Maybe it’s just me…

Maybe it’s just me, but the headline on this piece about Mascouche buying a piece of land for a park is red raggy, as is the tone.

Une forêt «anglaise» aux Québécois

Observations:

1. An English person is not, by definition, ever Québécois, even if they acquire land here and evidently intend to settle here
2. The land has now been reclaimed for the Québécois

This piece of land was bought in 1766 by Gabriel Christie, who’d been involved in the Plains of Abraham battle. Ironically, Christie was not even English – he was from a prominent Scottish family with a tradition of serving in the British army.

According to the timeline in the Journal story, in the years since 1766 the land has changed hands among people with both English and French surnames, as well as a monastic community. But the taint of having belonged to an invading anglais apparently lingered till its present deliverance to the Québécois.

I’m not saying this writing or headlining is deliberate provocation, by the way. But it’s working from assumptions. I’m reminded of the conversation I had on a visit to the organic farm where I got a farm basket, back in about 2003. The farm was near the Richelieu river, and the farmer told us the nearby town used to be really nice, but was spoiled when the English came… in 1760. Then he looked at me – the only anglo in the room – as if for an apology. I shrugged and told him my Irish ancestors had their own problems with the English at the time but I don’t think it was a satisfactory response.