26 years later- Quebec still Canadian!

[ATLcenter]

36 years after the FLQ took James Richard Cross hostage and the 'Silent Revolution', 11 years after 49.4% of Quebec voted for independence, Quebec is still part of Canada. Roughly 40 years ago, Quebec had terrorists fighting for independence, and today things seem to be much more peaceful. Where is Quebec going now? Do people there still want to form their own country?

Something I've always wondered as an effect of this is the extent of Canadian bilingualism. Sure, Air Canada and Tim Horton's have websites in "French" and English. But do schools in say Vancouver even require French education? Do schools in Montreal or Quebec City require English classes? Don't people in Quebec find it odd that the French have stop signs that say 'STOP' rather than Arret?

[andrew_c]

Here I have to take french until I am done grade 9 (14 years old), then there are options to continue or drop the course.

[pkonowrocki]

Well when I actually started high school in canada, I had to choose whether I want to take French or not. canadians have to take at least one semmerster of French, new commers and diplomats and visa students etc. do not have to as englsih allready is their second language.

I remember when i went to Quebec last year, i was surprised that almsot noone knew how to speak english. Thank God my dad speaks French so we could communicate, but it is just like going to another country. Everything is in French there. It's not taht bad in Ottawa (becuase it's half in Ontario half in Quebec) but in Quebec City you feel like in France.

[ptbodale]

In Quebec it is not mandatory to give English instruction. All acct Bill 101 which protectes the French language. Here in Ontario French schools (French Immersion) are mandatory in every school board. In Peterborough, where I live, we have the smallest percentage of French speaking people, however we have a French elementary school in both the public and the separate (Catholic) school boards. We also have a joint French/ English High School.

In Vancouver the fastest growing segment of the public school system is French Immersion.

As for Air Canada we are governed by the Air Canada Act, an Act of Parliament. The Act legislates Air Canada (no other airline has to follow these rules) to provide all services in all departments in both French and English. Even though English is the language of aviation AC provides everything in two languages (even in SYD the announcements are in both official official languages). I work in System Operations Control and we are a group of 18 Managers. Eight are fluent in both languages, eight can get by in both languages and two are basically English only. Your promotion possibilites are far better with both languages.

[ATLcenter]

At the risk of asking a stupid question, what is your opinion of the Bloc Quebecois and the 'separatists'? Do you think Quebec will end up leaving Canada? It seems stupid since they'll probably end up keeping Canadian post codes, services, infrastructure, etc...

And if I'm correct, Parliament signed off that it would acknowledge a 'oui' vote in a Quebec referendum after the 1995 49-51 referendum, right? Why on earth would they do that?

When I went to Vancouver, I saw more street signs in Punjabi and Chinese than French. It was hard to believe people even have to learn the language there!

[Airbus_A320]

When I went to Vancouver, I saw more street signs in Punjabi and Chinese than French. It was hard to believe people even have to learn the language there!

It's probably similar to for people in High School in the US that are required to take foreign language. Just learn enough to pass the test and thats it.

[HKG-YUL]

Growing up in the Montreal area, I went to French elementary and secondary schools, and we always had English class every year (I started "normal" school in Canada at Grade 3, did a year of "Welcome class" or "Accueil" before that, a mandatory French introduction program for new immigrant children). There were typically 3 levels of English class: ESL (English as Second Language, ie Beginners), Intermediate, and Mother Tongue. After high school, you were free to choose the school you want for CEGEP (pre-university college) and university, thus the language of instruction as well. I think knowing more languages is always a good asset in your life and career and I thankful that I got to learn French. Though I could totally see that there is largely no point to learn it in the rest of Canada (except some parts around QC).

Back on the topic, I'm not very knowledgeable with politics and all. But from what I've seen in the past couple of years, there seem to have been more focus on doing business and strengthening the economy than on political ideologies. Now it's a stable time and people realise this is time to do business, so I don't believe Quebec sovereignty will be biggest thing for the near future. That's just my personal views.

[a78jumper]

Don't people in Quebec find it odd that the French have stop signs that say 'STOP' rather than Arret?

Just anally retentive behavior aimed at proving they really are "Maitre chez nous".

As for learning a second language in Canada if I had to do it all over again it would be Spanish or a Chinese language. That is the direction international trade is going. French while useful is a pretty dead language outside of France and Quebec.

I was born in Montreal and spent some time there before becoming part of the great anglo exodus down the 401 to Toronto in the early 1970s. Surprisingly I learnt most of my french in high school in TO and afterwards as a military officer. We were living in Montreal in the late 1960s and I remember the FLQ crisis, the riots, the Stock Exchange being blown up, mailboxes being booby trapped et al.

IMHO Quebec will never leave Canada. The relationship may evolve further however. Some of the PQ's aims make no sense what so ever. Why be your own country if you are still going to use Canuck passports and currency?

I love visiting the place but would never consider living there again because of the some what racist behavior of the provincial government (you ain't "pur laine"{100% wool} you ain't merde), a social agenda that does not match my requirements, out of sight taxes, corruption at all levels of government (look what happened to the Fiberals in the last Federal election) and a strange way of encouraging and conducting business. Ontario and Alberta contribute to Quebec's well being in the form of transfer payments amounting to billions, and I think the prospect of giving up all that cash would be the final nail in the coffin for the "oui" side.

Most Quebecois are ignorant of what the rest of Canada is really like, just as most anglo Canadians do not have a clue what Quebec is all about. Sort of like comparing rural southerners in the USA to urban coast dwellers, two completely different societies wary of each other. Most Canadians outside QC are pretty tired with the whining however. Something like dealing with France on a world scale. Spoiled, whining, petulent come to mind.

Well when I actually started high school in canada, I had to choose whether I want to take French or not. canadians have to take at least one semmerster of French, new commers and diplomats and visa students etc. do not have to as englsih allready is their second language..

Not true in Ontario, french is required by all until the early years of high school when students have a choice to opt out of it. My mother taught obigatory Jr High French for many years to New Canadians who struggled with it as a third languge english being their second.

I remember when i went to Quebec last year, i was surprised that almsot noone knew how to speak english. Thank God my dad speaks French so we could communicate, but it is just like going to another country. Everything is in French there. It's not taht bad in Ottawa (becuase it's half in Ontario half in Quebec) but in Quebec City you feel like in France.

If they want your tourist or business bucks bad enough believe you me they speak English. Most people in Quebec speak far better English than Anglos speak French, both there and elsewhere in Canada. Less so in rural areas, but most forward thinking Quebecois realize it is English that is going to allow them to be successful in the global economy. I agree Ottawa is very bilingual-where I used to live (Orleans) was the most bilingual town in Canada as I recall.

[ATLcenter]

IMHO Quebec will never leave Canada. The relationship may evolve further however. Some of the PQ's aims make no sense what so ever. Why be your own country if you are still going to use Canuck passports and currency?

After reading through the somewhat limited English content on their website, I'm forced to wonder the same thing. It's somewhat improper for an 'independent' Quebec to use Canadian passports and CAD. It seems Quebec wants the fruits the federal government bears but not the thorns.

I love visiting the place but would never consider living there again because of the some what racist behavior of the provincial government (you ain't "pur laine"{100% wool} you ain't merde), a social agenda that does not match my requirements, out of sight taxes, corruption at all levels of government (look what happened to the Fiberals in the last Federal election) and a strange way of encouraging and conducting business. Ontario and Alberta contribute to Quebec's well being in the form of transfer payments amounting to billions, and I think the prospect of giving up all that cash would be the final nail in the coffin for the "oui" side.

From my understanding, Parti Quebecois is a provincial party and Bloc Quebecois is in Ottawa and both advocate a "Quebec libre" to quote a nutter Frenchman. Is there a particular reason why Quebec endorsed the Liberals? From what I gather, Quebeckers were proud of Trudeau as a PM even though they shared little common ideology. Is it just the joy of having a PM born in Quebec (like Chretien, who if I recall was also a Liberal) or is there any real purpose?

[a78jumper]

Brian Mulroney, a Conservative was also from Quebec, and the recently departed Paul Martin also claimed Quebec roots.

Right now the Bloc is whining for another $3.9 billion from the feds or they are threatening to bring down the Conservative Minority government with a vote of non confidence. The BLOC, which at one point was "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" exists solely to promote Quebec within the Canadian Parliament. If something is good for Quebec, they are for it, if it is not, they vote against it. Most if not are a separatists, or at the least Nationalists; the party sprang up in 1990 when the Meech Lake Accord failed to be ratified by all the provinces. It would have recognized QC as a separate nation, but no doubt the whining would have still continued. I think it is a french thing.

Historically QC has supported the Liberals, but those days are long gone....they went overwhelmingly to the Conservatives/Mulroney in 1984/88 as they had largely gotten fed up with PET, as had most of Canada. Only places that really are still Liberal are on the island of Montreal. People got really pissed with the "Fiberals" after the sponsorship scandal of Chretch ( a slimy critter if there ever was one) became public. Martin paid the price.

[ATLcenter]

Brian Mulroney, a Conservative was also from Quebec, and the recently departed Paul Martin also claimed Quebec roots.

Right now the Bloc is whining for another $3.9 billion from the feds or they are threatening to bring down the Conservative Minority government with a vote of non confidence. The BLOC, which at one point was "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" exists solely to promote Quebec within the Canadian Parliament. If something is good for Quebec, they are for it, if it is not, they vote against it. Most if not are a separatists, or at the least Nationalists; the party sprang up in 1990 when the Meech Lake Accord failed to be ratified by all the provinces. It would have recognized QC as a separate nation, but no doubt the whining would have still continued. I think it is a french thing.

Historically QC has supported the Liberals, but those days are long gone....they went overwhelmingly to the Conservatives/Mulroney in 1984/88 as they had largely gotten fed up with PET, as had most of Canada. Only places that really are still Liberal are on the island of Montreal. People got really pissed with the "Fiberals" after the sponsorship scandal of Chretch ( a slimy critter if there ever was one) became public. Martin paid the price.

Trudeau was responsible for that whole Constitution/Charter of Rights debacle, right? I'm reading Canada and Quebec, and it says that Quebec actually wanted British Parliament to approve changes to the Canadian constitution- something about a Mighty Eight (led by Quebec) against Ontario and New Brunswick, which wanted Canada to have the ability to change it without UK permission. How would you stack PET against Pearson or even Joe Clark? It seems Canada had some iffy moments during those eras...''Vive le Quebec libre'' to the October Crisis to the 1976 Olympics flop in Montreal. Is modern Canada a "community of communities" or something more, as Trudeau would wish for?

[Cam]

Trudeau was a socialist sh*t nob. IMO.

[avro_arrow_25206]

Trudeau was a socialist sh*t nob. IMO.

heh, that would make Brian Mulroney something we can't say in public

[Cam]

heh, that would make Brian Mulroney something we can't say in public

Brian Mulroney did more for Canada than anyone will ever give him credit for.

[avro_arrow_25206]

Brian Mulroney did more for Canada than anyone will ever give him credit for.

Ya he does sing quite well with Reagan.