"More French in the ceremonies"

[Loed]

Wow, as an English Canadian I am very ashamed of this post. Canada is english AND french. If you don't like it, move to the USA where when they conquered the land they destroyed all other languages to make them all the same. I am proud to say that Canada is a multi-cultural country where many languages are celebrated INCLUDING french.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves, and start to look at how beautiful our country is and how here in Canada its okay to be different, to look different to speak different languages instead of like the USA where nothing but english speaking is valid.

You might not like the french in quebec because you think they are ride but think of what they have had to put up with since britain came over and look them over, people like here on this post have been telling them they are idiots and either should leave or stop speaking their stupid language.. I probably wouldn't be so nice either..

how about instead of taking such a negative stance on the french in canada and in the olympics.. lets all be positive and support our wonderful country in these games, both the amazing french athletes AND english ones.

Multi-cultural is 100% okay, Bi-lingualism(say that three times fast) is a gimmick that lost it's appeal years ago. It needs to go the way of the Do-do, and stop inflating our imported goods pricing. The french in Quebec ARE rude, most of the french I've run into across the country are quite pleasant people though, and tend to disassociate themselves from the*deleted by Trip* that is Quebec. That tells me a lot about that province. They have no reason to be rude to visitors that come in with good attitudes, just trying to explore the beautiful, amazingly cultural area that is Quebec. It's to bad that the people there hate visitors so much. I don't ask them to stop speaking their chosen language, but Canada is predominately English and always will be, so if someone speaks to you in English and doesn't seem to understand your french response, maybe change your stance just to be nice.

USA is a horrible example, did you know in Florida most automated help lines speak first in Spanish?

The negative stance is very worthwhile, ESPECIALLY concerning the Olympics. Such a waste of tax-payers dollars when our Province is suffering through this *bleep* Harper government already as it is.

[Loed]

We need less French all around. What a colossal waste of our taxes having to say and print everything twice. It is just ridiculous. The French speaking population in BC is very small. Most come here with this Quebec attitude that we should pander to them. The bilingual experiment is a failure, it has only served to drive a wider wedge between the French and the rest of us of all other languages. Everyone else learns English not French.

What do they call you in Quebec if you don't speak French? No matter what your ethnic origin, be it Polish, Ukrainian, Chinese or Mexican, if you don't speak French the Quebecers will call you "les anglais". The most narrow minded and racist society in Canada by a long shot.

Frenchies, take your narrow racist viewpoint and Go Home to quebec and separate please.

This is a solid post, thumbs up!

Something to think about too, when you immigrate here, what is the language they ask you to have the very most basic of understanding? English, french isn't even bothered with during immigration unless you are already fluent in french, then you pass the language check.

[Liberty and Truth]

To understand why Quebec has a signage law, imagine downtown Vancouver bought out by (say) the Chinese. As they buy up downtown businesses, they decide they want to cater to the growing Chinese population in southern BC and change the signage throughout downtown Vancouver to Chinese only. Would the provincial government be justified to pass a signage law?

Essentially this is what happened to downtown Montreal and other towns and villages in Quebec... except the buyers tended to be Americans who used English only signage.

So here's my view - let free enterprise, and merchants who want my business, decide what language they want to display on their own business. They are the ones taking the financial risk of opening the business, running it, paying the taxes and creating the wealth, so if they want my business, they'll figure out how to sell their goods to me, or lose my business.

Devoting government money to hiring a language police force is asinine and a gigantic waste of taxpayer money. Free enterprise should dictate what signs on businesses would say - if the Chinese merchants wanted English customers, they'd put up English signs. In Quebec if I was an entrepreneur, I'd definitely put up signs in English and French, as I would want to cater to the entire population. If a huge influx of people from Poland appeared, I would put up signs in Polish as I would want it to be as easy as possible for them to buy my goods and understand my business. That's how free enterprise works in a free country - the people get to decide what they put up on their businesses, not the government. If for some reason I as a free citizen don't understand the language of the business then it is my problem, and I will learn enough of the language to figure out things for myself, I don't need big brother out there policing people and impinging on their rights just because I am too lazy to adapt to my surroundings. Both sides of my family spoke no English or French when they arrived in Canada, and instead of crying "unfair" and "this is impinging on my rights to speak ____" they just learned how to speak English as they realized this was the best way to integrate and participate in Canadian society. Done and done.

For government signage - put them up in both English and French, for sure. But for private enterprise, stay the hell out of it government.

[nolanrh]

Frenchies, take your narrow racist viewpoint and Go Home to quebec and separate please.

*face palm*

[LoneWolf_53]

Wow, as an English Canadian I am very ashamed of this post. Canada is english AND french. If you don't like it, move to the USA where when they conquered the land they destroyed all other languages to make them all the same. I am proud to say that Canada is a multi-cultural country where many languages are celebrated INCLUDING french.

First of all welcome to the forum.

Secondly what are these other languages that are celebrated?

The only thing I see forced down our throats is French.

I don't see German celebrated, or Polish, or Ukrainian, or Italian, or Punjabi, or Cree, and the list goes on.

In order to actually be multi cultural everyone should get the same treatment yet they don't.

My ancestors maintain their heritage on their own as do many other ethnic groups yet for some reason in this supposedly politically correct society we have one group that feels entitled.

As far as I'm concerned the whole bilingual thing was a political strategy gone horribly wrong given the true makeup of Canadians.

Far too many of our Prime Ministers originated out east and felt compelled to pander to Francophones in order to get votes is my take on it.

[LoneWolf_53]

Ah yet another thread where the western bigot isfreely yapping and shown it's ignorance.

That requires no response as it speaks volumes on its own.

[Russ79]

Wow, as an English Canadian I am very ashamed of this post. Canada is english AND french. If you don't like it, move to the USA where when they conquered the land they destroyed all other languages to make them all the same. I am proud to say that Canada is a multi-cultural country where many languages are celebrated INCLUDING french.

First of all welcome to the forum.

Secondly what are these other languages that are celebrated?

The only thing I see forced down our throats is French.

I don't see German celebrated, or Polish, or Ukrainian, or Italian, or Punjabi, or Cree, and the list goes on.

In order to actually be multi cultural everyone should get the same treatment yet they don't.

My ancestors maintain their heritage on their own as do many other ethnic groups yet for some reason in this supposedly politically correct society we have one group that feels entitled.

As far as I'm concerned the whole bilingual thing was a political strategy gone horribly wrong given the true makeup of Canadians.

Far too many of our Prime Ministers originated out east and felt compelled to pander to Francophones in order to get votes is my take on it.

Bang on!!

[c2c]

Wow! I think maybe we need a refresher in Canadian history.

The British victors guaranteed language and religious rights to ‘les Canadiens’ to ensure their allegiance against the Americans. Without the allegiance of French Canadians, Canada as we know it, would be part of the USA!

[Bsuds]

Wow! I think maybe we need a refresher in Canadian history.

The British victors guaranteed language and religious rights to ‘les Canadiens’ to ensure their allegiance against the Americans. Without the allegiance of French Canadians, Canada as we know it, would be part of the USA!

So does that mean we need to suck up to them for all eternity? Get over it already.

[joe smo]

Canada is a bilingual country. To some , perhaps not enough French, too others too much - but Canada is made up of both French and English and we are all better off for it. It is part of our collective heritage - its what makes us Canadian.

I took my family to Quebec for a vacation. We speak no French - but everyone we came across was more than friendly, no one snubbed us because we didnt speak French. Strangers on the street willingly used their poor English to give us directions when we got lost. At first I was concerned because of those statements we hear of Quebecr's ignoring English speaking people - our experience was just the opposite. We had such a great time, we would surely return for a vacation.

So to the perosn who was complaining, our apologies. To those athletes that win for their country - I dont care where you are from except that you are CANADIAN.

[LoneWolf_53]

Wow! I think maybe we need a refresher in Canadian history.

The British victors guaranteed language and religious rights to ‘les Canadiens’ to ensure their allegiance against the Americans. Without the allegiance of French Canadians, Canada as we know it, would be part of the USA!

Just where would the French Canadians have wound up?

Wasn't it the British Canadians that went south and burned down the American White House?

Maybe they got close to becoming Canadians.

[I dunno]

What a stupid way to start off the Olympics. While I thought there was enough French in the opening ceremonies, I guess to some, it wasn't enough. And all it took was for some politician to open their big trap to blow the language issue wide open.

[LoneWolf_53]

What a stupid way to start off the Olympics. While I thought there was enough French in the opening ceremonies, I guess to some, it wasn't enough. And all it took was for some politician to open their big trap to blow the language issue wide open.

That's about right.

Wonder where that politician is from?


Just kidd'n I know very well.

It just goes to demonstrate though that no matter what gets done it's never enough and there's always some Quebec politician whining.

I dunno if Charest watched the same opening ceremony as I did because I could swear there was a fair bit of French spoken.

Maybe he's just ticked because the crowd had maple leafs and weren't waving a fleur-de-lis.

Then they wonder why many of us are fed up.

[TheGnome]

I gotsa good idea, lets grab Alberta and the north and bail. If Quebec won't leave we will. A little dine and dash, leave them with the countries debt.

But first will someone please help me pack up Flyerfan2's sorry *bleep* and move him east.

[LoneWolf_53]

^ Works for me.