Canada to firmly re-assess its status as a British colony

[garbon]

Still, sometimes, it is hard not to ascribe it to bad faith. Take Corel, for instance - a Canadian company based in Ottawa. Its Canadian website is in English only. And so is its customer service. Yet Corel has everything already translated for its French website and market. It just doesn't make a French version in Canada.

A non-priority doesn't have to mean bad faith, does it?

[crazy canuck]

I guess what I don't understand is this notion that Anglosphere is out to get the Francophones.  Apart from when the latter complain, it seems like the former never really think about them - so more neglect than outright malice.

The thing you are missing in this context is we do hear ignorant Quebec and French bashing that does go on in English Canada from time to time.  All Canadians are not as polite as languishites.

Viper picked this case as one such example.  I dont think he is right about that, but it certainly does occur.

Fair enough - I mean there may be some malice out there but enough to take offense at Corel's website?

It does seem odd to me that Corel would have a French Website but not have it set up in Canada.  True it could be pure incompetence or as you say complete disregard.  But this is a corporation which is walking distance to the Quebec border.  I can understand why someone might think that disregard borders on malice.

[HVC]

Also I am pretty sure none of our friends from Quebec would not feel comfortable having Trudeau points awarded for defence of the Quebec language laws.

None of our friends from Quebec would not feel...

So...wait...what?

In any case I am not trying to defend the Quebec language laws I am just trying to understand what makes them so coercive.  I mean if you were going to expand your business into Mexico you would have to translate everything into Spanish right?  How is that different?

Market size, most likely. mexico has 100,000, quebec 10,000. not sure how many speak french as their primary language.

So i don't know how much the language laws keep people from doing going into the quebec market beyond the fact that not only do they have to change packaging (which they would have to doin other markets) but more that they have to change the packaging in a special way and might just say "fuck it".

The doublesized text thing doesn't really bother me, just seems childish. i can understand having both french and english, but making one bigger? really? Where the language laws screwed over quebec are in corporations. Bank of Montreal is headquartered in Toronto for gods sake. Montreal and Toronto used to compete for Canada's center of commerce. Not anymore.

[Razgovory]

Because it relates to commercial advertizing, I would argue it is about visibility. No one is saying French is "better". Only, that it needs to be more visible.

Why?  Why is this a matter for government?  Why does the State have a compelling reason to do this?  Why is more important that the French be in a larger font then the English?  Can you have private signs that have no French on them, only Swahili or English or Navaho?

[HVC]

Because it relates to commercial advertizing, I would argue it is about visibility. No one is saying French is "better". Only, that it needs to be more visible.

Why?  Why is this a matter for government?  Why does the State have a compelling reason to do this?  Why is more important that the French be in a larger font then the English?  Can you have private signs that have no French on them, only Swahili or English or Navaho?

i don't think so. IIRC china town stores got fined for not having french on their signs. but i could very well be remembering incorrectly.

[Berkut]

In any case I am not trying to defend the Quebec language laws I am just trying to understand what makes them so coercive.  I mean if you were going to expand your business into Mexico you would have to translate everything into Spanish right?  How is that different?

You could (and companies do) simply include Spanish language right alongside whatever other languages you wish to do business in.

Can't do that in Quebec, the French has to be "predominant". So unless you want the French to be predominant everywhere you do business, you MUST have separate documentation, advertising, etc., etc.

[Malthus]

Also I am pretty sure none of our friends from Quebec would not feel comfortable having Trudeau points awarded for defence of the Quebec language laws.

None of our friends from Quebec would not feel...

So...wait...what?

In any case I am not trying to defend the Quebec language laws I am just trying to understand what makes them so coercive.  I mean if you were going to expand your business into Mexico you would have to translate everything into Spanish right?  How is that different?

The issue of Mexico is a good example.

Say you are an American company. Your materials are already produced in trilingual versions (as is often the case) to cater to various constituancies.

Would Mexico reject the materials even though there is a Spanish version already as not being "Spanish enough" because the Spanish version wasn't 2/3 larger than the English and French versions?

Now, say you are marketing in Canada with the same materials. They would be acceptable everywhere, as there are some bilingual requirements in some forms of labelling for regulated products - but trilingual would satisfy those standards ... except of course in Quebec.

So if you are marketing in NA, the ordinary average everyday trilingual materials would be acceptable continent-wide - from the bottom of Mexico to the top of Nunavat ... except in Quebec. Who, for no other reason than to assert the superiority of its francophone majority over the anglo minority, insists that all advertising materials be different.

[Valmy]

Why?  Why is this a matter for government?

Because the voters want it to be and politicians like getting votes.

[Razgovory]

Why?  Why is this a matter for government?

Because the voters want it to be and politicians like getting votes.

Our Constitution prevents some of these idiotic things in our country.  I guess Canada has no such safeguard.  But still, that's kicking the can down the road.  Why do the voters want such a law.

[Valmy]

So if you are marketing in NA, the ordinary average everyday trilingual materials would be acceptable continent-wide - from the bottom of Mexico to the top of Nunavat ... except in Quebec. Who, for no other reason than to assert the superiority of its francophone majority over the anglo minority, insists that all advertising materials be different.

Really it is like we are having two different conversations.  Oex brings up a corp who refuses to have stuff in French at all and big manuals that are in English only.  Then you bring up how French alone is not sufficient and materials that have to be produced for Quebec only must be made.

[crazy canuck]

Why?  Why is this a matter for government?  Why does the State have a compelling reason to do this?  Why is more important that the French be in a larger font then the English?  Can you have private signs that have no French on them, only Swahili or English or Navaho?

Probably for the same reason the Federal Government created an Act requiring service in French where that service is reasonably required.  Votes.

[Valmy]

Our Constitution prevents some of these idiotic things in our country.

Out Constitution allows all sorts of idiotic things in our country.  Maybe not this particular idiotic thing though.  The first amendment would prevent it I presume.

[crazy canuck]

Really it is like we are having two different conversations.  Oex brings up a corp who refuses to have stuff in French at all and big manuals that are in English only.  Then you bring up how French alone is not sufficient and materials that have to be produced for Quebec only must be made.

Yes there is a nuance between access to materials in French, which is what the Federal Law does, and creating the predominance of one Language - which the Quebec law does.  I am not sure you are getting that distinction yet.

[Razgovory]

Why?  Why is this a matter for government?  Why does the State have a compelling reason to do this?  Why is more important that the French be in a larger font then the English?  Can you have private signs that have no French on them, only Swahili or English or Navaho?

Probably for the same reason the Federal Government created an Act requiring service in French where that service is reasonably required.  Votes.

Like I said to Valmy, why do the voters want it then.

[garbon]

It does seem odd to me that Corel would have a French Website but not have it set up in Canada.  True it could be pure incompetence or as you say complete disregard.  But this is a corporation which is walking distance to the Quebec border.  I can understand why someone might think that disregard borders on malice.

Maybe although it looks like they have websites in a lot of different languages - even Czech and Russian.  Is the claim then that Corel really dislikes Quebec so they are willing to make accommodations for France, the Czech Republic and Russia before they would stoop to accommodate French-speaking Canada?