Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[MolsonExport]

I once gave a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce in English once (!!).

My french is decent but not up to that task, given the technicality of the speech.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I once gave a speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce in English once (!!).

My french is decent but not up to that task, given the technicality of the speech.

I guess you were never the focus of a national-level controversy, or you would have changed your user ID to "Laurentide" by now!

[esquire]

Would Rousseau be off the hook if he demonstrated sufficient self-reproach by being profusely apologetic, admitting his lack of knowledge was a moral failing on his part, and professing that he was taking steps to learn the language?

[MolsonExport]

I think he has since expressed something to this effect

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

Would Rousseau be off the hook if he demonstrated sufficient self-reproach by being profusely apologetic, admitting his lack of knowledge was a moral failing on his part, and professing that he was taking steps to learn the language?

Off the hook entirely? Maybe not. But it certainly would have deflated things quite a bit. Of course, as Molson said he issued a statement to that effect yesterday but it comes across as forced (just a bit ).

I think this went over worse than the actual speech (and its language) did:

https://twitter.com/pozappaTVA/statu...66795668627458

Of course, his communications team must be just brutal for having let him get ambushed like this with no good lines to defend himself.

And breaking news this morning: François Legault's office actually reached out to him before the speech and offered cautionary advice against it, saying it could make political waves. Apparently they were told by Rousseau's office: thanks for the advice but piss off and MYOFB.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by Acajack

And breaking news this morning: François Legault's office actually reached out to him before the speech and offered cautionary advice against it, saying it could make political waves. Apparently they were told by Rousseau's office: thanks for the advice but piss off and MYOFB.

Odd.

What would the Premier of Quebec care about a random speech to the Montreal Chamber of Commerce? Even if it is a bigwig. As you mention, it's not an unusual thing to happen. Does CN get the same attention and warnings from the office of the Premier of Quebec? A Premier who just happens to have founded Air Canada's competitor.

The plot thickens.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by esquire

Would Rousseau be off the hook if he demonstrated sufficient self-reproach by being profusely apologetic, admitting his lack of knowledge was a moral failing on his part, and professing that he was taking steps to learn the language?

I’ve been on this forum for over a decade and I don’t think you’ll ever get rousseau to “admit moral failings”

[casper]

Originally Posted by lio45

I’ve been on this forum for over a decade and I don’t think you’ll ever get rousseau to “admit moral failings”

I think he admitted he was to busy with other more important things. He does not have time to learn a second language.

Not quite what was expected in the situation.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by lio45

I’ve been on this forum for over a decade and I don’t think you’ll ever get rousseau to “admit moral failings”

I think we may be talking about different people!

[davee930]

Serious question.

How do you cultured French folk deal living in a country created by boring white English people?

I'm an English guy from Calgary and I've always wondered that. I took French immersion for 12 years and have always appreciate your culture and am always embarassed when I hear dumbass meatheads trashing you guys.

It just speaks to their insecurity surrounding their boring lame ass lives. And they cheer on bands like Nickleback.

Fuck them.

[OldDartmouthMark]

This is one of the strangest conversations I've read in a long time.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by Loco101

It's just like the Toronto office I work with in the federal public service. We get sent all of the French stuff to deal with from there. They don't have anyone who can work in French. Nobody. And when I have to call their main telephone number the greeting message part in French is majorly embarassing. None of our regional (Ontario) administration is bilingual and they are all in Toronto.

Not sure why you think this is noteworthy. Do offices in Calgary and Vancouver have an abundance of French speakers?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by theman23

Not sure why you think this is noteworthy. Do offices in Calgary and Vancouver have an abundance of French speakers?

I can't really get into more specifics because I don't want to identify my employer.

What I was trying to get across is that there is little to no respect for the French language, an official language in the federal government, from the Toronto office.

Timmins is in a region designated as bilingual by the Treasury Board (link: https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-bo....html#northern ) meaning that operations are supposed to be in both languages, services have to be offered in both languages and employees can use and communicate with the employer in either language. But all of our higher administration is in Toronto and none of them speak French.

And the offices that I deal with in Western Canada all seem to have at least a small number of bilingual people even though they don't fall under bilingual designation. The only office with no bilingual people other than Toronto is in St. John's NL but it's pretty small. The Toronto office sends us a lot of emails to update procedures only in English. We have people who do most of their work in French.

[saffronleaf]

Originally Posted by davee930

Serious question.

How do you cultured French folk deal living in a country created by boring white English people?

I'm an English guy from Calgary and I've always wondered that. I took French immersion for 12 years and have always appreciate your culture and am always embarassed when I hear dumbass meatheads trashing you guys.

It just speaks to their insecurity surrounding their boring lame ass lives. And they cheer on bands like Nickleback.

Fuck them.

So many Anglophones fail to acknowledge the enormous cultural contributions of Quebec to making Canada what it is. Canada isn't Canada without Quebec.

[davee930]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

So many Anglophones fail to acknowledge the enormous cultural contributions of Quebec to making Canada what it is. Canada isn't Canada without Quebec.

Exactly. I consider Quebec the best part of Canada by far. No comparison.

[casper]

Originally Posted by saffronleaf

So many Anglophones fail to acknowledge the enormous cultural contributions of Quebec to making Canada what it is. Canada isn't Canada without Quebec.

That is a big stretch. I don't think anyone is saying the generations of people who lived in Quebec did not make a profound contribution to modern day Canada. It also should be pointed out there is a a distinction that needs to be made between Francophone Canadians and Quebec. The two are not the same.

In western Canada the most significant Francophone contribution is from the Metis. The metis number nearly half million, exist in diverse communities across the west and thanks to Louis Riel played a pivotal role is the formation of modern day western Canada.

[davee930]

Originally Posted by casper

That is a big stretch. I don't think anyone is saying the generations of people who lived in Quebec did not make a profound contribution to modern day Canada. It also should be pointed out there is a a distinction that needs to be made between Francophone Canadians and Quebec. The two are not the same.

In western Canada the most significant Francophone contribution is from the Metis. The metis number nearly half million, exist in diverse communities across the west and thanks to Louis Riel played a pivotal role is the formation of modern day western Canada.

Very interesting stuff.

[urbandreamer]

People forget it was the Scots, and English Empire Loyalists, who built Quebec. The Quebecois until the 1980s were mostly poor tenants.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

People forget it was the Scots, and English Empire Loyalists, who built Quebec. The Quebecois until the 1980s were mostly poor tenants.

Wow.

[urbandreamer]

^And since the 80s, it's mostly been built by the mob.

Now if we're talking about Quebecois culture, well that's been mostly constructed by capitalist overlords. Take Habitant Soup for example ....