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

[Oexmelin]

It obviously and on its face violates the minorities' rights to legally force them to use the majorities' language "markedly more predominantly" than their own on their business's signs - it is intended as a symbolic act of superiority by the majority over the minority. That's expressly what it is for. See section 58 of the Charter of the French Language.

Ah. I didn't realize the right to commercially advertize in English (or Urdu) only constituted such a crucial rampart against tyranny.

The symbolism of the Charter of the French Language was in making French visible - "normal and usual", in the language of the Charter - not qualitatively superior.

[Admiral Yi]

I think in the interests of fairness all Canadians should continue in French only in this thread. 

[Oexmelin]

Évidemment, cela me conviendrait parfaitement, d'autant que je suis bien plus éloquent dans ma langue maternelle (enfin, j'espère). Mais je crains que cela ne limite sévèrement la conversation.

[Barrister]

Damn you Yi! *shakes fist*

[crazy canuck]

Damn you Yi! *shakes fist*

Yi just wanted the thread to end.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Google translate gives this :

"Obviously this would suit me perfectly, especially since I am much more eloquent in my language (well, hopefully). But I fear this will severely limit the conversation."

[Barrister]

It obviously and on its face violates the minorities' rights to legally force them to use the majorities' language "markedly more predominantly" than their own on their business's signs - it is intended as a symbolic act of superiority by the majority over the minority. That's expressly what it is for. See section 58 of the Charter of the French Language.

Ah. I didn't realize the right to commercially advertize in English (or Urdu) only constituted such a crucial rampart against tyranny.

The symbolism of the Charter of the French Language was in making French visible - "normal and usual", in the language of the Charter - not qualitatively superior.

IMHO, you're ind of asking for it when you say that minority rights are in no way affected.

They are affected.  You acknowledge it.

Now of course this is Canada, not the US, and rights are not absolute, and courts have found that the restrictions placed on the English language in commercial settings are 'no more than necessary" and are consistent with a valid legislative purpose.

[Neil]

I think in the interests of fairness all Canadians should continue in French only in this thread.

That's not a good idea.

[Oexmelin]

Oex, now you're not being fair.

French language is treated very differently from Cantonese or Urdu.  You can not get a Cantonese trial.  Your children are not entitled to a Cantonese-language education.  You do not get government services in Cantonese.

Certainly there will never be another French speaking province, but that has been true for over a hundred years.  Immigration patterns in Western Canada always made it extremely unlikely that there would be a French speaking population.

You are right. A side effect, perhaps, of the constant rehashing of the same argument - and the tone with which they are made. Or I am just tired.

I would contest that immigration patterns always ensured there would be another French speaking province. The Riel affair, and the Manitoba school question discouraged many French Canadian to settle westward - opting instead for closer United States. If one was not to get much, might as well move closer to one's family in New England. This was coupled, in Ontario, with an internal struggle between French Canadians and Irish as to whom would control the institutions of the Catholic Church. The Irish won, with important consequences for French in the province.

As for today, certainly there are still effects of having tried, over the years, and in many different instances, to reconcile the French element within Canadian nationalism - it is the reason I would prefer to get tenure in English Canada, say, than in the US - though I harbor no illusion about the dynamism of any sort of French community outside few places.

The reason why we return all the time to the past, is simply because the place of French in Canada is precisely grounded in the past, in national narratives, which the presentism of multi-culturalism, cost-benefit analysis, and liberalism, do their best to bracket away.

[Oexmelin]

Google translate gives this :

"Obviously this would suit me perfectly, especially since I am much more eloquent in my language (well, hopefully). But I fear this will severely limit the conversation."

Google translate is quite good.

Much better, indeed, than many Federal government employees... 

[Richard Hakluyt]

Yes, I was quite impressed with the quality of the translation.

[HVC]

I think in the interests of fairness all Canadians should continue in French only in this thread. 

Puis-je s'il vous plait aller a le sale de bain?

[HVC]

Google translate gives this :

"Obviously this would suit me perfectly, especially since I am much more eloquent in my language (well, hopefully). But I fear this will severely limit the conversation."

Google translate is quite good.

Much better, indeed, than many Federal government employees... 

nice add lol

[Oexmelin]

It seemed to fit...

[Josephus]

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose

Le premiere etoile Guy Lafleur

frere jacques

voulez vous couchez avec moi

merde

ou est la salle de bain