Quebec Tries to Say Au Revoir to ‘Hi,’ and Hello to ‘Bonjour’

[fmfranck]

il y a 4 minutes, budgebandit a dit :

Their 2nd language is Spanish lol

They feel more comfortable in Mexico or the Caribbean than in Quebec 

Bloody hell. They feel more comfortable in Mexico because "some" americans know how to say "una cerveza fria por favor" or "buenos dias" ? Obviously, they must be so lost in Montréal, where everyone speaks english. Do you hear yourselves at time? 

[IluvMTL]

The request not to greet in English was also covered in the Washington Times.  Already 87 comments for this story. Many say they will not spend their dollars here.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/1/quebec-lawmakers-ditch-bilingual-greeting-pass-bon/

[mont royal]

8 minutes ago, IluvMTL said:

The request not to greet in English was also covered in the Washington Post. Already 87 comments for this story. Many say they will not spend their dollars here.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/1/quebec-lawmakers-ditch-bilingual-greeting-pass-bon/

I have no doubt that none of them had any serious intention of coming here in the first place. In general our southern neighbours are a seriously insular lot. We tend to get the good ones. 

[Blitz]

La quantité de désinformation dans les commentaires, c'est fou. Les gens disent n'importe quoi. Pendant ce temps, on se dit que des juges bilingues à la cour suprême c'est pas nécessaire, personne en parle. Mais mon dieu seigneur s'il fallait priorisé bonjour au lieu du Hi. ben là on vit dans une province faciste.

Hypocrisie quand tu nous tiens. 

Modifié 7 décembre 2017 par Blitz

[begratto]

il y a 13 minutes, IluvMTL a dit :

The request not to greet in English was also covered in the Washington Post. Already 87 comments for this story. Many say they will not spend their dollars here.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/1/quebec-lawmakers-ditch-bilingual-greeting-pass-bon/

Ces gens ne seraient pas venus ici de toute façon.  

[Ousb]

LOOOOOOOOOOOL vu l’intelligence de leurs commentaires franchement on en a rien a foutre.

il y a 54 minutes, IluvMTL a dit :

The request not to greet in English was also covered in the Washington Times.  Already 87 comments for this story. Many say they will not spend their dollars here.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/1/quebec-lawmakers-ditch-bilingual-greeting-pass-bon/

 

[IluvMTL]

L'article dans le New York Times est disponible en français.

Le Québec Veut Dire Au Revoir à «Hi» et Salut à «Bonjour». https://nyti.ms/2AZSQXi

[IluvMTL]

I know the PQ fell below 20 points and Lisee wasn't getting the coverage that Legault and the CAQ was getting, but not sure that these tactics will win over new voters, especially the younger ones and those fed up with language squabbles.

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1071870/jean-francois-lisee-piege-motion-bonjour-hi

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/montreal/parti-quebecois-bonjour-hi-oldest-trap-in-book-1.4437707

'I set the oldest trap in the book,' Lisée says of bonjour/hi controversy

PQ leader asks Premier Philippe Couillard during question period if he regrets supporting controversial motion

Marilla Steuter-Martin · CBC News2 Hours Ago

Parti Québécois leader Jean-François Lisée asked Couillard about whether or not he regretted supporting the motion, following outcry from some English community groups. (Radio-Canada)

Parti Québécois leader Jean-François Lisée admitted today that his proposal to ban the customary bilingual greeting "bonjour/hi" in stores and businesses was part of a plan to test Premier Philippe Couillard on language issues.

"I set the oldest trap in the book," said Lisée.

The motion urging businesses to drop the English half of the greeting and opt for "bonjour" instead carries no legal weight, but was passed unanimously on Nov. 30.

"I knew he wouldn't want to do it because he doesn't believe in it," Lisée said about backing Couillard into a corner with his motion. "Publicly, he couldn't say he didn't want it, so he had to vote for it, even if he doesn't like it."

During question period at the National Assembly Thursday, Lisée asked Couillard point blank whether he regretted throwing his support behind the motion.

"I'm not talking about going back on this decision," Couillard responded. "I believe we underestimated the impact that it would have on our English compatriots."

Couillard offered an olive branch to anglophone groups that criticized the move by switching from French and addressing the assembly in English at one point.

"Although French is our official language, the English language is not a foreign language in Quebec," he said.

Premier Philippe Couillard switched from French to English speaking during question period at the National Assembly in an apparent effort to reassure English-speaking Quebecers in the wake of the bonjour-hi backlash. (Radio-Canada)

The premier tried to reassure anglophones that they are valued by addressing them directly.

"I want to say to our English-speaking Quebecers, there are no different classes of Quebecers here, only one class: the first class. And English-speaking Quebecers are first-class Quebecers, like all of us are," said Couillard in English.

 

• François Legault on boosting the birth rate, curbing immigration and 'bonjour/hi'

Caught in the international spotlight

Since the motion passed, it has drawn criticism from English communities across the province and thrust the issue onto the world stage.

"I expressed concern about how this issue would be treated in a ridiculous way outside of Quebec," Couillard said.

He said that he felt his fears had been justified upon seeing the onslaught of news coverage, much of which focused on linguistic divides.

"I'm not happy to see international media talking about the relations between French and English communities this way," he said.

Couillard referenced the 2013 "Pastagate" controversy, another incident in which the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) was widely mocked and derided for cracking down on an Italian restaurant for featuring words such as botiglia, pasta and antipasto on its menu.

• Head of Quebec language office resigns in wake of Pastagate

Irritant or 'mark of respect'?

Martin Coiteux, the minister responsible for the region of Montreal, told CBC's Daybreak that while he voted in favour of the motion, he doesn't have a problem with "hi."

"It's a good thing to say 'bonjour,' but in my interpretation, it doesn't exclude 'hi' as well."

Coiteux said that for him, the motion was more about encouraging businesses to use the French greeting than preventing them from using the English one.

• Adidas 'truly sorry' about Montreal store manager's comments on French language

"I think it's important that when we provide services to our customers that we provide them in their preferred language."

The original motion put forward by the PQ called the traditional "bonjour/hi" bilingual greeting "an irritant," — a clause that was taken out after Couillard objected, calling it offensive.

Coiteux told CBC Thursday morning that he doesn't have any problem with the English word or its use in commerce on the West Island.

"I do not see it as an irritant, I see it as a mark of respect."

[budgebandit]

7 hours ago, fmfranck said:

Bloody hell. They feel more comfortable in Mexico because "some" americans know how to say "una cerveza fria por favor" or "buenos dias" ? Obviously, they must be so lost in Montréal, where everyone speaks english. Do you hear yourselves at time? 

Let me educate you a little bit: 

https://nypost.com/2015/06/29/us-has-more-spanish-speakers-than-spain/

As of 2015, there were 53 million people in the US that could speak Spanish. By 2050, that number is expected to grow to 138 million. 

Not just a couple of people that know how to say "una cerveza por favor". 

 

 

5 hours ago, mont royal said:

I have no doubt that none of them had any serious intention of coming here in the first place. In general our southern neighbours are a seriously insular lot. We tend to get the good ones. 

I agree but that's not the point. We want to remain open to everyone because their money is worth just as much as everyone else's! 

Modifié 8 décembre 2017 par budgebandit

[raphi]

il y a une heure, mark_ac a dit :

Poor Quebec and Montreal. I'm just out of words for our fair city and our attitude towards english.

Just wait until the CAQ comes and imposes a stricter Bill 101.

Pire encore ,aucun ministre montrealais du peut etre prochain gouvernement