going around and taking photos of places where the english lettering was 'too big', etc... so they can fine the shop owners. Seriously people- get a life and worry about other things. |
no english does not equal american.Having no national identity does.Please explain then what sets Toronto apart from American cities.It feels like new York without the Bronx accent and less dirt on the streets.I'm not saying you are wrong tatgirl, i just would like you to explain what puts you guys apart.It is Torontonians who coined the term USA north, not me;)
funny how no one is posting this subject in Montreal.Why? We dont care.The rest of this country hates the law more than us but doesnt live here.
ive lived in the US, and honestly feels the same to me. |
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| loca |
| That's a pretty lame thing to do. How about the tourists who come to Quebec now? Are they going to have to learn french before they go there just to make sure they can get around? If the rest of Canada has signs in both languages why is it so damn hard for Quebec to do so themselves? This all sounds very anal to me. (And before anyone jumps on me, i'm a french speaker, i just happen to agree with bilingual signs) |
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| simms327 |
i heard about this on the radio driving into montreal on thrusday morning. they were interviewing a civil servant working in the town and she said it was ridiculous since most of the changes, were covering up "Street" so that only "rue" could be seen...
they could spend thier money on better things. |
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| all-nite-freak |
the highway signs are billingual.
English is on signs just smaller than French.
Tourists dont tend to go to TMR or Cote St-Luc as they are purely residential.
i agree that billingual signs arent the end all, but I also dont have a problem with the government trying to preserve some of this province's cultural aspects.If we became just another "i want my mtv" society it would be sad.
and fyi the only other official billingual province in this country is New Brunswick. |
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| tatgirl |
Unless a city has a historic quarter or has been around for hundreds of years, ALL modern major cities relatively look the same. Only the architecture varies from city to city.
Canadians in general are hard pressed to prove they're 'not American', and the Quebecois are even more pressed to prove they're not Canadian.
I'm American, but what 'makes' me an American, really? What makes a Canadian? A German? A Dutchman? Who cares really?? Do stereotypes or generalizations make up a country? Just live your life, and stop worrying about being different. It's pointless. |
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| loca |
| After a heated debate with the bf i've come to realise that i pretty much overreacted. He correctly pointed out to me that the majority of street signs downtown are not actually in both french and english but only in english. I was always under the false impression they were in both languages. Considering this, i think it's a bit hypocritical to be insulted/upset by the removal of the word 'street' on signs in Quebec, when we ourselves don't even have 'rue' on ours. |
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| all-nite-freak |
tatgirl, im quebecois and proud to be canadian.(i have the maple leaf tatooed on my body where all the wonderful seperatists can see)You have to realize in a country as big as ours with so much space between urban centers its normal to be different.I'm going to drag out the old meech lake term of distinct society.Quebec is a distinct society, but so is Ontario,Alberta and BC.The fact that we remain different is what makes our country so unique and great.The day the provinces assimilate and become like each other is the day we become the 51st state;)
I hope you understand that i respect your opinions, i just have a problem with people who have never lived here deciding whats right or wrong with us.Whats good for people in Ontario doesnt always represent the needs of the other provinces.
a stop sign that says arret is not a big deal.If a tourist cant recognize what a large red octogon means, they shouldnt be driving. |
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| Abercrombie |
| quote: | Originally posted by all-nite-freak
if people want to live here learn french, if they dont want to learn then its their fault that they are ignorant and wont educate themselves. |
People do learn French in Montreal, and know they need it. What's wrong is the language gestapo suppressing another language. When you want to promote something, you enhance it by selling its advantages. Promotion does not meaning shutting up the competition by law.
Anglophone culture is as old as Francophone culture, and it is being deadened by the OLF.
| quote: | Originally posted by all-nite-freak
funny how no one is posting this subject in Montreal.Why? We dont care.The rest of this country hates the law more than us but doesnt live here.
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English-French issues are in the Gazette, La Presse and JdeM almost every day.
| quote: | Originally posted by all-nite-freak
the highway signs are billingual.
English is on signs just smaller than French.
Tourists dont tend to go to TMR or Cote St-Luc as they are purely residential.
i agree that billingual signs arent the end all, but I also dont have a problem with the government trying to preserve some of this province's cultural aspects.If we became just another "i want my mtv" society it would be sad. |
Highway signs are federal, not provincial.
Tourists tend not to go to TMR and CSL? Rockland and Cavendish Mall are full of them. Plenty of hotels, and visit L'Hippodrome on a weekend.
I don't mean to pick on you all-nite-freak. I used to think just like you too.
Montreal used to be such a great city before Bill 101 come in. It was the largest city in Canada by far. The language laws are oppressive to the Anglophone culture, and many Anglos are fed-up. I realized how suppressive, ignorant and highly discriminating the language laws are in Québec when I left.
Moé j'suis complètement bilingue comme toé avec. :thepirate |
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