I am starting the process to immigrate to Canada from the US. Maybe unsurprisingly I find I have no ideas where I would like to live. I do enjoy mountains, and don't want to be in the heart of a city. - eviltoast
  • fourish@lemmy.world
    86·
    4 days ago

    You know as well as I do that if you’re not a French speaker in Quebec that you’re a second class citizen in the eyes of the government (and many of the population).

    • Pasta Dental@sh.itjust.works
      102·
      4 days ago

      I mean… Yeah, the official language is French, any other language is provided at best effort. The only places that are officially bilingual in Canada are New-Brunswick and the federal government, and even that would be a stretch (federal government). Would you expect to be treated as a first-class citizen while not speaking a word of Italian in Italy?

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
          11·
          3 days ago

          Which happens naturally with English in all other provinces without any governmental intervention and against the government’s will in Quebec because English is the language used by 360 million North Americans who have a media megaphone that spreads their culture all over the world at the expense of all other cultures.

    • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
      82·
      3 days ago

      You try living anywhere else in Canada without speaking English and come back and tell me you’re a first class citizen. Get off your high horse.

      NB (the only bilingual province) just got rid of a premier that was the member of an anti French party in the 80s/90s: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Brunswick_Confederation_of_Regions_Party

      In 1985, Higgs handwrote a brief and presented it to the Guérette-Smith Commission, starting it by praising the United States for being "united under one flag, one government, and one language,” adding that “we will never achieve such a level of loyalty and unity when at the same time we embark on a process supporting two different cultures.”[9] In 1989, Higgs ran for the leadership of the CoR Party.[3] In his bid for the COR leadership, Higgs “complained about francophones ‘who can speak the common language, but refuse to’”.[14] He also supported an elected Senate, opposed the Meech Lake Accord, favoured fixed terms for government, and stated “We do not have an obligation to cater to those people who can speak the common language, English, and refuse to do so”.[15]

      Which province has the highest level of bilingualism? Quebec. Not New-Brunswick. Quebec.

      https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016009/98-200-x2016009-eng.cfm

      So do you really think we’re not accommodating enough?

      • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
        12·
        3 days ago

        Sure and why is that? Because English is a very useful language to know. Why is that because of America, till it implodes collapses whatever it is the driving force in the world as it has the biggest economy by far.

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
          21·
          3 days ago

          So all cultures should disappear and everyone should just start speaking English, that’s what you’re saying?

      • Thrillhouse@lemmy.world
        23·
        3 days ago

        Je parle français my dude. J’ai étudié le français jusqu’au niveau universitaire comme mon mineur.

        What 22% of Canada is bilingual? I’m one of them.

        I made my effort. But as I said above you don’t win hearts and minds by angrily jumping down people’s throats on the issue.

        I’m just saying I disagree with the language laws I have Anglo friends living in Quebec, born in Quebec and it is very difficult for them - like the commenter said, they do feel like second class citizens at times. She’s gotta get updates from her kid’s daycare in French only and run them through Google Translate. It’s a lot. It’s like if you were sending your kid to daycare and the caregiver and the parent both spoke Dutch. I really don’t give a flying f if the daycare caregiver chooses to give an update to that parent in Dutch. It doesn’t concern me. But in my understanding they’re not allowed to - it has to be French. Happy to be corrected on that.

        I wouldn’t begrudge someone who serves Vietnamese clientele to have a menu and signage primarily in Vietnamese with English or French smaller on it (or even not at all). Things like this don’t seem to be allowed under the law but I’m happy to be corrected.

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
          53·
          3 days ago

          If they were born and have lived in Quebec all their lives then they can get any service they want in English, by law.

          What’s their excuse to not know French at this point, right? Hell, Anglo Quebecois is the group that declares itself the most bilingual at something like 88%! Don’t tell me it’s hard to learn or hard to practice or any of that bullshit. I come from a region where 2% of the population speaks English first and I have top level bilingual ratings at my job.

          Signage and menus need to be in French first, that’s it, you can have any other language on them as long as French is the most prominent.

          It’s funny how Anglos are all about helping minorities and guilt trips about colonization EXCEPT for the French Canadian minority.

          Look at how Anglo Canadians were flipping out about Cantonese/Mandarin signage in BC not too long ago but if Quebec does something to prevent it becoming (more of) an issue then they’re flipping out about Quebec oppressing minorities.

          Hell, am I not accommodating you by not replying in French even though it’s my first language and we’re in a bilingual country. It’s the default experience for French Canadians whenever there’s an Anglo Canadian around, even bilingual ones.