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

[viper37]

Also isn't there an issue with both having the same font size?

Only for advertising.  And btw there's no such thing as a language police, contrary to Canadian propaganda.
Unless you were to count all bureaucrats as policemen, that is.

[viper37]

That's the point you have attempted to make. But most outside of Quebec see a rather different point to this story.

Wich is why you guys should simply repeal the Official Languages Act instead of being hypocrites about it.  What you and CC have essentially told us, like most English Canadians, is that these laws shouldn't be observed.  You decide wich laws to observe and not. 

Kinda silly for a lawyer when you think about it, but I suppose you guys would be poor if everyone followed the laws of their countries

So, instead of saying there's a law, wich should be observed by everyone subjected to it, simply repeal it.  People will then make a conscious choice: living in an officially unilingual country or creating their own.  But no political party would have the guts for it.  They'll just play they hypocrites, take the same complaints every year and file them in some obscure cabinet drawer.

Wich leads me to believe that a majority of English Canadians like this hypocrisy.  On paper, they can say they're not Americans.  When it comes to it, there's no difference, english must be predominant.

[crazy canuck]

Anyway, the point was not about Air Canada, but rather the reaction of many english canadians, even editorials and op-eds, about the whole situation rather than Air Canada non respect of their policies.  If CC were to board an airplane with first class ticket and they just told him "sorry, we overbooked, you'll have to seat in economy", I'm sure he wouldn't settle for a smile and an handshake, especially if it keeps happening over&over.

If they had a statutory duty to provide me with a first class ticket on all my flights I would do what Malthus suggested and bring an application for Mandamus requiring them to do so.  Alternatively, if it happened often enough and they did not compensate me for my loss I would bring a claim for damages suffered - which in my case could be substantial.  It would be cruel and unusual punishment to require a person of my size to sit in an economy seat.

[Barrister]

This case is a poor example, as I think it's ridiculous that Air Canada is subject to the Official Languages Act.

Considering it's a private company, yes, it could be a poor example.
Considering they were allowed to merge with Canadian airlines, form a near monopoly (I don't know the exact rule, but it's not just any transporter who can offer flights between canadian cities), get federal money, get some more federal money, again some more federal money and we don't know if they'll require again some federal money, I'd say they're nearing the status of a Crown corporation and it's normal they are subject to this law.

Maybe it's unfair.  Maybe they shouldn't.  But then, repeal the law, allow foreign competition to enter the market and let us choose based on a variety of factors.

Anyway, the point was not about Air Canada, but rather the reaction of many english canadians, even editorials and op-eds, about the whole situation rather than Air Canada non respect of their policies.  If CC were to board an airplane with first class ticket and they just told him "sorry, we overbooked, you'll have to seat in economy", I'm sure he wouldn't settle for a smile and an handshake, especially if it keeps happening over&over.

It's not like it's something new for Air Canada.

http://www.westjet.com/guest/fr/home.shtml

[Berkut]

I think there is an exclusion of the middle here.

Seems like it should be possible to follow the law AND not be able to order 7-Up from a native French speaker on any and all flights within Canada.

[Barrister]

Also, when I was bumped from a recent Air Canada flight, I got $200, not $20000.

[crazy canuck]

Kinda silly for a lawyer when you think about it, but I suppose you guys would be poor if everyone followed the laws of their countries

Actually I think the confusion arised from a lack of understanding as to how administrative law works in a case like this and the discretion given under the Act.

It took me a couple seconds to find an example of such discretion.  And it actually answers the question I posed to you and Oex about having someone in Quesnel.  You said yes.  The Act says not necessarily.

Every federal institution has the duty to ensure that any member of the public can communicate with and obtain available services from its head or central office in either official language, and has the same duty with respect to any of its other offices or facilities

(a) within the National Capital Region; or

(b) in Canada or elsewhere, where there is significant demand for communications with and services from that office or facility in that language.

[crazy canuck]

I think there is an exclusion of the middle here.

Seems like it should be possible to follow the law AND not be able to order 7-Up from a native French speaker on any and all flights within Canada.

See my post above.  It appears that is exactly the case.  So we are really talking about someone trying to push the boundaries of what is reasonable.

[Barrister]

Anyway, the point was not about Air Canada, but rather the reaction of many english canadians, even editorials and op-eds, about the whole situation rather than Air Canada non respect of their policies.  If CC were to board an airplane with first class ticket and they just told him "sorry, we overbooked, you'll have to seat in economy", I'm sure he wouldn't settle for a smile and an handshake, especially if it keeps happening over&over.

If they had a statutory duty to provide me with a first class ticket on all my flights I would do what Malthus suggested and bring an application for Mandamus requiring them to do so.  Alternatively, if it happened often enough and they did not compensate me for my loss I would bring a claim for damages suffered - which in my case could be substantial.  It would be cruel and unusual punishment to require a person of my size to sit in an economy seat.

I'll bet real money that you have never filed an application for Mandamus in your life.

[Malthus]

Wich is why you guys should simply repeal the Official Languages Act instead of being hypocrites about it.  What you and CC have essentially told us, like most English Canadians, is that these laws shouldn't be observed.  You decide wich laws to observe and not. 

Kinda silly for a lawyer when you think about it, but I suppose you guys would be poor if everyone followed the laws of their countries

So, instead of saying there's a law, wich should be observed by everyone subjected to it, simply repeal it.  People will then make a conscious choice: living in an officially unilingual country or creating their own.  But no political party would have the guts for it.  They'll just play they hypocrites, take the same complaints every year and file them in some obscure cabinet drawer.

Wich leads me to believe that a majority of English Canadians like this hypocrisy.  On paper, they can say they're not Americans.  When it comes to it, there's no difference, english must be predominant.

Not demonstrating perfect compliance isn't the same as not seeing any value to the law; dissapproving of vexatious litigation is not the same as saying that the laws should not be observed.

Seems to me that, for reasons of your own, you dislike the notion of official bilingualism, perhaps because it sheds a poor light on Quebec's own unilingual language laws. Fair enough. But the inherent absurdity of a guy suing for a half-mil because he can't order a 7-Up in French seems lost on you - not to mention the irony of those from Quebec complaining about not being able to rely perfectly on bilingualism in the federal sphere or outside of their province, when Quebec's own laws quite deliberate *prohibit* equal bilingualism *within* Quebec itself.

[Malthus]

Anyway, the point was not about Air Canada, but rather the reaction of many english canadians, even editorials and op-eds, about the whole situation rather than Air Canada non respect of their policies.  If CC were to board an airplane with first class ticket and they just told him "sorry, we overbooked, you'll have to seat in economy", I'm sure he wouldn't settle for a smile and an handshake, especially if it keeps happening over&over.

If they had a statutory duty to provide me with a first class ticket on all my flights I would do what Malthus suggested and bring an application for Mandamus requiring them to do so.  Alternatively, if it happened often enough and they did not compensate me for my loss I would bring a claim for damages suffered - which in my case could be substantial.  It would be cruel and unusual punishment to require a person of my size to sit in an economy seat.

I'll bet real money that you have never filed an application for Mandamus in your life.

Too bad you didn't bet me. 

[crazy canuck]

I'll bet real money that you have never filed an application for Mandamus in your life.

You dont know much about the kind of law I practice then.

[Barrister]

Anyway, the point was not about Air Canada, but rather the reaction of many english canadians, even editorials and op-eds, about the whole situation rather than Air Canada non respect of their policies.  If CC were to board an airplane with first class ticket and they just told him "sorry, we overbooked, you'll have to seat in economy", I'm sure he wouldn't settle for a smile and an handshake, especially if it keeps happening over&over.

If they had a statutory duty to provide me with a first class ticket on all my flights I would do what Malthus suggested and bring an application for Mandamus requiring them to do so.  Alternatively, if it happened often enough and they did not compensate me for my loss I would bring a claim for damages suffered - which in my case could be substantial.  It would be cruel and unusual punishment to require a person of my size to sit in an economy seat.

I'll bet real money that you have never filed an application for Mandamus in your life.

Too bad you didn't bet me. 

Well I won't now. 

I have often thought that defence lawyers ought to bring habeus corpus applications once in a while when the system has missed some important deadlines - but I've never seen one.

[Barrister]

I'll bet real money that you have never filed an application for Mandamus in your life.

You dont know much about the kind of law I practice then.

Answer the question.

[crazy canuck]

I'll bet real money that you have never filed an application for Mandamus in your life.

You dont know much about the kind of law I practice then.

Answer the question.

Better still, how much do you wish to wager?