• Security incident: ISF was recently accessed by intruders. Please change your password, and change it anywhere else you used it. Read more

Anti-English discrimination in Quebec

Canadian712

Scholar
C
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
56
I recently ran across the JREF forum and saw a "Non-USA politics" session and so I've decided to talk about an issue that is affecting me on a personal level.

I live in the Montreal area and live with my parents. I'm currently having a hard time finding a job due to my lack of French and this province is notorious throughout Canada for its intolerant treatment towards Anglophones. Now, one might say "just learn French you tard", but it's more than just that. I'm a Canadian citizen, and as such I should have my rights as an English speaker to have my rights in Quebec.

Apart from discrimination in the work force, there is toons of discrimination in the education sector. The provincial government is doing everything in its might to strangle the English language public education in Quebec with such racist laws such as Bill 101, Bill 22 and most recently Bill 104(which was struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada). Essentially, you cannot send your child to an English unless one of the parents attended an English public school in Quebec or if the child has attended an English school somewhere else in Canada. These laws and more have caused a severe drop in students in the English sector and in the long run, caused many Anglos to leave the province.

Having said all this, I must say that it is a big shame that only the racist, anti-English language bigots like Pauline Marois somehow make their voices heard, while the Francophone MAJORITY who do not wish for all the current events occurring in Quebec are silenced in the Franco-media, and Quebecers like myself have gained a notorious stereotype.
 
erm well i say it anyway, learn frensh. im swiss and in most parts i get "discriminated" too.
the frensh part doesnt hire me normally, so is the Italian part. becuase my Italian sucks, and my Frensh is even worse.
 
I bet there are not anti-Italian language laws in Switzerland. Canada is a bilingual country and no ethnicity should get more privileges over others. I don't think the Swiss example applies to this situation. It's a mere question of rights.
 
The reason this is such a big issue is that this situation did not always exist. These problems began to arise ever since the Charter of the French Language was implemented in 1977(Bill 101) which caused systematic restrictions of the English language in Quebec. This is not to mention that it was deemed unconstitutional by Ottawa and goes against the BNA Act of 1867.
 
anti-"one of our Languages" laws dont exist afaik.
but in the case of finding a job, in geneva for example, you need to talk frensh to find a job (with some rare exceptions)
thats what i ment.
 
Hey Canadian712,

I agree with you that the laws about where a child goes to school are ridiculous. My sisters went to french immerision in Alberta, I don't see why your kids shouldn't be able to go to a fully english language school which would at least give them a strong grasp of what is probably the most useful language in the world, and certainly in Canada.

As to your problems finding a job, are these jobs in which you could perform your duties better/more efficiently/whatever if you spoke french?
Because if so, I can't really sympathize. Hospitals "discriminate" against people who didn't go to medical school too, but I don't see a problem with that.
 
Canadian712 said:
I recently ran across the JREF forum and saw a "Non-USA politics" session and so I've decided to talk about an issue that is affecting me on a personal level.

I live in the Montreal area and live with my parents. I'm currently having a hard time finding a job due to my lack of French and this province is notorious throughout Canada for its intolerant treatment towards Anglophones. Now, one might say "just learn French you tard", but it's more than just that. I'm a Canadian citizen, and as such I should have my rights as an English speaker to have my rights in Quebec.

Apart from discrimination in the work force, there is toons of discrimination in the education sector. The provincial government is doing everything in its might to strangle the English language public education in Quebec with such racist laws such as Bill 101, Bill 22 and most recently Bill 104(which was struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada). Essentially, you cannot send your child to an English unless one of the parents attended an English public school in Quebec or if the child has attended an English school somewhere else in Canada. These laws and more have caused a severe drop in students in the English sector and in the long run, caused many Anglos to leave the province.

Having said all this, I must say that it is a big shame that only the racist, anti-English language bigots like Pauline Marois somehow make their voices heard, while the Francophone MAJORITY who do not wish for all the current events occurring in Quebec are silenced in the Franco-media, and Quebecers like myself have gained a notorious stereotype.
Click to expand...

This is sort of the traditional rant. It's been going on since '77. May I ask if your family are native Canadians or immigrants? When you say "near Montreal", do you mean in one of the 'burbs, or the Townships or other?

And I assume you realize the reasons for the restrictions on education? The last year that I saw statistics for, I think 2007 or '08, the net Francophone immigration to all of Canada was 22,000, yet Quebec immigration was 46,000. That means that even if all the Francophones went to Quebec, they still had more non-Francophones that year. With open enrolment in English schools, you'd soon have a net drain on the Francophone population.
 
Isn't it time that Quebec was cut loose from the rest of Canada?
 
I am sure that there are some jobs in Quebec where a command of the French language is a necessity.

Secondly, aren't all Canadians taught French & English?

When I was in Montreal, I was given ZERO problem, due to my lack of French.
 
Thunder said:
I am sure that there are some jobs in Quebec where a command of the French language is a necessity.
Click to expand...

Most jobs require French, since there are very few that solely interface with the English speaking population or international community. You might be able to get by in, say, service jobs in Italian or Greek restaurants, but even there, the law is that the menus and service have to be available in French. Ergo, if someone demands French service, the owner wants a French-speaking server or counter person.
There are very few potential office jobs if you have no French.

Secondly, aren't all Canadians taught French & English?
Click to expand...
It's available, but do a quick poll of your friends in New York who had to take a second language in junior high and high. How many can actually speak French or Spanish? It's also not an emersion type education. In English Canada, French is taught but it's a single class if I'm not mistaken. If it's not used regularly, conversationally, the knowledge doesn't do much good.

When I was in Montreal, I was given ZERO problem, due to my lack of French.
Click to expand...

You're a visitor. They'll tolerate English-speaking Americans. They do not suffer English-speaking Canadians so gladly.
 
You live in Quebec?

Learn French. End of effing story.

Sheesh. I hate whiny Anglos.

In answer to the question about Canadians being taught French and English...sort of. French language education (meaning French class - not all instruction in French) is mandatory, but it just doesn't take outside the naturally bilingual areas of the country (Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal, and New Brunswick). The country is just too big. There is too much geographical separation between most native English speakers and native French speakers for those of us not in the above-mentioned regions to actually become bilingual.
 
Last edited:
Canadian712 said:
...such racist laws such as Bill 101, Bill 22 and most recently Bill 104(which was struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada). ...
Having said all this, I must say that it is a big shame that only the racist, anti-English language bigots like Pauline Marois somehow make their voices heard, while the Francophone MAJORITY who do not wish for all the current events occurring in Quebec are silenced in the Franco-media, and Quebecers like myself have gained a notorious stereotype.
Click to expand...

French Language is a race?
Get real, dude.
 
I have English speaking friends, they don't feel any discrimination.

You go to live in Germany, you learn German, you go live in Mexico, you learn Spanish. You go live in Québec, you learn French.

What's the problem?
 
Last edited:
BTW, the English are the best treated minority anywhere.

They got three major TV and many radio stations all their own, newspapers, the best schools (McGill, Concordia, Bishop, Dawson, etc), the best hospitals and all the services they need in both languages if they wish.
 
Perhaps it's not the lack of English that's making it difficult to find a job.

Just sayin'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

ISF - Join now!

Every member here is approved by hand. No bots, no spam, just people who care about evidence and honest debate.

Membership is free!

Create your free account

Back
Top Bottom