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She did. The main thread was actually set for Montreal's buses and subway services.
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Anyway, I do understand the issues that Canadian Francophones are having. They are a literally a secluded group in a sea of over 320 million English-speakers, and they feel they need to be more firm about keeping their language alive than we English-speakers have to be. And it is also very evident that French-speakers often have more pressure to learn English than the other way around for aforementioned reasons. But having said that, I don't agree with the method at all. They should get people to want to learn French, rather than force them into it. In my own case growing up, I was against learning French simply because it seemed like it kept getting pushed down my throat. And I only started learning French because I wanted to prove to myself that I could learn something I didn't want to learn. However once I began learning I quickly started to enjoy it, and have regretted not getting into it sooner. Nonetheless on the national level English and French have equal weight, and while not everyone should be required to speak both languages, everyone should be required to receive federal services in the language of their choosing, whether the province is unilingual or not. And in services covered by lower levels of government than in Ottawa, as the local transit system is, having a unilingual French-speaking bus driver would be considered legal, though only in Québec. And similarly a unilingual English-speaking driver could legally be prevented from getting a job there. But this issue is about the customer, not the employee, and services should not be denied on linguistic grounds. This smells like an issue that could be resolved by taking a look at the Charter. |
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As for having to be able to order your bus tickets in French in Quebec, it does makes sense. Technically, Quebec is it's own "nation within a united Canada," meaning it has a little more freedom in enforcing their laws, one of which being Bill 101 (status of the French language). I can look at it from both sides of the fence, and agree with points on both sides. If you were trying to order something in BC but can't speak English, then you probably won't get any service. The same thing can be said for Quebec, where an overwhelming majority only speak French. However, just because you can't speak French doesn't mean you should be denied the right to public transit. As long as you're paying, I don't see why you should be denied the right to use any public service. Also, making it a province-wide law isn't the best idea, since the largest city and tourist destination is the biggest hub for English in Quebec. This is why I'm sure a lot of this backlash is coming out, rather than if a single city like Quebec City enacted this law. I understand the want to preserve the French language in an English dominated environment, but the refusal of basic services really isn't the best way to go about it. |
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It seems pretty extreme to crack down on English. There are many Anglophone people in Quebec, especially Montreal. And they might have trouble getting around if the buses won't let them speak English.
And replacing the word pasta is silly. Quebecois French actually has tons of English influence (in comparison to French spoken in France). It's a side effect of being surrounded by English-speakers. As for other provinces...there are various French-speaking communities in other parts of Canada. New Brunswick and Ontario have some. But a lot of the French-Canadians outside of Quebec don't speak French - some haven't for generations. Ontario has tons of people with French last names, but only a fraction of them actually speak French. Personally, I think the Premier of Quebec shouldn't be so nationalistic. Let's just hope they kick her out and replace her with someone else. |
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