PQ: Francophone minority in Montreal is "unacceptable"

Posted By: Dan Delmar · 8/29/2012 2:25:00 PM

The Parti Québécois considers it to be "unacceptable" that, in the next 20 years, the island of Montreal could be populated by a majority of non-Francophone residents.

Speaking for the PQ during a language announcement today was Rosemont candidate Jean-François Lisée. He said that "our ability to integrate immigrants into French is a function of the number of people who live in French, who go in parks in French, who flirt in French, who go to school in French..."

"We think that it is foolish for a minority in North America to let its Francophone population shrink in the very city where all cultures meet," he said, adding that current Montrealers would be unaffected by the PQ's new policies. "We want to respect the present but mould the future."

The proposals would see immigrants selected based not only on their knowledge of French, but on whether or not they already live in French. 

"We will add a question about the language in which you live," Lisée added. "When there's equal merit, we'll give a premium to those who already live in French."

They will also try to keep families in the city from moving to the suburbs with a number of housing and transport initiatives. A special committee would also be formed with the mandate of creating an action plan to keep Montreal as a city that is mostly Francophone. 

But, Lisée said, the PQ would draw the line at what languages are spoken in the privacy of one's home. 

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  1. Walter posted on 08/29/2012 02:57 PM
    To what levels the PQ will stoop to flex their language-paranoid muscles? Can you imagine that they're actually thinking of ways to make you "go to parks in French,...flirt in French"? I understand that some people are concerned about shifting language numbers in Montreal as this city evolves on the world stage. But no amount of legislation can change that evolution. And it can harm the population and further ruin the province's reputation by trying.
    The PQ will have no trouble stopping people from moving to the suburbs. Intelligent people who have had it up to here with the affronts to human dignity and freedom that language laws impose will bypass the 'burbs and get out of Quebec altogether before allowing themselves to persist in such a repressive society and be made the laughing stock of the free world.
    1. John posted on 08/31/2012 04:48 PM
      @Walter What do you mean, "and be made the laughing stock of the free world".
      We are already the laughing stock of the free world.
      There is a real world outside of Quebec, and these people have to get outside of the belle province to see the wealth and quality of life outside of Quebec. God help us, because we did not speak up and fight, when we should have. We are paying the price of keeping quiet.
  2. Pfthh posted on 08/29/2012 03:18 PM
    What drugs are these people on?? I want some... will I have to name my dog Fido or Bidule or Pitou ?? Back in the 40's these people were called Communists.
  3. Mike D posted on 08/29/2012 03:43 PM
    If a culture needs help to preserve it by outside means (such as a political party) then it is not worth preserving.
  4. joe posted on 08/29/2012 04:05 PM
    How before they give us tickets for speaking english in public?
  5. Wow posted on 08/29/2012 04:11 PM
    So Lisee says:
    "But, Lisée said, the PQ would draw the line at what languages are spoken in the privacy of one's home. "

    How generous... what arrogance! Xenophobes!
  6. Garvin posted on 08/29/2012 05:15 PM
    it is really sad and pathetic to see full grown people pushing their fear mongering act in such a distasteful way in a so called Liberal Democracy.
  7. joe feder posted on 08/29/2012 05:20 PM
    I'm sure the PQ would love to stop high tide.....sorry....some things cant be stopped.

    When this reality becomes reality ...I hope they remember then, that their mean spirited nature of the last 40 years will not go unnoticed by the majority.

    What comes around goes around...history teaches us that.
  8. Gordie posted on 08/29/2012 05:20 PM
    French majority in the rest of Quebec is unacceptable....
  9. alrev posted on 08/29/2012 09:28 PM
    Let's offer a free one way ticket to everyone in France who wants to come to Quebec! I think they live& flirt in French. The inmates are trying to run the asylum!
    1. Jon posted on 08/30/2012 09:18 AM
      @alrev Are you kidding no self respecting French person would ever consider living or being associated with their Quebec cousins.
    show more replies
  10. deborahann posted on 08/30/2012 08:05 AM
    You gotta be kidding. We are living in 2012 and there will be no way they tell me what language to speak. Who do they think they are? Let them even try and tell me to speak french. I have my freedom of rights and so does everyone else.
  11. IR posted on 08/30/2012 08:33 AM
    So lets see if I understand - they will draw the line at what language I speak in my home.... but then imply that the language I speak outside my home will be french.
    So if I'm in the park, and I'm speaking English will I get a fine/ticket.

    So do you think the "action plan" initiatives to keep montreal french - ie: transport, and housing initiatives will only be available to francophones. When all the anglophones and allophones move to Longueil and Laval will it be "acceptable" that Montreal will be a French city surrounded by a bastion of English?
  12. Tom posted on 08/30/2012 09:31 AM
    "PQ: Francophone minority in Montreal is "unacceptable""

    The only reason the PQ are so upset by this that it PROVES their way of preserving their culture does not work and is NOT needed to preserve a culture or language...

    ...Without the help of draconian laws "protecting" their languages and cultures the many minorities within Montreal manage to thrive AND live together.

    Actually they thrive and live together despite laws and regulations that try to quash their heritage in favor of another.
  13. Irwin posted on 08/30/2012 10:06 AM
    I think we've added a new word to our "culture" --- anglophobes
  14. ad1 posted on 08/30/2012 02:05 PM
    I propose an referendum to separate Montreal from Quebec.
    1. abour posted on 08/30/2012 04:35 PM
      @ad1 I live in laval so how about a referendum to separate Montreal, Laval and west island . we can join ontario
    2. Carol AnnB posted on 08/30/2012 05:50 PM
      @ad1 I second that motion
    show more replies
  15. gordie posted on 08/30/2012 09:14 PM
    No matter how many fingers the PQ put in the dike ,the English will always pour through...the tide of English in the world is just too much to hold it back and is getting stronger each day.
  16. mtlgrl posted on 08/31/2012 09:19 AM
    so it is unacceptable that mtl will be populated by a majority of non-francophones...and the PQ thinks that the way to solve this will be to not allow those who speak any language but French in their daily lives, to live in Montreal...seems a little bit racist/xenophobic...and unrealistic...

    Did they ever step back and look at the real reason the French language has decreased in montreal (while staying status quo in the regions)?1. Let's take a look at the low birthrate in QC, less Francophone families are having babies (no more are the families of 5-7 children!)...2. Montreal is a relatively expensive place to live, hence the exodus of many young French-speaking families to the 450 area code...lower housing costs, newer facilities (daycares; schools; arenas), more greenspace...to live in Montreal requires a decent employment in order to afford good housing for a young family...a well-paying job requires bilingualism and education (something a unilingual QC francophone, in many cases, does not have).

    Rather than auditing the language of all future Montreal residents...why doesn't the government offer a "transfer incentive"...maybe some of those unilingual francophone citizens in the Saguenay, Rimouski or the Gaspé would like a tax credit for a transfer to work and live in Montreal...and vice versa may also work...I for one, as a fully bilinugal and educated anglo, would welcome a transfer out to the Gaspé...a little change in scenery never hurt anyone right??
  17. Alain Robert posted on 08/31/2012 11:08 AM
    I'm just curious, when we say "Nous voulons protéger le français et notre culture", why does it get translated to "We hate anglos !" ?
    1. lance rentzel posted on 08/31/2012 06:44 PM
      @Alain Robert Because "you" "protect" your language but destroying the rights of les autres.This is racisim "pur et dur".The sad fact is that racisim is based on ignorance.Marois should be prosecuted for "hate crimes" i.e. inciting the hatred of those who are not WHITE,FRANCOPHONE,and FRENCH. But my friend like the nazis drive to create"racial purity" eventually they will come for you m.Robert....(just in case you don't understand,you cant create racial purity..it is racist on its face).
    2. JBC posted on 09/05/2012 10:49 AM
      @Alain Robert Because that is not all you say. You say we will not speak English and English cannot work in these jobs, and only certain people can go to English schools etc., etc..
  18. MC posted on 08/31/2012 11:40 AM
    "in the next 20 years the island of Montreal could be populated by a majority of non-Francophone residents" - the operative word here is "could be". The PQ , which we have become accustomed to during this campaign, is yet again making a mountain out of the language molehill just to insight fear in the francophone community. Pauline is so transparent - I just hope that those intelligent francophones out there can see through her pathetic attempt to garner their votes.
  19. ELizabeth posted on 08/31/2012 12:40 PM
    I am wondering where she gets the idea that french is dying in Montreal. ALL foreigners whos first language is not ENglish have to go to school all in french, and they end up being FRANCOPHONE! (Meaning speaks french)
    These smae individuals can't speak a word of English, I know I have been working in customer service for 15 years and I am native to Montreal, they speak their mother tongue and FRENCH, Not English.
    Marois needs to stop with this , its getting to the point where I am feeling like a second class citizen in my own province only because my mother tongue is English. I speak French perfectly and feel very priviledged that I was given the oportunity, but I feel that Marois and her band of Frenchies tell me my language isnt good enough, but let me tell you they will neer say my Tax money isn't good enough!!! Its discrimination, end of, its getting to be insulting. I am told by French people in this Province that I am not a Quebecer because I am not French, I have been hearing that most of my life. What am I then? I contrubute just as much, they need to lay off the language thing, there is no lack of French and French speakers pride in this Province, ther is however a feeling of prejudice to English SPeakers, who speak french as well, and have contributed to Montreal and Quebec just as much as any Francophone.
  20. alrev posted on 09/01/2012 01:49 PM
    LET'S BE HONEST A FRANCOPHONE MAJORITY WILL SET THE CITY BACK 100 YEARS! WHAT IS UNACCEPTABLE IS DICTATING THE LANGUAGE OF LIVING AND COMMERCE. IT WILL FIND IT'S OWN LEVEL IN SPITE OF ANY EFFORT TO MAKE IT FIT A MOLD THAT BEEN BROKEN FOR DECADES. WAKE UP AND SMELL REALITY.
  21. Thomas posted on 09/03/2012 04:08 PM
    This is pure racism, bigotry and hypocrasy at its finest from the low class PQ and hardline separatists. First, the PQ says they want all immigrants who come into the province to speak only French at work and outside. Then, if that's not enough, they are also saying that the immigrants cannot outnumber the locally born white francophones. In other words, you have to learn and speak only our language, but since you were not born here and you are not white with a French sounding family name, then you are not a Quebecer and you are not allowed to outnumber the locally born "White Francophones".

    I have a friend in Montreal who has been at the same job for 8 years. She is a Francophone and she says that she cannot find something better and cannot move up. However, she cannot leave Quebec because she does not speak English well enough, so she is stuck in a very bad and very tough situation.
  22. Tommy posted on 09/09/2012 04:11 PM
    This proves what a very wise man once told me decades ago during the 1970's.

    It has nothing to do with language. It's all about power, jobs, and money for the French people of Quebec.

    Here is the proof.

    Mr. Lisee is telling the minorities of Quebec that it's not enough to speak French. You must BE French. And the only people who live in French are French people. That is the only acceptable outcome. He is telling you that his culture, which includes his language, must be superior to all other cultures. He is a cultural supramacist. Make no mistake, this is the Quebec he and the P.Q. envision.

    To the minorities who have stayed in Quebec and became bilingual or learned French to help ease linguistic tensions, I thank you. However, do understand your place in Quebec society. You are not and never will be considered equals.
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