Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Anglican priests reportedly prevented from dining in the restaurant of Quebec's provincial legislature? I didn't think Anglicans were that scary, but I guess the wait staff could have been traumitised.

You couldn't make this up.

Maybe they were heard furtively whispering to each other in English. Perhaps this is the reason they were denied entry into the Assemblée Nationale

[Acajack]

I can't find anything anywhere on this.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I can't find anything anywhere on this.

Le Devoir.

[Acajack]

OK so I went and read the article.

First, the Anglican priests weren't denied entry to the National Assembly when they wanted to enter as citizens participating in some of its democratic activities.

They wanted to rent its restaurant for a private event.

Apparently one employee misread the rules for renting out the restaurant, didn't consult anyone else, and denied the request.

The restaurant says this was a mistake and has apologized.

Tempête dans un verre d'eau (bénite).

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Acajack

OK so I went and read the article...

Why are you doing that? You know the rules; scan the headlines, react, never revisit.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

Why are you doing that? You know the rules; scan the headlines, react, never revisit.

Yes I do have the annoying habit of often looking for the actual facts and resisting the urge to jump to conclusions.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

Why are you doing that? You know the rules; scan the headlines, react, never revisit.

Firewalls are not our friend.

[harls]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Firewalls are not our friend.

You'd think being old would give you a leg up on that type of chicanery.

[1overcosc]

Google Translate has added a separate translation option for Canadian French.


(source - https://www.reddit.com/r/montreal/commen...anslate_just_added_quebec_french_as_one/)

[AverageMonctonEnjoyr]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Depends which Syrians... Germany recently has cooled a lot on Syrian "refugees" after the increase in crime and insecurity. Here in Paris at Gare St Lazare I can see female Syrian beggars every single day. What a deplorable image of Syria these women give, sitting all day in the middle of the huge flows of travelers and commuters (our police is as usual extremely lax and let them sit there with their cardboard signs written in Arabic all day impending the free flow of people in an already very crowded train station, the largest and busiest commuter train station in Europe).

Typically the well educated Syrians went to the US. The less well educated ones stayed in Europe, or Turkey (where racism towards the Syrians has skyrocketed recently).

I have the exact same experience in Paris. Syrian refugees begging everywhere ( especially in the metro and sometimes even RER ) and even making their children come along. I don’t even know why they beg because they receive so much money from the government. Sometimes I saw Syrian women begging in the metro, and underneath their robe were wearing expensive nike shoes. But that’s in France. Back here in Canada, I have Syrian refugees that live 1 house away from mine and are great people and friends. Hard working people.

[AverageMonctonEnjoyr]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Google Translate has added a separate translation option for Canadian French.


(source - https://www.reddit.com/r/montreal/commen...anslate_just_added_quebec_french_as_one/)

This image is viral atp I’ve seen it many times. But yeah it’s accurate

[AverageMonctonEnjoyr]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Straw man alert

Also to those offering derogatory remarks about Palestinian immigrants, please remember that

Nothing derogatory. I apologize if those objective statistics offended you.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There is a difference between the actual policy and the societal consensus out there in the real world. Most people aren’t aware of the policy.

The USA has flirted with Canadianizing their policy to make it more skills-based and this is decried as racist over there because of course certain types of countries have better education systems.

If bien pensant Canadians looked more closely and honestly at ours they would be just as critical of it.

Do people say points based systems are racist. I think the Canadian expereince has been to value a Senegal education as much as a UK or US one. As ridiculous as that is. So we end up with Senegalese doctors driving taxis and frustrated Americans who might want to be doctors here.

I think for young professionals they might prefer a more low skilled immigration program so they don't have to compete with Indian engineers for example but can still get their cheap uber eats delivered.

Only in Quebec is it allowed to talk about the cultural aspect. Most English Canadians don't really care about our culture or at least we'd rather be seen as open and virtuous than keep our hockey and Victory Day camping traditions. Most of us see immigrant food and culture as superior to ours. It looks more fun. When other groups clearly aren't more fun we don't know how to critque them as that's racist.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by AverageMonctonEnjoyr

This image is viral atp I’ve seen it many times. But yeah it’s accurate

The exact same thing could be done with British English vs American English (try "J'ai payé 200 balles pour faire réparer mon pare-brise chez le garagiste."), but of course they haven't created two different "English" languages in their translate app.

In fact British English vs US English would be more required than France's French vs Canadian French, because the latter is only at an informal level (at a formal level it's exactly the same language save a few Québec purisms in terms of neologisms), whereas British English and US English have lots of differences even at a formal, workplace level.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

So we end up with Senegalese doctors driving taxis and frustrated Americans who might want to be doctors here.

I've never met any American frustrated at not being able to move to Canada, but sure in a country of 330 million people you must be able to find 1 or 2.

In the US, Canada is seen a bit like Mexico: the last desperate solution if you break the law or get conscripted and need to move outside of US jurisdiction. Willingly moving to Canada is unheard of. Willingly moving to Europe is slightly more heard (although still largely marginal).

[lio45]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Google Translate has added a separate translation option for Canadian French.

Yep, that made the news!


IMG_1748

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

I've never met any American frustrated at not being able to move to Canada, but sure in a country of 330 million people you must be able to find 1 or 2.

In the US, Canada is seen a bit like Mexico: the last desperate solution if you break the law or get conscripted and need to move outside of US jurisdiction. Willingly moving to Canada is unheard of. Willingly moving to Europe is slightly more heard (although still largely marginal).

Working aged Americans don't emigrate in huge numbers to anywhere though Canada still gets a decent number. My neighbour is a family doctor and he had several others at his Superbowl party a few years back All suggested it was a long process, they almost gave up and many do. Quebec has an easy mechanism to bring in doctors and other professonials from Quebec but English Canada doesn't have the same for the UK or US which in the latter case are more aligned educationally. Interestingly you can work in France with a medical degree from anywhere in the EU bu Quebec only takes you with a US or French degree even if you've been praticing 10 years in France.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

In the US, Canada is seen a bit like Mexico: the last desperate solution if you break the law or get conscripted and need to move outside of US jurisdiction. Willingly moving to Canada is unheard of. Willingly moving to Europe is slightly more heard (although still largely marginal).

Yet somehow, Americans are Canada's 5th largest immigrant community, and up until 2022 were amongst the top 10 largest annual immigrant source countries (note that in 2023 & 2024, the quantity of American immigrants hasn't dropped - they've just been surpassed by rising numbers of other nationalities). France is still in the top 10 even as of 2024 though.

That said, also worth noting that emigration from Canada to the US does still outnumber the reverse.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Yet somehow, Americans are Canada's 5th largest immigrant community, and up until 2022 were amongst the top 10 largest annual immigrant source countries

Americans or people with Canadian ancestry born in the US? Probably lots of Mr Tremblay born in Maine who moved to Québec in those figures... You're far less likely to find a Mr Jackson born in Alabama moving to Winnipeg (or even Toronto for that matter).

PS: On a side note, 40,285 US immigrants living in France (2021 census), this despite being located across a wide ocean and not speaking the same language. They are almost as many as the number of Indian immigrants in France (46,805).

[kwoldtimer]

People entering Canada as US citizens.