Bilingualism Bumph
Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau battled Quebec separatism, as a federalist. But he also sought to disarm Quebec, to make it feel that its fears were groundless, and Quebec's frontal lobe concerns always seem to revolve around language. Thus was born official bilingualism. As a sop to Quebec it really didn't work, but it sounded noble and proper in the context of "two founding nations" and "two official languages".
And then funding was allocated and a choreograph of assurances went out to all French-speaking Canadians that they could be content that their country was fully prepared to serve them in all possible ways - in the language of their choice. And to do this fairly, why then, all unilingual Anglophones and allophones would have the opportunity to upgrade their language skills by including French-language capabilities.
Mandatory to a degree within the public education system, and in the upper-crust echelons of government, as well as front-desk services to the public, the die was cast, and Canada was bound to the stake of bilingualism. Which was when Quebec decided it would reciprocate and the provincial government of the late unlamented Rene Levesque brought in Bill 101.
English was damned and the provincial school system along with all public signage, and service to clients, public and private became French. Goodbye maudit Anglais...! And a lot of Quebec Anglophones were happy enough not to resist the temptation to leave, and they did, and did this enrich Quebec in any particular way? The province's language police have been busy ever since.
As for Canada's fabled official bilingualism, statistics appear to tell us that before official bilingualism, slightly more people were bilingual, than since. Roughly 95% of Quebecers speak French, while a mere 42% speak English. English, you know, the universal language of just about everything from commerce, to education, to air flight communication? But not in Quebec. It's a disease, there, to be fastidiously avoided.
And in the rest of Canada; well, about 97.6% speak English, but there exist only about 10% who also speak French. What a success story. All over Canada we have studiously, strictly, legally, bilingual signs everywhere. Food labels must be produced in both official languages. French-speakers living in small towns outside Quebec in other parts of Canada insist they must be served in "their own language".
This is extremely costly, and horribly irritating, and miserably unfair when qualified unilingual job-seekers find themselves shut out of positions for which they are eminently disqualified by virtue of language. And now, ta-da! a private member's bill to make it a requirement under the law that all future Supreme Court nominees be fluently bilingual.
Bill C-232 has already been passed in the House of Commons.
These are our far-seeing lawmakers; only the Conservatives have troubled thoughts about what may ensue should this become law. If it comes right down to professional and experienced qualifications as opposed to second-language abilities, well dust off the law books because inexperience plus bilingualism trumps.
O Canada.
And then funding was allocated and a choreograph of assurances went out to all French-speaking Canadians that they could be content that their country was fully prepared to serve them in all possible ways - in the language of their choice. And to do this fairly, why then, all unilingual Anglophones and allophones would have the opportunity to upgrade their language skills by including French-language capabilities.
Mandatory to a degree within the public education system, and in the upper-crust echelons of government, as well as front-desk services to the public, the die was cast, and Canada was bound to the stake of bilingualism. Which was when Quebec decided it would reciprocate and the provincial government of the late unlamented Rene Levesque brought in Bill 101.
English was damned and the provincial school system along with all public signage, and service to clients, public and private became French. Goodbye maudit Anglais...! And a lot of Quebec Anglophones were happy enough not to resist the temptation to leave, and they did, and did this enrich Quebec in any particular way? The province's language police have been busy ever since.
As for Canada's fabled official bilingualism, statistics appear to tell us that before official bilingualism, slightly more people were bilingual, than since. Roughly 95% of Quebecers speak French, while a mere 42% speak English. English, you know, the universal language of just about everything from commerce, to education, to air flight communication? But not in Quebec. It's a disease, there, to be fastidiously avoided.
And in the rest of Canada; well, about 97.6% speak English, but there exist only about 10% who also speak French. What a success story. All over Canada we have studiously, strictly, legally, bilingual signs everywhere. Food labels must be produced in both official languages. French-speakers living in small towns outside Quebec in other parts of Canada insist they must be served in "their own language".
This is extremely costly, and horribly irritating, and miserably unfair when qualified unilingual job-seekers find themselves shut out of positions for which they are eminently disqualified by virtue of language. And now, ta-da! a private member's bill to make it a requirement under the law that all future Supreme Court nominees be fluently bilingual.
Bill C-232 has already been passed in the House of Commons.
These are our far-seeing lawmakers; only the Conservatives have troubled thoughts about what may ensue should this become law. If it comes right down to professional and experienced qualifications as opposed to second-language abilities, well dust off the law books because inexperience plus bilingualism trumps.
O Canada.
Labels: Canada, Justice, Politics of Convenience
posted by Pieface | 6:46 PM
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