Sonia LeBel: Quebec is bilingual
The CAQ’s Sonia LeBel, no less than Quebec justice minister, as well as responsible for Canadian relations, made a fascinating gaffe this week, telling Paul Arcand that Quebec is the only bilingual province.
Not only is Quebec officially, one might even say passionately unilingual, it’s New Brunswick that’s the only self-declared officially bilingual province.
Bonjour Hi, Ms Lebel!
qatzelok 07:49 on 2019-09-21 Permalink
It’s not a gaffe at all. In reality, Quebec is a much more bilingual place than New Brunswick. It’s virtually only the francophones in NB who speak the “other” language. The anglos are mostly unilingual rednecks.
dwgs 08:03 on 2019-09-21 Permalink
qatzelok your bigotry is showing.
Kevin 08:55 on 2019-09-21 Permalink
Sonia LeBel’s first statement was correct *from a legal standpoint.*
Health care and criminal trials are required to be in English if a person chooses. English testimony and documents cannot be refused at civil trials. Every piece of legislation in the National Assembly must be written in English.
There’s more, but certainly a lawyer like LeBel knows the difference between what is mandatory and what is suggested.
Kate 09:05 on 2019-09-21 Permalink
That much is true. When I was summoned to jury duty, it was evidently for a trial meant to be held in English. I found it so odd to be in the Palais de Justice, with hundreds of other folks, being addressed by the authorities in English. (I wasn’t selected, but I’ve told that story before.)
Still, one fact that’s drilled into us is officially unilingual. It’s even the very first statement in Montreal’s charter, chapter 1, verse 1.
Which reminds me, I was listening with half an ear to the radio news yesterday, and they had a brief clip from (I think) some spokesman for Mitsubishi, which is opening a new facility in Boisbriand. The man spoke a couple of sentences of standard corporate boilerplate in English about how they were very pleased to be opening this thing in Montréal, giving the name as in French. I’ve never heard that done vocally before, even by politicians or entertainment figures.
qatzelok 08:19 on 2019-09-22 Permalink
@dwgs: “qatzelok your frankness is showing”
While most of Quebec’s anglo minority get to co-exist with the most urban and sophisticated francophones in North America in our city, Acadians have had to co-exist with exactly the opposite level of tolerance and sophistication since their ethnic-cleansing in 1755.
This is another unequal situation for francophones in Canada.
Kate 10:17 on 2019-09-22 Permalink
qatzelok, are you saying that Bill 101 and its fallout on the anglo community since 1976 are a justifiable punishment to anglos as a group in revenge for the expulsion in 1755? Does that seem reasonable to you?
dwgs 15:51 on 2019-09-22 Permalink
Well since Montreal is the largest French speaking city in North America I guess you’re right, it does have the most urban franco population. Or perhaps you meant urbane?
qatzelok 18:37 on 2019-09-22 Permalink
Kate, all I’m trying to point out is how much worse Montreal anglophones would have had it if they had been made to live as minorities in the backwoods of rural northern Quebec. Likewise, the francophones of Ontario live among the most intolerant and racist populations of anglophones.
It’s “death by redneck culture” for francophones in the ROC.
Kevin 08:00 on 2019-09-23 Permalink
@qatzelok
That’s not a theoretical, because we know exactly what did happen: their descendants became Quebecers with English names who don’t speak a word of English.
dwgs 13:16 on 2019-09-23 Permalink
qatzelok your theories are tired and trite. As someone who grew up in northern Ontario I can tell you that there is very little tension between the two communities. As a matter of fact there is a lot of intermarriage (and no, it’s not an attempt to eradicate Franco culture). There is however a fair amount of animosity towards francophone Québécois from some Franco ontarians
SMD 14:21 on 2019-09-23 Permalink
Relevant quote from former Acadian MP Yvon Godin in La Presse this morning: