Introduction:
The Oral History Project needs all kind of information about the province we live in. Quebec main problem is language; Quebec is mixed with all kind of nationalities and the majority lives in Montreal and Quebec City. However, Québécois people may want to keep Québec independent rom the English language. Through out the years Québec is having more English speakers joining because it takes them time to learn French. Also, most of the schools in Québec are functioning in French. However, French schools influence student’s more than English schools in Quebec. “French Language is doing just fine in Quebec”. Québec population barely increased between 1981 and 1986. However, Canada’s population has increased from 94,065 to 6,532,105.
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That’s why some francophone are supporting Bill 101 to support the French language. Despite the value of English in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, or the rest of Canada, English in the Canadian province of Quebec is a minority language. In Québec, there are only 8% of native English speakers, but English has no official status in Quebec. In the 1970’s, Quebec provincial government began laws for language to support and strength the French language as Quebec’s majority language. In which, English has had no reasonable role in local public: the business of government, public administration, industry, commerce and civic life and everything will be conducted entirely in French. This shows how the English language I still minority in Quebec and that the government is doing all they are capable of to keep the French language superiors in Quebec. The amount of English schools in Quebec can be counted on fingers. This blog is given in the author perspective in which he gives example that happen in our everyday routine. French schools influence student’s more than English schools in Quebec. Anglophone kids who go through the French school system are really occupied by the French language. All classes are …show more content…
Throughout reading other interview by different people, all three narrators have similar feelings of Quebec. “KR: Can you tell me about your opinion in bill 101? BS: My opinion on it, personally I am not against French or I am not against on English but I am against if people trying to like, for example I heard that they are changing the name pasta something like that. It is ridiculous, because it’s too much” [26:16-27:51]. His opinion is as similar as the other narrators. He thinks it’s too much what the government of Quebec are planning to. It’s ridiculous how they are playing with language to satisfy people. “GW: Do you feel like there should be more of a focus on bilingualism in schools? Do you find that there are enough of both languages represented? CR: […] If you live in Quebec, or another country – Let’s say tomorrow I move to another country, let’s say India, I’m going to feel a lot more comfortable if I can speak at least a bit of the language. You know, it’s a gesture you make when you decide to move to another country. You have to be able to speak at least a bit of the language. Since here we have pretty much an international language, English, it’s possible to function in Montreal. I know a lot of people that only speak English and they can function in Montreal; you don’t have a problem”[28:03 – 38:39]. However, Rousseau agrees on how well Montreal is developed more than the rest of Quebec or any other country. The city of Montreal is
McQuillan, Aidan. “Des chemins divergents: les Irlandais et les Canadiens francais au XIXe siècle.” ed. Wadell, Eric. “Le dialogue avec les cultures minoritaires.” Ste-Foy, QC: Les Presses De L'Université Laval 1990.
As its own state Quebec would have the capacity to act, consolidate and further create their own cultural identity (Heard, 2013). For example, Quebec could foster the national language to be French. By gaining independence from Canada, Quebec can then create their own laws, own immigration rules and levy taxes (Heard, 2013). This would allow Quebec to be completely independent from the rest of Canada, but they would have connecting boarders like the United States and Canada do.
Although Quebec is in Canada, a majority of Quebecers do not identify with the national identity of Canada. Both societies create a sense of identity as well as nationalism (Hiller, 295). Hiller mentions two approaches to assessing Canadian identity; the unitary approach and the segmentalist approach (Hiller, 277). The unitary approach suggests that society consists of people who regardless of their ethnic back ground, identify as belonging to the national society, while the segmentalist approach concentrates on groups and communities that share racial, linguistic, occupational, or cultural similarities (Hiller, 28). While most Anglophones are more unitary or pan-Canadian, Quebec heavily identifies with the segmentalist approach. This dissimilarity of identity perspective may be problematic for the country, at the same time however, it can also be viewed as a struggle where contradictory parties find a way to compromise and reshape Canadian society together (Hiller, 277). Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau made it his objective to unite Quebec with the rest of Canada. In 1969 Trudeau’s government implemented Bill C-120, otherwise known as the Official Language act, which made French an...
Since Wilfrid Laurier is a francophone prime minister, the help he brought to unify English and French speakers was significant. His action of compromising French and English in Canada allows the two cultures to come and prosper together. When Laurier finally triumphed in the 1896 election. The main issue at that period was the Manitoba School Question, a complex tangle of French and English language rights. The Manitoba Schools Question punched all the hot buttons of nineteenth century Canadian politics: it was a French-English issue, a Catholic-Protestant controversy, a conflict over the roles of the federal and provincial governments, and a struggle about the proper relationship between church and the state. It brought down a federal government and its shaky and ultimately short-lived resolution was a major defeat for French language and Catholic educational rights outside the province of Québec. So the action of compromising these two languages effectively solved the problem of disunion in the education system. The Balancing Act Wi...
Tensions were already high between English- and French-Canadians, especially after Ontario had stopped teaching French in Catholic Schools, and the conscription crisis only served to increase them.
Canada: The Quiet Revolution in Quebec The English-French relations have not always been easy. Each is always arguing and accusing the other of wrong doings. All this hatred and differences started in the past, and this Quiet revolution, right after a new Liberal government led by Jean Lesage came in 1960. Thus was the beginning of the Quiet Revolution.
The fall of Quebec was a turning point in Canadian history, changing it from a French colony to a British colony. Had this battle gone the other way, English might be the second language, not French. The battle of Quebec was one of many battles during the 'Seven Year War'. They called it the Maritime War. It was officially declared in May 1756. Britain and Prussia were on one side and France, Spain, and Austria on the other. The war moved across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe because the French and the British were fighting over furs and land. Britain, while subsidizing and aiding Prussia, its only European ally, sought victory in America and sent what was for that century an overwhelming number of regular troops in order to stiffen the military of the American colonies.
To decide what to do after Quebec separates, First Ministers and the ROC, must first look at why it happened. Perhaps Quebec's profound nationalism and unique national identity conflicted with citizens in the ROC; in order to gain understanding of their decision the ROC must look at Quebec's past. Quebec was not always treated fairly nor where they given many rights in regards t...
Moreover, many tools were created in Quebec by governments to insure that they’re perceived threat to the French language would be stopped or slowed down. One of these tools is Bill 101. In 1977, Rene Levesque, implemented Bill 101 as a way of controlling the reduction in the use of French within Quebec. This Bill added many restrictions on the use o...
"Let us be French, let us be English, but most importantly let us be Canadian"
Canada is known by outsiders to be a very peaceful country. But if you ask any Canadian they well tell you that is unfortunately not the case. For there is a large ongoing conflict between Canadians. The conflict is between the French and the English, or more specifically between Quebec and the rest of Canada. As a result of this conflict, along with some wrongdoing and propaganda. Quebec has considered and has gone as far to hold referendums over Separatism (Surette,2014). Separatism is that the province of Quebec separates from the rest of Canada to form its own country. Which would have immense effects on indubitably Quebec but also the rest of Canada (Martin, 2014). This report will focus on the root causes and origin of Quebec Separatism, the current state of Quebec Separatism and finally how we as a society can act towards Quebec Separatism.
The premier of Quebec, Lucien Bouchard has been attempting to separate from Canada for quite sometime. If he had it his way this topic would be old news by now. His main problem is the Federalist, English speaking citizens of his province. They have been very vocal on their stance to stay apart of Canada. They have sent around several resolutions stating this. It all started in Allumette Island East, which has a population of 458. It has since spread to municipalities along the borders with Ontario and the United States, and in the Montreal area. Unfortunately this means very little considering the fact that these municipalities only represent approximately 6% of the province’s population. When the Parti Quebecois government called for the first referendum on secession in 1980, only 40% were in favor of separatism. When the party took over control again in 1995 the approval rose just about 49%. The fear of the PQ is that if several of the floating voters out there feel that a sovereign Quebec must mean a partitioned, patchwork Quebec, the separatists might well fall back to 40% if that.
government, t. p. (n.d.). Quebec Nationalism - Quebec History. Faculty.marianopolis.edu. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/events/natpart4.htm
“ Canada 's national obsession seems to be its own identity.” For many years Canada has feared the increasing influence of its North American neighbors on its culture - the United States . It has become a matter of growing concern for the people of power and influence in Canada to maintain their separate cultural identity and to promote their own cultural norms. Gaetan Tremblay presents his views on this topic and does this from the perspective of a person living and working in Quebec.
Canada and Quebec have always been in conflict from the confederation of 1867 to the Supreme court judgement on the secession of Quebec in 1998. Quebec faces several challenges in terms of constitutional relations with the rest of Canada. Quebec is seeking a special status to preserve and protect its culture and language, while the rest of English-speaking Canada accepts the view of provincial equality. There have been attempts to recognize Quebec's concerns through constitutional amendments, but these attempts have not lived up to Quebec's expectations and for the most parts have failed. Quebec has threatened Canada throughout history with separation from Canada. These threats have not been ignored, the rest of Canada realizes the devastating impact economically and politically if Quebec did separate but they cannot reach a compromise. Canada has as tried to encourage Quebec not to separate from Canada. In 1995 Quebec held its second referendum on sovereignly and the separatists narrowly lost the province wide. The province brought the case to the Supreme court of Canada to rule on the legal guidelines of unilateral secession under Canadian and international law, in the end some say the federalists (those not wanting to separate) came out on top. In this essay I will discuss the various historical attempts made by government to keep Quebec a part of Canada. I will also attempt to explain the impact of the Supreme Court Ruling on the Quebec secession. Many argue that the federalist won in the decision but that statement is debatable. Both Quebec and the rest of Canada won in the ruling. I believe that English Canadians should spend some time getting to know their French neighbors and vice ...