Language charter may change after pastagate

Posted By: Angelica Montgomery · 3/6/2013 6:04:00 PM

 The language minister says Quebec's language laws may need to change to deal with stories like Pastagate.  

Diane De Courcy says reports like the one of banning pasta on a menu were mistakes that bothered her a lot.  

"I think it was very difficult for the Office Quebecois de la Langue Française," she says.  

She says the publicity did not help Quebec in general either: "We saw that there were negative consequences elsewhere in the world, and in terms of people's trust as well."  

Change the rules?  

It's possible the charter of the French language may be imperfect, De Courcy told reporters as she headed into her government's Wednesday cabinet meeting.  

"Are there unclear clauses or regulations that put inspectors in a difficult position? It's possible," she says.  

She says  an internal review, already underway, will clarify that.

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  1. Bev Smith posted on 03/06/2013 06:36 PM
    The whole idea of a language rule is ludicrous..this is Canada..we are becoming the laughing stock of the world..If the other languages are no good then why do you accept our tax money..I have lived in Quebec for 60 years..always had french friends..never had a problem until the GOV caused all this trouble..They should be ashamed and if you want it all French..move to France if they'll have you !!!!
    1. Maria posted on 03/07/2013 04:58 AM
      @Bev Smith Thats right, but even if they go to France, they have to deal with the STOP signs on the roads, LOL
  2. Stan posted on 03/06/2013 06:52 PM
    "Are there unclear clauses or regulations that put inspectors in a difficult position?'

    Well, you could start with the one that instructs them to obliterate any non french word, anywhere, including appliances. You could insruct them not to act on their racist penchants, you could instruct them to conduct themselves in a way that is befitting of a government official instead of deliquent teenagers.

    I guess they're just follwing orders, like good little freedom fighters.

    But I digress.
  3. Bruce Doucet posted on 03/06/2013 07:34 PM
    Don't be fooled; linguistic racism is alive and well in the PQ and at l'Office Quebecois de la Gestapo française!

    Seriously though, why exactly should Quebec be French-ONLY anyway? Bilingualism makes a whole lot more sense in a Canadian and North American context than an isolated French-only province! Sure, the majority of the people here speak French, but Quebec doesn’t just belong to Francophones, just like all the other provinces don’t just belong to Anglophones. Quebec also does not belong to France. Sure, they controlled the territory for about 150 years, but France wasn’t here first, and they lost the Seven Years War. I mean, the only reason there even is any French in this province today is because the British decided to let it be so – see Quebec Act of 1774. Moreover, God never said that this land had to be just French!

    Listen, there’s nothing wrong with French per se, but there’s nothing wrong with English or some other langue either! The problem here is that French is being imposed on people. That’s just not right! Individuals ought to have the right to choose for themselves. If they choose French for themselves and their children, fine, but they shouldn’t be allowed to choose for other people! All Quebecers - parents, private business owners (all of them no matter what the3 size of the business), customers, Anglophones, Francophones, immigrants with other linguistic backgrounds, etc. - should be allowed to do what they want in terms of language. Enough with the restrictive Nazi language laws! Bill 101 (and now this ridiculous Bill 14 crap) is a violation of the individual rights and freedoms of all Quebecers!

    Don’t we all deserve to have the same freedom of choice that other Canadians have? Are Quebecers somehow not intelligent enough to be able to choose for themselves? Fact is parents should decide on the schools for their children, not the government and the Saint John the Baptist Society. If separatists want more French kids, all they have to do is have more French kids themselves, but they should stop trying to tell other people what to do! Private businesses of all sizes should also be allowed to use whatever language or languages they want. If some customers and/or workers aren’t happy, they can just go elsewhere and/or open their own damn businesses. In addition to this, products should not be banned in Quebec stores and on Quebec websites because there are no French versions of products!

    Quebec should also have ZERO say on immigration! Enough with special rights for Quebec! I don’t care if you’re a Quebecer, a student, a criminal under 18 years of age or a status Indian, there should be no special rights for anybody in this country. All Canadians should have the same rights and they should be treated the same way regardless of who they are, where they come from or what language or languages they speak!

    Finally, if separatists want to leave Canada, they should turn in their passports and get the hell off the continent. Enough with the constant referendum threats and the constantly annoying separatist organizations and parties! The time is long overdue for Ottawa to ban what is nothing short of treason! The PQ, BQ, QS, Option Nationalist, SSJB, MQF, OQLF, Conseil de la langue française, Charte de la langue française, Bill 101: these things should all be banned, shut down or ripped up!
    1. Maria posted on 03/07/2013 05:08 AM
      @Bruce Doucet You are absolutley right, and i think the Federal goverment should put an end on this ridiculous situation because its affecting this country.
    2. Jon posted on 03/07/2013 10:51 PM
      @Bruce Doucet The linguistic fascists ought to be profoundly grateful for the British victory in the Seven Years War. If the French had won, and New France had been saved, you had better believe that most Quebeckers would be speaking English, because all of you would be part of the United States.

      Don't think so? Well, ponder this: we tried to take Quebec during our Revolution; and if the expedition hadn't been botched and if Gen. Montgomery hadn't been killed, we might have won Quebec in 1775-76. We also wanted to take it in the War of 1812. However, if Quebec had still been New France, you can bet your last nickel (since you don't have one-cent coins anymore) that, when Napoleon sold us Louisiana, we would have wanted to buy Quebec as well. In fact, we probably would have rather had Quebec than most of the Louisiana Territory.
  4. JohnH- posted on 03/06/2013 11:50 PM
    We the enlightened pampered people of the free world criticize the people of the third world for behaving like animals. Why do they do that? Well, maybe because they have no food, a home, school or free speech. But, we have time to get our noses out of joint over a word, PASTA. Time to get a life some where else.
  5. Gordie posted on 03/07/2013 12:36 AM
    ''Its possible the charter of the french language may be imperfect ''' ! Is she kidding me ????
    1. Maria posted on 03/07/2013 05:15 AM
      @Gordie Gordie, they say they have to change it, lets wait and see whats worst is coming; yes, because they dont change for better, for sure.
      This gorvement is spending our money on this ridiculous fight (it looks like a child crisis), when there are more important things to spend the money on.
  6. Bill posted on 03/07/2013 04:24 AM
    It's about time. Anglophones have just as much right to advertise in English in Quebec, as anybody else.
    After all, it is the rest of the country that pays for the benefits that Quebec gets from the Federal Government.
    How would Quebec like it if we took down all of the French signs, and took French language off of all the labels on EVERYTHING that is in the stores everywhere in Canada?
    Thankfully, I can read the whole label in the US without any problem, or needing an interpreter.
  7. LMAO posted on 03/07/2013 07:37 AM
    "I think it was very difficult for the Office Quebecois de la Langue Française," she says.

    It seems that the restrictions already placed on Quebecor's during their education is now turning out inspectors that because of their own language restrictions are unable to recognize any word that is not French in origin.
    How can they expect these people to do their work if they can't tell the difference between languages other than it not being French? If this is not the case then there truly is a soft ethnic cleansing going on here against all races who are not French in origin.
  8. opheliabuttocks posted on 03/07/2013 10:40 AM
    The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states :
    'The purpose of the Act is to:
    - ensure respect for English and French and ensure equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in federal institutions;
    - support the development of English and French linguistic minority communities; and
    - advance the equal status and use of English and French.
    The CANADIAN Constitution, for God's sake! Why does Quebec get special dispensation?
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