Hardline language group blames media

Posted By: Laura Casella · 2/26/2013 8:39:00 AM

The head of a hardline French language group is blaming the media, particularly anglophone media outlets, for plotting a campaign to discredit the French Language Charter ahead of hearings on Bill 14. 

Mario Beaulieu of the Mouvement Quebec Francais says there is a "cabale" of anglo media outlets making too much of recent stories in the news regarding the OQLF and several businesses.

He is calling on the anglophone media to be more moderate in their views so that we can have a "respectful debate."

Beaulieu also believes the pasta case was overblown. He says everyone was focusing on a minor detail, being the pasta, but that the inspectors were just doing their job to make sure the French language is protected.

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  1. George Grummett posted on 02/26/2013 08:56 AM
    I support 100% CJAD's (and other media outlets) exposure of the OQLF's excessive nit-picking.
    It is they who lack moderation and are being unreasonable in this, and the world should be made aware.
    1. Le Québécois posted on 02/26/2013 03:04 PM
      @George Grummett And you don't think freaking out internationally over the word pasta is unreasonable ?
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  2. Maureen Gallagher posted on 02/26/2013 08:58 AM
    "He is calling on the anglophone media to be more moderate in their views so that we can have a "respectful debate."
    Really Mario? Are you being serious? In a Quebec I no longer recognize where english schools are almost completely shut down now, where you can have Chinese writing in Chinatown but not a word of english can be seen anywhere. When people don't have a choice of where they want to send their children to school. When you have language cops harrassing hard-working people with ridiculous things such as "cover the redial on you phone with tape" "or the on/off button on the microwave has to be covered" Talk about "moderation" The media is just reporting what is the truth here and the protests will just grow as the world reads about this and laughs cause it IS laugh worthy.
    1. Le Québécois posted on 02/26/2013 03:23 PM
      @Maureen Gallagher "where you can have Chinese writing in Chinatown but not a word of english can be seen anywhere"

      Stop spreading disinformation. English can be on any signs or menu you want, but it has to be in french also.
      Also I would think that after freaking out internationnally about "other languages" being a threat to french would make you stop thinking it is solely against the english.
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  3. ofCourse posted on 02/26/2013 09:02 AM
    Well obviously! It's the anglos fault for everything else that is wrong in this province.
    How dare we not welcome the trampling of our basic freedoms and rights.
    1. Le Québécois posted on 02/26/2013 03:24 PM
      @ofCourse Anglo-quebekers will never accept their minority status.

      I guess this is why Ontario looks so appealing.
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  4. Elaine Rosenberg posted on 02/26/2013 09:09 AM
    The French language is alive and well in many countries across the globe without the benefit of the "protection" offered by OQLF - we live in a global community where exposure to various cultures, traditions and languages are par for the course. Fear, insecurity and false paradigms will only serve to further alienate the Québec economy.
    1. Umaga posted on 02/26/2013 11:43 AM
      @Elaine Rosenberg " further alienate the Quebec economy " . I can't think of a developed economy that has done any better than Quebec in the last 5 years ,( by the way Alberta just declared an 8 ,000,000,000 budget shortfall ) .
      Perhaps one of the posters would care to enlighten me ?
    2. ex Kaybecer posted on 02/26/2013 01:47 PM
      @Elaine Rosenberg You misspelled the racist province's name. It NEVER takes an accent in English.
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  5. J.S. posted on 02/26/2013 09:11 AM
    Feeling embar(ass)ed ? Too Bad!
  6. Louis G. posted on 02/26/2013 09:13 AM
    Beaulieu is overblown, the OQLF is overblown and "OFFICE" is an English word.
    1. Etienne posted on 02/26/2013 09:43 AM
      @Louis G. Quebec is not a french word or name either. It is Algonquin. The OQLF will have to write a report on itself now. Will Quebec have to change it's name too. We should all write to the OQLF and the PQ about this great misjustice.
    2. Marc leblanc posted on 02/26/2013 03:02 PM
      @Louis G. Stop saying Office is not a french word. It is you morons. Find another bone to pick.
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  7. LMAO posted on 02/26/2013 09:15 AM
    Mario Beaulieu of the Mouvement Quebec Francais says there is a "cabale" of anglo media outlets making too much of recent stories in the news regarding the OQLF and several businesses.
    Hmm so reporting the facts of a OQLF raid is now trouble making? I thought the press had freedom to report the facts - which is what they did. If the OQLF had any respect then the stories would not have existed. I think what is more troubling to Mario is that he is upset that the world is now seeing the OQLF for what it is. They are not acting without direction after all.
    1. MsMaci1 posted on 02/26/2013 02:58 PM
      @LMAO The press has no freedom in New Brunswick when it comes to stories on the French here.If the story shows the New Brunswick in a bad light the story is not allowed to be printed in a mainstream newspaper.Doesn't matter if the story is true.
    2. Le Québécois posted on 02/26/2013 03:08 PM
      @LMAO Desinformation is a powerful tool and is unfortunately allowed.

      The same way that all anglos are Mr. Bains and want to kill Marois.

      See my point ?
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  8. sam jones posted on 02/26/2013 09:16 AM
    Yeah right "doing their job" in other countries they (OQLF) would have been prosecuted...waste of time and MONEY!!! they should take the OQLF to the supreme court..
  9. Phillip Shapiro posted on 02/26/2013 09:18 AM
    What "respectful debates? How would you like language police to come into your business and try to cover up everything with French on it?
    As an Anglo who was born in Montreal, I am disgusted by your statement. We're making too much of this?
    Close the OQLF for good and we won't be having this discussion.
    As Anglos, the only way to show the world what we have to endure, is to take it to the press and social media outlets.
    It seems to be working quite well.
    1. Le Québécois posted on 02/26/2013 03:17 PM
      @Phillip Shapiro "the only way to show the world what we have to endure"

      I know, each time I drive by Westmount and see the desolation of an oppressed minority, empoverished by the oppressors, not even allowed to have a piece of bread to feed their families... my heart bleeds.

      They tried to succeed in this unforgiving environnement, but nationalists always prevented them. They only give 25% of funding for english post-secondary institutions and they only have the best university in Canada, in Québec, as well as lots of services in english.

      But the worst is to come....
      They have to learn a few words of french to live in a french province and put french on their signs as well as english.

      My heart bleeds...
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  10. Jeannepie posted on 02/26/2013 09:22 AM
    Overblown?? Really? I guess standing up for OUR rights and for common sense it too much? I personally find that the English media to too mellow in their reports and does not stand up for our rights. They just report. I would love to see more of this. Not to cause problems but to stop the ridicule of this government and of the OLF. Since they were voted in the tension and stress they have created in the province is unforgivable. The cuts they are making, the job loss they are creating... but yet there is more money for the language police and to send two young ministers around Quebec to "speak:" to the youth and for a trip to Scotland.....REALLY???!!!!
  11. Teresa Amorosa posted on 02/26/2013 09:23 AM
    Oh, now they want a respectful debate............now that they look like bullies.
    They need a mirror, not a debate to see where the problem lies.
  12. Nica posted on 02/26/2013 09:30 AM
    Guess we hit a nerve! For the record, it was actually social media that ignited the fire and then extended to traditional media and allowed for WORLD WIDE coverage. Nobody exaggerated anything, all came straight from the horse's mouth! More power to the people & hooray for social media, since after all, this is 2013. Clearly the PQ, OQLF and all their worshipers are completely oblivious as to what century we're actually living in.
  13. Ron Boucher Sr posted on 02/26/2013 09:32 AM
    These brainwashed idiots just keep on coming and coming and coming.....
  14. Michelle posted on 02/26/2013 09:34 AM
    This is my 2 cents...The monies used to fund the OQLF should be used towards....Heath Care, Education....The elimination of OQLF would enable us to do this.

    In my definition of OQLF, This organisation wastes money, time, and makes Quebec look foolish throughout the world!
    1. Paul Bradshaw posted on 02/26/2013 09:51 AM
      @Michelle Here's a novel idea ... how about taking the money that is to be given to the OQLF and start to fix Montreal's failing infrastructure ... before we have a MAJOR catastrophe on our hands?!?
  15. Johnathan Leger posted on 02/26/2013 09:38 AM
    Can someone tell him that mario is also an italian name :)

    but seriously, they are trying to regain the authority to continue bullying after having been exposed

    keep going cjad and your "cabal' of sinister shadowpeople!
  16. caroline posted on 02/26/2013 09:43 AM
    The OQLF went really too far. It is a good thing that media talked about it. Hopefuly something's going to be dione about over-zealous inspectors. But considering that you only talked about the OQLF not pressing charges to Buenanotte TODAY while I learned about it LAST week in the french (Radio-Canada and La Presse), I'd say you are not helping at all with us having a "respectful debate."
  17. Robert Wmh posted on 02/26/2013 09:52 AM
    I agree with the media, they report what the find and that is what they are supposed to do. The OLF are the one's that are nit picking. And in my opinion we should have both languages like many other provinces, were are not a country, we are a province in the Country of Canada. And these people should respect that.and be proud of it at the same time.
  18. steve posted on 02/26/2013 09:58 AM
    I'm just waiting for the OLF to say that these (anonymous) complaints were probably made by the english media to discredit them and make them look more foolish than they already are.Oh will this never ending victimization of the downtroden French ever end!!
  19. JohnH- posted on 02/26/2013 09:58 AM
    So now the PQ want the English media to censor the news. Where have I heard this before? Afghanistan, Burma, China, Iran, Russia... It seems the Quebec government want's to be a member of the dictator's club. Blame it on the messenger.
  20. Cheryl posted on 02/26/2013 10:03 AM
    So, "caffe" threatens the French language. Hmmm, odd that on the French CBC this morning they repeated the word CAMERAMAN during a spot about an alpaca farm. Seems they need to get their own house in order first. Also, I have often seen French TV talent programs where they ALL sing English songs. I am half Quebequoise and have an important lineage in this province but never will condone my $$ towards racial profiling or will condone the abuse of power. There is much the OQLF can accomplish FIRST within their own camp. I attended French elementary school in this province and my written French is flawed to the point of impacting my employment options. It is not English high school that is to blame, the basic grammar skills should have been acquired in the primary grades and it was not done.
  21. Cindy posted on 02/26/2013 10:16 AM
    It's not the media - it's the PEOPLE WHO ARE FED UP & complain to the media!! The media is just doing it's job by conveying the people's frustration!! Nothing was "overblown" - it was just THAT STUPID that is deserved to be made fun of!! Anyway, I say keep up the GREAT work CJAD!!!!!! We love you & we need you! :)
  22. Paul posted on 02/26/2013 10:19 AM
    So it's the fault of Anglophones and the Anglo media? Really? Really? Are you guys serious?

    The fault belongs to the OQLF, the raciest and oppressive political parties of the PQ, and BQ as well as the francophone majority who support these parties and their policies.

    By their logic they must think it is the fault of the black people and Nelson Mandela for making South Africa look bad during the apartheid.
    1. JBC posted on 02/26/2013 10:37 AM
      @Paul I think it is the francophone minority who support yhese groups.
  23. Etienne posted on 02/26/2013 10:22 AM
    Quebec is not a french word or name it is Algonquin. Will the OQLF change it's name and comply with bill 101. LOL.
  24. Cynsi posted on 02/26/2013 10:23 AM
    Discrimination is ugly in any language. But to discriminate against the English language when your biggest trading partner is the United States is unbelievably ignorant.

    We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Donna posted on 02/26/2013 12:02 PM
      @Cynsi For years, the French media supported the ignorance that still lives today in Quebec. They gave the PQ along with all other extremist groups a forum to spread their message.One must admit that it was a limited audience all the same. Now, Quebec is seeing how small they really are on the global scale of things, and it is scaring them.

      With that said, there is a rumble, a change of sorts happening in the province. The educated and moderate are starting to change their way of thinking. This may be due to embarrasment, or maybe a need to break free from the chains that the goverment(s) uses to tie people down.

      Whatever the reason, we must continue sharing with the world what actually happens here. It's well overdue!
  25. Rob posted on 02/26/2013 10:32 AM
    "protected"...OH NO! Are the naive, small minded supporters of the separatist movement so threatened by the word PASTA? Go to their 'national' restaurant menu, La Belle Province...They've already been taken over by the English! "Hot-dog, Hamburger, Sandwich Hot-Chicken." They are truly doomed as a people.
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