Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

That is not what they do in Brussels. It would be like having a "Law Street", and changing it to "Rue Law", which is, yes, a bit ridiculous. In Brussels they had a "Rue de la Loi", and now that street names have to be in Dutch in all of Brussels, it was translated entirely, and it is therefore "Wetstraat" in Dutch ("wet" means "law" in Dutch, and "straat" is "street"). The Flemings would find it ridiculous (and probably offensive) if it was "Loistraat" that had been chosen for Dutch street signs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_la_Loi

I found that interesting the first time I went to Brussels.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Montréal has an Avenue du Président-Kennedy.

Exactly. And the most famous metro station in Paris is called Franklin Roosevelt (right on the Champs-Elysées, to obliquely answer another forumer). Not to mention the George V station further up the avenue. Incidentally, my grandfather, gassed by the Germans at Verdun (mustard gas), was saved by the Canadians at the Canadian military hospital that was settled in the George V Hotel, near the George V metro station. It's one of the most luxurious hotels in Paris, but it was turned into the Canadian Army's field hospital in France during the war.

[lio45]

JFK as the first Catholic Leader of the Free World was somewhat of a big deal to our early 1960s society, and a bit “ours” for that reason (in a way MLK never was).

And again, he doesn’t have an artery or the caliber of René Lévesque blvd named after him. (The only candidate whose name was ever floated for Sherbrooke’s top street.)

[begratto]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Mountain Street became "de la Montagne" despite being named after some dude with the surname "Mountain"

That’s not what the City of Montreal says. It was called chemin de la Montagne 32 years before Jacob Mountain arrived in Montreal.

https://montreal.ca/toponymie/toponymes/rue-de-la-montagne

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by begratto

That’s not what the City of Montreal says. It was called chemin de la Montagne 32 years before Jacob Mountain arrived in Montreal.

https://montreal.ca/toponymie/toponymes/rue-de-la-montagne

Obvious historical revisionism. It allowed the city to change the street's name (which is what they wanted to do in the first place).

[lio45]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Incidentally, my grandfather, gassed by the Germans at Verdun (mustard gas)

Exact same happened to my great-grandfather. I would have to ask my dad or my grandpa for a refresher on the details.

Getting wounded there got him a wife from Lorraine (my paternal grandpa’s mother) so I wouldn’t exist had things played out differently.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by begratto

That’s not what the City of Montreal says. It was called chemin de la Montagne 32 years before Jacob Mountain arrived in Montreal.

https://montreal.ca/toponymie/toponymes/rue-de-la-montagne

I have heard this too but the other story is part of Anglo-Montreal legends.

Rue de la Montagne literally leads up toward the mountain.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by lio45

Exact same happened to my great-grandfather. I would have to ask my dad or my grandpa for a refresher on the details.

Getting wounded there got him a wife from Lorraine (my paternal grandpa’s mother) so I wouldn’t exist had things played out differently.

Was your great-grandfather a French citizen or a member of the CAF expeditionary force? Since it was the Battle of Verdun, I'm assuming he was a French soldier.

I had a first cousin (obviously much older than myself) who served as a military engineer in the Canadian Army and he landed at Juno Beach on D-Day. He died a couple of years back, and the information was in his obituary. This is the first anyone in my immediate family knew about it (and when I was younger, we would visit him a couple of times a year). We knew he had been in the army during WW2, but he never talked about D-Day.

A lot of veterans of the war never talked about their experiences. He went to France in 2014, and received the Legion of Honour. That should have been our first clue.........

[ToxiK]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Obvious historical revisionism. It allowed the city to change the street's name (which is what they wanted to do in the first place).

Oh, you were there when the street was first named?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ToxiK

Oh, you were there when the street was first named?

The whole Mountain-Montagne street thing sounds like an anglo urban legend.

Apparently the proof is that the next street over is called Bishop.

So they would have named one street Bishop and the next street Mountain, to honour Bishop Mountain.

But since when do they do this?

It would be like naming three streets Rue Pierre, Rue Elliot and Rue Trudeau...

It makes no sense. They never do this.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

JFK as the first Catholic Leader of the Free World was somewhat of a big deal to our early 1960s society, and a bit “ours” for that reason (in a way MLK never was).
)

Yeah, my Acadienne unilingual francophone grandmother had a picture of JFK in her living room exactly for this reason.

[Acajack]

From a few years ago, but still interesting maps based on polling:

https://imgur.com/a/SaU91?fbclid=IwAR3vn-NMeYqB3KZo5Ra7FaA85CyPufQ55opyRB_axeRdrG_LeI6FAO1nhjo

[CreamOfpumpkin]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Interestingly enough, we seem to be going through a phase where Ottawa is getting less and less accommodating towards Quebec's autonomist desires.

This is all a bit puzzling to me as I think that in spite of all the bogeymen about "sleepwalking to separation", the historical evidence points to accommodating Quebec's distinctiveness and aspirations as being beneficial overall to the unity of the country.

After years of accommodation, what sort of net gain does Canada receive for its trouble, if anything federal favoritism fractures the opinions towards the province that is receiving the "Special Treatment"? To the point that there doesn't exist a boogeyman anymore, I think most Canadians, would not want a separated Quebec, but on the other hand, they would finally be removing that argument from their table.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Was your great-grandfather a French citizen or a member of the CAF expeditionary force? Since it was the Battle of Verdun, I'm assuming he was a French soldier.

I had a first cousin (obviously much older than myself) who served as a military engineer in the Canadian Army and he landed at Juno Beach on D-Day. He died a couple of years back, and the information was in his obituary. This is the first anyone in my immediate family knew about it (and when I was younger, we would visit him a couple of times a year). We knew he had been in the army during WW2, but he never talked about D-Day.

A lot of veterans of the war never talked about their experiences. He went to France in 2014, and received the Legion of Honour. That should have been our first clue.........

That was on dad’s side (my father’s father’s father) so yep, French. I have something to ask and I’ll write more after I confirm my answers

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by CreamOfpumpkin

After years of accommodation, what sort of net gain does Canada receive for its trouble, if anything federal favoritism fractures the opinions towards the province that is receiving the "Special Treatment"? To the point that there doesn't exist a boogeyman anymore, I think most Canadians, would not want a separated Quebec, but on the other hand, they would finally be removing that argument from their table.

The continued unity of the federation?

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The whole Mountain-Montagne street thing sounds like an anglo urban legend.

Apparently the proof is that the next street over is called Bishop.

So they would have named one street Bishop and the next street Mountain, to honour Bishop Mountain.

But since when do they do this?

It would be like naming three streets Rue Pierre, Rue Elliot and Rue Trudeau...

It makes no sense. They never do this.

We could save on naming by having one “Rue Pierre”, with the next street on one side being “Rue Trudeau” and the next one on the other side “Rue Poilievre”.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

We could save on naming by having one “Rue Pierre”, with the next street on one side being “Rue Trudeau” and the next one on the other side “Rue Poilievre”.

Uh, thanks for that. I think.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

From a few years ago, but still interesting maps based on polling:

https://imgur.com/a/SaU91?fbclid=IwAR3vn-NMeYqB3KZo5Ra7FaA85CyPufQ55opyRB_axeRdrG_LeI6FAO1nhjo

The Péninsule acadienne aligned with Québec here.

Was there ever any project for them to join the province of Québec?

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The Péninsule acadienne aligned with Québec here.

Was there ever any project for them to join the province of Québec?

I think there was one. It might be a sister project to that where the West side of Montreal joins Ontario

(which BTW I would never endorse. Quebec is essential to my country, and to my definition as a Canadian....much more so than any other province, in fact).

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by lio45

We could save on naming by having one “Rue Pierre”, with the next street on one side being “Rue Trudeau” and the next one on the other side “Rue Poilievre”.

Just like the West Side Story, but far dumber.