Monday, 18 February 2008

• Heil français, tabarnak

  EDIT:

  Because I've been getting a lot of flak for this post, I find it important to mention: I AM NOT AN EXPERT.  BIG FAT DUH.  I'm not a political science major, nor am I an expert on language laws.  I'm just a chick with a blog, so everyone just calm down. Your deliverance from my opinion is as simple as your back button.  

  Ok, sure, it's a biased post.  I'm pissed off!!  But that doesn't mean I hate French, or French people, or Quebec.  Hell, I went to school in French all my life, speak French all day, and enjoy living in Quebec for its diversity and culture, and I for one, would not feel complete without my French heritage.

  But that doesn't mean I agree with my understanding of the politics going on.  Because yes, this is MY blog, with MY opinion on it, and I'm not pretending in any way shape or form, to have any sort of authority beyond that.  What you read here, and anywhere on the internet, as you should well know, should be taken with a grain of salt.

  Let it be known that also, if the situation were reversed, I would feel the same way. 

  And sure, I could read more books.  Sure, I could devote all of my time to this cause, and truly, I could have written a more informed opinion.  But I figured writing a blog about it was my 2 cents, and that's all I wanna do about it, so sue me. Just because I'm not an expert, does that relinquish my right to say anything about it? Maybe.  But for now, sod off, this is my blog and I'll do what I want with it.  Though thanks to those who remained civil, and didn't just start running their mouths like a bunch of unmannered assholes.

  Again: I'M NOT AN EXPERT, THIS IS THE INTERNET, AND IF YOU'RE STILL NOT HAPPY: BACK BUTTON.

  This is why so many English people, like my dad, hate Quebec.... or rather, its language laws.

  I heard about this on the radio this morning: One of Montreal's most popular downtown Irish pubs, McKibbin's, is being handed the smack-down by Quebec's "language police".  They were left a notice, as follows:

   "We advise you that the law requires the French language to be predominant in public signs and commercial advertising; if another language is used at the same time, French must be given overall priority, the visual impact of the French text has to be much more important,"

  First off, a bit of inacurate history and context, for those who don't live here (the Bloke-biased version):

  Historically-speaking, though don't quote me on this, because Canadian history is LeSnoresville IMHO, when Canada was being founded... the French got here first, that's the truth.  But then the English showed up and handed them a can of whoopass via some canonballs and muskets.  And while the English eventually let them speak their own language, and even allowed them to practice their own religion, the French people have always been a bit bitter about that (understandably)... so they've done all in their power, since then, to step it up a notch, politically and socially. Some things created as a result are good... and others, not so much.  Among other things, there's the Office de la Langue Française, which is basically and language-based entity that governs the language laws in Quebec.  While it's ideologically good, it goes around enforcing the oh-so-controversial Law 101 which, in 1974, turned Quebec into a French-dominant province, rather than a fully bilingual one. Of course, the Law very aptly mentions that it must respect other cultures and languages and yada yada yada, but in practice, for non-French people, it's generally a menace which is often taken to the extreme of ridiculousness, ie: the situation at McKibbins.

  So here's the part where I get biased, because of my English side, and the resulting idiocy of this Law:

  -Under Law 101 and consequent posting-laws, you can't have *just* bilingual signs, or English/other signs of any kind. On ANY posted sign, French is required by law, to be basically bigger, better and everywhere, or else.  Even on bilingual signs, French must be predominant. 

  -Also, all immigrants must learn French.  This means that newly arrived immigrants have to follow a French immersion class, even if they speak English already, the other official language of Canada, or they are not allowed to live here.  There was an issue that immigrant families' children were not originally allowed access to English schools, though I'm not sure if that's still the case.   

  -Under Law 101, you must even *greet* people, in customer service jobs, in French FIRST.

  -All businesses must practice in French predominantly, which is why, as soon as Law 101 passed in 1974, every huge corporation went to Toronto.

  -As a medical practicioner, you must pass a French Fluency Exam, or you are *not* allowed to practice in Quebec, in any hospital.  And this is still the case, even though we're going through a severe braindrain because of it.

  -All road signs are in French. GREAT for tourism, that.

  And while the objective of all this is cultural preservation, which I do agree with, the result, due to these extreme and, in my opinion,  misguided practices, *feels* like underhanded, veiled ethnic cleansing, if you ask me.

  I can understand that the French culture here, which makes Quebec and Montreal such diverse, interesting places with rich history, feels threatened.  English is the most widely-spread language in the world, and with globalization and whatnot, it's pretty much everywhere, and what with the proliferation of American culture to all corners of the globe, the cultural heritage of many smaller pockets of people is being homogenized into the fold.  I mean, even English Canadians feel that way, for god'sake, in the face of Americanization, and even the spread of Mandarin.  But that's another issue.  

  In most cases, and notably the one of McKibbin's Pub, I think these guys at the OLF  (office de la langue française) are missing the point, and acting like total Nazis... which of course, isn't anything new to English Quebecers. 

  The subjugation of one culture over the other is just ludicrous, in my opinion.  I mean, look at New Brunswick, as a contrast:  There is only a teensy pocket of French folk, resulting from the Acadian exile all those years ago, and yet, all of their signs are completely bilingual, and EQUALLY so.  No language dominates over the other, even while they have no obligation, demographically-speaking, to post any French anywhere.

  McKibbin's is an Irish Pub, for godsake, and the so-called "signs" they have up on the walls, which the OLF is gettign so worked up about, are antique decorations imported from Ireland. You're not going to have FRENCH antiques from a country that HAS NONE, historically.  It's like asking for English antiques in a French restaurant located in the United States. 

  Furthermore, while it hasn't been brought up, I find it important to note that historically, Quebec has a VERY strong Irish heritage and presence also, and Gaelic, or English, and as a consequence, authentic Irish Pubs have just as much place here as French establishments, in my opinion.  For god'sake, this whole province and country is a giant melting pot now, the whole issue seems moot to me, especially in the case of a freakin' "theme" restaurant, where the WHOLE POINT is to take you away from the everyday culture you're used to.

  This whole thing is absolutely ludicrous.

  I wouldn't be making a big deal out of this regularly, but see, failing to comply to Law 101 is actually really serious.  If McKibbin's doesnt' comply, it faces huge fines, and potentially even closure, and the place is a Montreal landmark. 

  The language police people are taking it way too far... they've even Frenchified Chinatown. 

  I'm all for cultural preservation and identity, but I think I'm far more into diversity.  It's no longer about English or French, is about how these guys are breaking the boundaries of what's morally acceptable, by forcing other cultures into remission, as it were. 

  They're no better than the Gestapo, in my opinion, but that pretty much throws this whole post's legitimacy out the window, even though the OLF doesn't need  *my* help in doing that to itself, most of the time. 

  Anyway.  I hope McKibbin's stays open.. it's a really warm, comfy, inviting place... and a Montreal establishment to boot.  It's not about English, French, Gaelic whatever... it's about what makes Montreal Montreal... and that's the variety.   

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