Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by someone123

There are also programs like Katimavik. Not sure what the status of that is or how effective it was, but I think exchange programs for young people could have an impact as far as increasing cross-regional understanding.

I am pretty sure Katimavik no longer exists.

Though there is a program called "Explore" these days. One of my cousin's kids (they live in Quebec) are going on it this summer to improve their English. I believe you can either stay with a family or in a college or university residence.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

When I lived in South Africa, a number of programs were bilingual English/Afrikaans and the national news was one language or the other on alternate nights, with no subtitles that I recall. The main benefit for Canada, imo, would be a single news source for all Canadians, something we currently lack.

I may be wrong but somehow I doubt the practice has survived in post-Apartheid South Africa where Afrikaans has become lingua non grata and is dominated by English now. Even in many areas that were once Afrikaans-dominant.

In any event, if you did that in Canada, Anglo-Canadians would simply tune out Canadian news even more than they already do, and get an even large share of their information from American sources.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

The main benefit for Canada, imo, would be a single news source for all Canadians, something we currently lack.

Beyond some commonality in the ideas people are exposed to in different regions, it is good to have a diversity of perspectives and for regions to have their own voices. Canada is a relatively small country so putting Quebec and Montreal in a separate silo has a major impact.

I think it is also important for there to be funding for media that cover indigenous issues and the north. The free market isn't going to cover those areas effectively. In general it won't work for Canada with the US next door and it's gotten worse with the dominance of American tech companies.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by someone123

I think it is also important for there to be funding for media that cover indigenous issues and the north. The free market isn't going to cover those areas effectively. In general it won't work for Canada with the US next door and it's gotten worse with the dominance of American tech companies.

It may have changed today due to cord-cutting but back in the day I remember noticing how in many northern communities a lot of people actually watched local Detroit news due to superstations being standard channels on all the cable or satellite systems.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I may be wrong but somehow I doubt the practice has survived in post-Apartheid South Africa where Afrikaans has become lingua non grata and is dominated by English now. Even in many areas that were once Afrikaans-dominant.

In any event, if you did that in Canada, Anglo-Canadians would simply tune out Canadian news even more than they already do, and get an even large share of their information from American sources.

Certainly English has taken over as the de-facto first language of South Africa. Afrikaans is still an official language at the national level and is an official language in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape provinces; plus official language in Cape Town. it is certainly not a lingua non grata as it is the first language of South Africa's Coloured population which make up ~10% of the country's population.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I may be wrong but somehow I doubt the practice has survived in post-Apartheid South Africa where Afrikaans has become lingua non grata and is dominated by English now. Even in many areas that were once Afrikaans-dominant.

In any event, if you did that in Canada, Anglo-Canadians would simply tune out Canadian news even more than they already do, and get an even large share of their information from American sources.

Yes, this was in the bad old days.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Certainly English has taken over as the de-facto first language of South Africa. Afrikaans is still an official language at the national level and is an official language in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape provinces; plus official language in Cape Town. it is certainly not a lingua non grata as it is the first language of South Africa's Coloured population which make up ~10% of the country's population.

Well, it is strongly associated with Apartheid and the Afrikaner-dominated National Party. I know that Coloureds who are definitely not white Afrikaners also have spoken it historically.

If you look at predominantly Afrikaner and Coloured districts, towns and cities, the highway, public and commercial signage and government communications (including local) are now in English. This doesn't mean it's dead and that many people aren't still speaking it. But it's clearly being shoved aside with English taking over.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am pretty sure Katimavik no longer exists.

In the 2012 Canadian federal budget, Prime Minister Stephen Harper (quelle surprise) announced that the program would be eliminated due to its comparatively high per-person cost of the program when compared to other government youth initiatives.

In 2018, Katimavik was relaunched through the newly created Canada Service Corps, a youth service initiative launched by the Government of Canada with the aim of engaging youth in community service across the country.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

In the 2012 Canadian federal budget, Prime Minister Stephen Harper (quelle surprise) announced that the program would be eliminated due to its comparatively high per-person cost of the program when compared to other government youth initiatives.

In 2018, Katimavik was relaunched through the newly created Canada Service Corps, a youth service initiative launched by the Government of Canada with the aim of engaging youth in community service across the country.

Do you remember Sen. Jacques Hébert's hunger strike when the Mulroney government wanted to axe Katimavik in the 1980s?

[MolsonExport]

Vaguely.

I am a huge proponent of such programs.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by someone123

For example, you hear about the "burning the White House" story but actually the general who led that is interred in Halifax and you can visit his tomb there, yet it's quite obscure and won't generally be covered outside of NS media.

You don't want Donald Trump to learn about that...

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I curious to see what BQ leader Y-F Blanchet will do in the upcoming campaign. His party's traditional issues will not be front and centre. It will be strange having a pro-sovereignty leader try to argue for independence when all of Canada is being threatened by annexation from Trump. Polls are showing that the Bloc could lose quite a few seats.

The more they lose in this election, the more they'll gain in the next.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

This program was just aired, and focuses on our favourite topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4PvBzkQayg

Her accent sounds from Europe.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Actually, I've long said that both networks should long ago have put subtitles in the other language on all of their programming.

I think it would be a very bad idea for the dominated language, i.e. French. Full bilingualism is the last stage before English unilingualism. It's much better to dub all English media, so the kids don't become bilingual and they remain functional Francophones. At least in France one good thing about our powerful union of dubbing actors is all US shows and series are broadcasted in a dubbed French version (unlike most of Northern Europe, and also smaller southern countries like Portugal, where they broadcast everything in the original English with subtitles), and this is not about to change due to the power of French unions. This way, French kids suck at English, yes, but at least they remain functional Francophones, and the steamroller of Anglicization, which is already enormous, is not even worse as it surely would be with all US series in the original version.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

I think it would be a very bad idea for the dominated language, i.e. French. Full bilingualism is the last stage before English unilingualism. It's much better to dub all English media, so the kids don't become bilingual and they remain functional Francophones. At least in France one good thing about our powerful union of dubbing actors is all US shows and series are broadcasted in a dubbed French version (unlike most of Northern Europe, and also smaller southern countries like Portugal, where they broadcast everything in the original English with subtitles), and this is not about to change due to the power of French unions. This way, French kids suck at English, yes, but at least they remain functional Francophones, and the steamroller of Anglicization, which is already enormous, is not even worse as it surely would be with all US series in the original version.

I get that but we already have English-only TV networks over the air (no cable or satellite required) all over Quebec and have had them for a long time. The main Anglo-Canadian networks have always been broadcast in Quebec and in some southernmost regions of Quebec (including the south shore of Montreal suburbs) stations from the US in New York State and Vermont are also available.

Even so, Quebec TV in French has always retained a high market share with francophones, and even in Montreal where the population is very diverse the highest-rated programs remain Quebec-made productions in French.

That said, people in Quebec are indeed watching more stuff in English (and also other languages) than ever before, but ironically this is due to streaming services and not necessarily the Anglo-Canadian or American channels that have been easily acccessible here for several generations.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Her accent sounds from Europe.

Indeed she is. She is from France and has only lived in Canada since 2018. I checked her LinkedIn.

But there she is discussing the most sempiternel of Canadian topics.

[New Brisavoine]

Perhaps you guys should start to worry next time you plan to visit Florida... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...gration-jasmine-mooney?CMP=share_btn_url

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Perhaps you guys should start to worry next time you plan to visit Florida... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...gration-jasmine-mooney?CMP=share_btn_url

Is anybody planning to visit Florida these days?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The more they lose in this election, the more they'll gain in the next.

Why would you say that?

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Is anybody planning to visit Florida these days?

People who already booked their hotels and flights and can’t get a refund will likely still go. But other than those, it seems that even regular visitors stopped going. I used to travel to the US semi frequently but I am completely done until the insanity is over.