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The mission is to wipe out English

Posted By: Barry Morgan · 2/25/2013 12:34:00 PM

We've heard a lot of stories recently about language police and how over-zealous some inspectors have been, but when I read a report in The Gazette about what happened at Holder Restaurant in Old Montreal, I had to check several times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

According to the report, a language cop ordered the restaurant to cover the "On/Off" button on the microwave.

This is about protecting the French language? Going into a restaurant's kitchen and ordering words like 'on' and 'off' to be covered with tape.

It's one thing that English signs have to be smaller than their French counterparts, which is bad enough.

But this is an attempt, on the part of some, to literally erase English from Montreal.

It's becoming clearer everyday this is the goal of some, if not all Nationalists, to wipe English from the landscape.

At least a lot of people are speaking out about frequent visits from the language police. This kind of harassment has to stop. 

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  1. PIneGal posted on 02/25/2013 01:03 PM
    The PQ will never wipe out the English language. The world is surrounded by English and now the citizens of Qc won't be able to leave the province because they can only talk French. HHmmm, so where does that leave them?? Back on the farm.....
    1. Le Québécois posted on 02/25/2013 01:56 PM
      @PIneGal French people in Québec are more bilingual then english people in the ROC.

      That's the problem, english people take Québec for granted.

      "I won't learn french, they will speak english to me."

      And that's why we have laws.
  2. Ed Jurick posted on 02/25/2013 01:25 PM
    Huffington Quebec News also talked about the language issue in Montreal to which I replied " I would like to see Manitoba, New-Brunswick and parts of Ontario take down all the french signs and visit their restaurants and small businesses and harrass them about the french words on the menu. Get rid of "Arrêt" and "Autobus" and also of Le, La and Les everywhere else. I wonder what Québecers would think about that?
    1. Le Québécois posted on 02/25/2013 01:59 PM
      @Ed Jurick They are doing better than that.

      "I don't speak french" is a powerful tool for linguistic marginalisation.

      Here in Québec we are too polite. We usually learn english and answer english people in english. This is why we need laws.
  3. Jaime posted on 02/25/2013 01:44 PM
    ENGLISH=MONEY, a few small minded individuals+emotion=nothing
  4. Le Québécois posted on 02/25/2013 02:10 PM
    They are not trying to erase everything english. They are trying to fight an unfortunate continental minority situation the best way they can. They are making some mistakes, granted.

    But unfortunately, instead of initiating dialogue and understanding, it is met with denigration, systematic non-cooperation and bashing of everything Québécois even at the international level by the english community and their friends in the ROC and abroad.

    As long as people have the attitude of "save your language if you want but not in my backyard" then you will be perceived as a threat and well, from what I see with "pastagate" and "end the oqlf" well, you are !
    1. ApathyNoMore posted on 02/25/2013 03:29 PM
      @Le Québécois The policies for culture preservation have gone too far. The cause to preserve culture has cost everybody in this province money, quality in education, diminished healthcare, increased taxes, and now global humiliation...with no progress in 40 years. No educated Anglo that still lives in QC will argue that we want to maintain the French culture...that is why we are still here. However, it has come at too big a price. Apathetic as we have been the last 40 years, your cause has allowed this current government to think that laws like Bill 14 and even 101 are acceptable and required (how backwards and Draconian). Culture has no place in commerce, and you cannot force culture down people's throats. We are also not communists and do not need government to tell us how to run our businesses or live our lives. WE DON'T NEED HANDOUTS. We have lived in harmony and democracy for the most part, but now the time has come to bring this province back to where it belongs with or without the French culture. Unfortunately for you, Le Quebecois, that means that your silly cause is no longer important. Your time is done. My children need a future here, and your parents did not provide one for them, so it is up to me and the people like me to make this province great again by focusing on important matters like economy, growth, healthcare, and education. Sit back, and I encourage you to learn what people should focus on in order to be successful. You may not like my approach, but your cause has not accomplished anything positive in 40 years. It's time for new priorities in QC.
    2. Donna posted on 02/25/2013 07:53 PM
      @Le Québécois I read these comments with embarrassment and sadness for the French Canadians of Quebec. We, as citizens of this beautiful province, have the opportunity to speak our two official languages fluently, and with pride. Instead, those who have chosen to remain unilingual miss the chance to be part of two communities. Such a loss.

      In short, you cannot police a culture.
  5. Jay posted on 02/25/2013 03:52 PM
    @Le Québécois
    I’m happy to see your posts here on an English radio site. It makes the debate less one sided. I apologize for some of the ignorant posts who villainies French and francophone’s as a whole. I believe that bridges must be made and a different approach from the “us vs. them” mentality needs to arise.

    I love Quebec and the unique taste of the province, I believe that the French language should be celebrated and promoted. What I don’t believe in is the connotation associated with “protect” our language. I find it a lot like the argument conservatives have about “protecting” marriage. If two men or women who love each other and want to get married to have the same rights and freedom as everyone else, it does nothing to the sanctity of marriage, and it changes no one’s lives besides their own. If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t marry someone of the same sex. It’s about rights, respect and freedom. If a restaurant only wants to put signs in English in a French province they should be free to do so. All those who do not like the fact that the business is entirely in English should simply not go. Then they would either lose a lot of business, or just cater to a small clientele, but they should be free to do so.
    1. Nationalism is the New Church in Quebec posted on 02/25/2013 08:28 PM
      @Jay They always post on English sites. They actually post on any site that debates the language issue.

      The person posting is either a member of St-Jean Baptiste society, imperatif Francais, Mouvement national, the PQ or any other number of these groups. The PQ funds these groups. That's what Pauline's comment about being active on social media sites was a reference to. They have been doing this for years.

      They are all assigned web sites on which they are to post to push the extreme nationalist view. For English sites, the goal is normally to harrass.

      This guy is either new to the process or some bystander who stumbled onto this site and actually is debating honestly.

      But the vast majority of the time, you are not arguing with bystanders. You are arguing with people whose goal it is to make you feel threatened and unwanted. On french sites, their goal is to make it seems like most people are extreme nationalists.
  6. Goat posted on 02/25/2013 08:26 PM
    On/off switches?Must be covered up? on a microwave? on a microwave? Seriously? This is what they spend 25 million on? The OQLF is out of its mind, just like the PQ. We must take a stand or the English language will be wiped out. Lets break out the pots and pans and make some noise!!! oh yea...i forgot we the English don't know how to make some noise....we the English are just going to sit here and let them walk all over us!
  7. Cate posted on 02/26/2013 08:43 AM
    I think the OLF needs about 2000 people or more outside its doors telling them and the rest of the world how racist and anti-multiculturalistic Quebec really is. The only way all languages will be respected is to ensure that this problem goes beyond the borders of Quebec. They want dialogue, moderation and respect but show NONE to anyone that is not 100% Quebecois. Quebec is racist, and the rest of the world should know now.
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