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Would you demand that businesses or government agencies communicate with you in English in Spain or China? If so, sure, you have a consistent position at least

Would you demand that businesses or government agencies communicate with you in English in Spain or China? If so, sure, you have a consistent position at least. If not, why is Quebec different?

Gunax 7y ago
We are a bilingual country. The rest of Canada bends over backwards to offer services in French which are seldom utilized. I would not ask for English in Spain or China because it isn't an official language there. We have a national law that all students--anywhere in the country--can receive instruction in either English or French--but this has been consistently undermined in Quebec. They have made it so arduous to qualify for English school* that nearly all English speakers will not qualify. That is just one example of the double standard. If you want the country to be bilingual, then it has to work both ways. * The rule is something like "Both of your parents must be native Quebec and both must have attended English school in Quebec for their entire childhood. Any deviation from this and you cannot qualify to English school". So anyone who immigrates from the rest of Canada, or has one French/one English parent is disqualified.
- angry_octet 7y ago
  It's basically slow cultural cleninsing. The English schools will basically be gone in 30 years. (Even though many are 50/50 English/French for class work.) Meanwhile no one wants to go to a French language CEGEP (years 11-13) because they need to learn English, and people in Ontario fight to get their kids into bilingual immersion schools.
- kalenx 7y ago
  > The rest of Canada bends over backwards to offer services in French which are seldom utilized. Citation needed. Federal government offers services in French almost everywhere, as it offers services in English even in areas where almost no one speaks it. But provincial services? There's just nothing. Ontario struggles to keep higher education and health services in French, and this is the province with the highest number of French speakers outside Quebec. There is a party in New Brunswick explicitly against providing services in French and they got 13% of the vote in the last election (reminder, New Brunswick is the only province to be officially bilingual). So I am highly skeptical of your stance about the rest of Canada "bending over backward" to offer services in French...
  - Gunax 7y ago
    The Manitoba legislature building offers guided tours in English and French at alternating times. Of course the French tour is probably empty >90% of the time, but it still has to be offered in equal frequency. It wouldn't be fair to offer the English tour every 30 minutes, but only do the French tour twice per day. So it's not just an issue of access, but equal access. That's why I called it 'bending over backwards'. It feels like a lot of politically-correct posturing that ignores the reality that there are very few French speakers in Winnipeg. Despite all of this, the French services probably still suck. It's likely that they are equal on paper, but not in reality.
    - deanCommie 7y ago
      That's Manitoba's CHOICE, it's not federally required. Most provinces do not make that choice, the further west you go.
Gibbon1 7y ago
I'm in California. We bend over backwards to make sure that our citizens and visitors language needs are supported. For instance, Ca voter registration in tagalog. https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/tagalog/registering-vote/ https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-cal...
pbourke 7y ago
Spain or China are not parts of Canada, where the official languages are French and English
- umanwizard 7y ago
  Spain is part of the EU, where English is one of the official languages. But English is not an official language of Spain. Quebec is part of Canada, where English is one of the official languages. But English is not an official language of Quebec.
throwpupper 7y ago
Quebec is part of a BILINGUAL country, you dingus.
- kalenx 7y ago
  Sure, so one should also be able to solely speak French everywhere in this BILINGUAL country? Give me a break.

Would you demand that businesses or government agencies communicate with you in English in Spain or China? If so, sure, you have a consistent position at least. If not, why is Quebec different?

Gunax 7y ago

We are a bilingual country. The rest of Canada bends over backwards to offer services in French which are seldom utilized. I would not ask for English in Spain or China because it isn't an official language there. We have a national law that all students--anywhere in the country--can receive instruction in either English or French--but this has been consistently undermined in Quebec. They have made it so arduous to qualify for English school* that nearly all English speakers will not qualify. That is just one example of the double standard. If you want the country to be bilingual, then it has to work both ways. * The rule is something like "Both of your parents must be native Quebec and both must have attended English school in Quebec for their entire childhood. Any deviation from this and you cannot qualify to English school". So anyone who immigrates from the rest of Canada, or has one French/one English parent is disqualified.

angry_octet 7y ago
It's basically slow cultural cleninsing. The English schools will basically be gone in 30 years. (Even though many are 50/50 English/French for class work.) Meanwhile no one wants to go to a French language CEGEP (years 11-13) because they need to learn English, and people in Ontario fight to get their kids into bilingual immersion schools.
kalenx 7y ago
> The rest of Canada bends over backwards to offer services in French which are seldom utilized. Citation needed. Federal government offers services in French almost everywhere, as it offers services in English even in areas where almost no one speaks it. But provincial services? There's just nothing. Ontario struggles to keep higher education and health services in French, and this is the province with the highest number of French speakers outside Quebec. There is a party in New Brunswick explicitly against providing services in French and they got 13% of the vote in the last election (reminder, New Brunswick is the only province to be officially bilingual). So I am highly skeptical of your stance about the rest of Canada "bending over backward" to offer services in French...
- Gunax 7y ago
  The Manitoba legislature building offers guided tours in English and French at alternating times. Of course the French tour is probably empty >90% of the time, but it still has to be offered in equal frequency. It wouldn't be fair to offer the English tour every 30 minutes, but only do the French tour twice per day. So it's not just an issue of access, but equal access. That's why I called it 'bending over backwards'. It feels like a lot of politically-correct posturing that ignores the reality that there are very few French speakers in Winnipeg. Despite all of this, the French services probably still suck. It's likely that they are equal on paper, but not in reality.
  - deanCommie 7y ago
    That's Manitoba's CHOICE, it's not federally required. Most provinces do not make that choice, the further west you go.

Gibbon1 7y ago

I'm in California. We bend over backwards to make sure that our citizens and visitors language needs are supported. For instance, Ca voter registration in tagalog. https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/tagalog/registering-vote/ https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-cal...

pbourke 7y ago

Spain or China are not parts of Canada, where the official languages are French and English

umanwizard 7y ago
Spain is part of the EU, where English is one of the official languages. But English is not an official language of Spain. Quebec is part of Canada, where English is one of the official languages. But English is not an official language of Quebec.

throwpupper 7y ago

Quebec is part of a BILINGUAL country, you dingus.

kalenx 7y ago
Sure, so one should also be able to solely speak French everywhere in this BILINGUAL country? Give me a break.