Maclean's November 9th Issue

[AntonioMtl]

this is not sufficient for english montreal (it may be sufficient for the rest of quebec, however). english in montreal should be recognized as a founding language, and as the language of a founding culture. to insist that it occupy the same status as the remainder of the city's minority languages is the worst sort of ahistorical PC.

 

That is what the original intent of Bill 101 was. It gave historical rights to the anglophones born and raised in Quebec to continue to have access to state-funded schools and institutions in their language. That was a very generous concession to the anglophone community in Quebec since no other country ever does this to their linguistic minorities.

 

And yet, the anglophones continues to bitch and denigrate Bill 101 and continue to claim for the return of free choice to all. They bitch and claim that Quebec is a xenophobic state, Nazi and fascist state. Considering all this bitching, maintaining such funding to English schools and other institutions is not worth it. I am amazed how cool-headed the francophones of Quebec are concerning this anglo bitching. They could have easily said "to hell with the ungrateful anglophones" and cut all funding to English schools and other institutions. If I was in their place I would have done that. I am hot-headed.

 

In fact I am amazed at how tolerant and open Quebecers have been and are towards immigrants. From Italian immigrants throwing chairs and intimidating francophones during the St-Léonard riots in 1968 to anglophone bitching, it is amazing that Quebec attitudes towards immigrants have not hardened over the years but remained open to them.

 

 

all efforts to streamline or simplify this "sacred jumble" that comprises our situation are veiled attempts to ensure the supremacy of one language over the other. the english did it in the past and now (some of) the french are doing it.

 

Every country in the world promotes a unique system of schools and institutions. Not Quebec. And that is the problem and that is why Quebec still has the Two Solitudes social problem. Quebec needs to be more like the other countries.

[kool maudit]

And yet, the anglophones continues to bitch and denigrate Bill 101 and continue to claim for the return of free choice to all. They bitch and claim that Quebec is a xenophobic state, Nazi and fascist state. Considering all this bitching, maintaining such funding to English schools and other institutions is not worth it. I am amazed how cool-headed the francophones of Quebec are concerning this anglo bitching. They could have easily said "to hell with the ungrateful anglophones" and cut all funding to English schools and other institutions. If I was in their place I would have done that. I am hot-headed.

 

this seems unrelated to my post. i did not repeat the "typical anglos" xenophobia charge you have outlined, nor do i endorse it. i think it's sort of stupid, actually.

 

In fact I am amazed at how tolerant and open Quebecers have been and are towards immigrants. From Italian immigrants throwing chairs and intimidating francophones during the St-Léonard riots in 1968 to anglophone bitching, it is amazing that Quebec attitudes towards immigrants have not hardened over the years but remained open to them.

 

you seem to perceive anglophones as external to montreal's history rather than inherent. again, this may be accurate in much of the rest of quebec, but this is montreal. i only really care about montreal.

 

Every country in the world promotes a unique system of schools and institutions. Not Quebec. And that is the problem and that is why Quebec still has the Two Solitudes social problem. Quebec needs to be more like the other countries.

 

our history does not allow it. the "streamlining/harmonizing" mind is the same as the "conquering/assimilating" mind, only more passively phrased.

 

the "two solitudes" system, however inefficient in your eyes, respects to some degree the reality of the city's history and of it's two founding cultures. your system does not.

 

(besides, why do some quebecers always mention this desire to be like other countries (esp. scandinavian ones, for some weird reason...). i thought this place was unique?)

[kool maudit]

They could have easily said "to hell with the ungrateful anglophones" and cut all funding to English schools and other institutions. If I was in their place I would have done that. I am hot-headed.

 

 

do you think the value of those institutions is so negligible that they could be so quickly discarded? mcgill university alone represents an incredible amount of economic, academic and cultural activity right in the heart of quebec's only metropolis. "the francophones of quebec," as you have grouped them, are not stupid, nor do they wish to head some sort of weird isolationist state. they are not a gaggle of robert mugabes (comments about westmount aside).

[Malek]

He's not saying to close them, but cutting their public fundings. I don't think McGill would be hurt that much, seeing how they have started to charge "real" academic fees.

[peekay]

Why are we talking politics in this category? Where is the moderator?

[kool maudit]

even so, cutting their funding for the sorts of emotional/political reasons he outlined is not really in line with the sorts of policies espoused by western nations. it's third-worldy.

[Cyrus]

What is so "anglo" of McGill? At both McGill and Concordia, assignments and course work can be submitted in both official languages with of course the obvious exceptions (a French course would need to be submitted in French and an English language course in English...)

 

Quebec is open to immigrants? Depuis quand?!

 

The point of my original post was simply to state the reasoning why no anglo-quebecer will vote PQ nor support seperation. There is no space in the "independent" Quebec idea for them, simply put. Ergo they basically remove themselves entirely from any public debate and stay quiet since only random emotional bitching comes out of it. This is observable fact.

 

That is what the original intent of Bill 101 was. It gave historical rights to the anglophones born and raised in Quebec to continue to have access to state-funded schools and institutions in their language. That was a very generous concession to the anglophone community in Quebec since no other country ever does this to their linguistic minorities.

 

A generous concession!

And yet, the anglophones continues to bitch and denigrate Bill 101 and continue to claim for the return of free choice to all. They bitch and claim that Quebec is a xenophobic state, Nazi and fascist state. Considering all this bitching, maintaining such funding to English schools and other institutions is not worth it. I am amazed how cool-headed the francophones of Quebec are concerning this anglo bitching. They could have easily said "to hell with the ungrateful anglophones" and cut all funding to English schools and other institutions. If I was in their place I would have done that. I am hot-headed.

 

In fact I am amazed at how tolerant and open Quebecers have been and are towards immigrants. From Italian immigrants throwing chairs and intimidating francophones during the St-Léonard riots in 1968 to anglophone bitching, it is amazing that Quebec attitudes towards immigrants have not hardened over the years but remained open to them.

 

Do you know the reason for the St Leonard riots?

 

There isn't any room for more debate here... it is poisoned.

 

I am Cyrus after all so:

Modifié 29 septembre 2010 par Cyrus

[Habsfan]

for thosae of you who might be interested...

 

The new numbers for provincial populations are out for 2010 on StatCan...

 

http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/demo02c-eng.htm

 

Québecs population is on the rise...

 

05-06: 49,600

06-07: 55,900

07-08: 63,900

08-09: 77,000

09-10: 79,000

 

Population increase of 1.01% vs 1.15% for Canada...still a little behind, but we are definately catching up! We are growing at the same rate as Ontario...which is something we had not seen alot of in the past!

 

The point of my original post was simply to state the reasoning why no anglo-quebecer will vote PQ nor support seperation. There is no space in the "independent" Quebec idea for them, simply put.

 

You truly are ignorant! I'm not a Québecois "pure-Laine", I'm fluent in both english and French and yet I have voted and intend to vote for the PQ.

Modifié 29 septembre 2010 par Habsfan

[kool maudit]

What is so "anglo" of McGill?

 

 

it has made numerous concessions, but isn't it still the greatest institution of historical english montreal? of the immense anglo-scottish civilization that once was rooted here?

[AntonioMtl]

even so, cutting their funding for the sorts of emotional/political reasons he outlined is not really in line with the sorts of policies espoused by western nations. it's third-worldy.

 

Maybe. The fact that the francophones of Quebec are not following my suggestion proves how cool-headed they are. They are not the racists, hell-bent on destroying the anglophones that the Cyrus of the world like to paint them to be.

 

Also, it is not just for emotional/political reasons, but also social reasons. Having a unique system of schools and other institutions, like other countries have, brings people together in harmony. In the case of Quebec, by forcing anglophones, francophones and allophones to the same schools will lead them to respect each other. They will all come together,be proud of each other, be proud to be Québécois and work together for the betterment of Quebec and for the world.