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Bloc wants Quebec nation in constitution

3K views 61 replies 17 participants last post by  screature 
#1 ·
Linky

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe said he would participate in a provincial or national referendum on the question, which stems from a less formal recognition that the Québécois form a nation, passed by the House of Commons in 2006.
Sigh...
 
#2 ·
FeXL, this might happen when Quebec recognizes the whole province of Newfoundland and Labrador ............ without having claims on Labrador and calling it Nuveau Quebec.
 
#6 ·
As if that is news. The Bloc is all about greed. And since the Average Joe in Quebec is not so keen on the costs of separation, the Bloc is more than happy to have their gang of losers sidle up to the public trough for a good and healthy feed. The faster they leave Canada, the better, because they will show once and for all how much racism and hatred exists in that homeland of radical apartheid.
 
#27 ·
I never suggested setting up death camps or anything. Those ingrates that can not see the benefits of Canada should just go back home. They will realize how good they did have it once they find themselves living in slums as fourth class citizens, just like the Algerians.

Separatists keep referring back to their "defeat", which in plain truth was an absolute victory for their own freedoms and liberties. They have thrived far better under the British than they would have under France. One only has to look to other colonies. The British spawned any number of great nations, like the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, plus powerhouses like Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and India; while France left the world with Haiti, Vietnam, and other various retrograde cresspools - without even one great nation, regional power or economic powerhouse.

The British also allowed the Quebecer to retain their language and culture, and built the infrastructure that allowed for progress and development.

So they should have a choice: to get with the program so Canada can get on with things, without apartheid, genocide, discrimination, etc.; or just get out and stop leeching off of the tax payer.
 
#11 ·
Quebec has a unique culture and language within North America. There are only 6 million French speaking people within a large population of about 300 million English speaking people.

When this country was formed it was done so by French, English and Native peoples. Thus, I think it is reasonable to recognize and protect our founding minorities. In contrast, I don't think we have an obligation to protect other minority cultures or languages such as Chinese or German.

If that requires Quebec have special powers relating to this objective, then I have no problem with it. Have some things gotten out of control (e.g. not allowing English signs)? Yes, but it doesn't negate the larger point.
 
#12 ·
If we give Quebec any more "sovereignty" or "independence" as the Bloc like to say Canada would become a hybrid country of sorts. It would resemble more a Union of "sovereign" entities such as the EU.

Between Quebec, Native Reserve Sovereignty Rights and the separatist sentiment in the West right now Canada is loosing territorial and political integrity.

From a legal position Quebec and Native Reserves maintain differences in legal code from the rest of the country. Ottawa would simply conserve a normative standard of what law ought to be, govern commercial law between the entities with the union.

Canada sounds more and more like EU every day.

I use "sovereign" in the loosest understanding of the word.
 
#14 ·
n any part of Canada, you have the right to demand service in French from any government agency. Most products you buy in a store require that French is on the label.

In Quebec you cannot get service in any language other than French. As long as products have French on the label, they do not have to have English on them.
Wrong. Labels are bilingual because it's cheaper for manufacturers to use one design rather than create separate labels. And they are the EXACT same labels in Quebec as they are in the rest of Canada. I can show you pictures if you want.

Also, FEDERAL government agencies are only required to be bilingual, unless you are in an officially bilingual province (New Brunswick). I've lived in Quebec for almost ten years (and counting) and have received municipal and provincial government services in English. And I am by no means fluent in French.

In most of Canada French is taught as a second language and learning a second language is a requirement. In Quebec, learning a second language is optional?
If parents don't want their children learning french, it's their right to inform the school of their choice. The fact that parents don't exercise that right is their problem. Not Quebec's.

I won't bother addressing the rest of your infantile post.
 
#15 ·
Masterblaster, you obviously haven't been to Quebec.

In Montreal, they won't even let you try to speak French if they sense you speak better English. It's just easier for them that way.

As far as people being friendly, I have to say that people in Montreal are very friendly and helpful to strangers. My experience is when lost somebody comes up and offers directions. I can't honestly say that has happened to me in Vancouver.
 
#22 ·
In Montreal, they won't even let you try to speak French if they sense you speak better English. It's just easier for them that way.

As far as people being friendly, I have to say that people in Montreal are very friendly and helpful to strangers. My experience is when lost somebody comes up and offers directions.
I have been to Montreal a couple of times for work, most recently early this Summer for about a week, and I agree 100% with you assessment.

This October my family and I will be going to Montreal for a couple of days, and then going on the Quebec City for a couple of days. I'm looking forward to seeing Quebec City during its 400th anniversary.

Even though I'm a born and raised Alberta ******* I'm glad that I can visit such a different place without crossing any international borders.
 
#16 ·
While sitting on a park bench in Montreal, Masterblaster sits down next to an old man and mentions that he is new to town. The old man asks why he is visiting, but MB says he actually just moved to get away from Vancouver. Oh, "what were the people in Vancouver like?" he inquired. "The absolute worst! They bid up property values! The RCMP is corrupt! People are impatient! Terrible", he says. The man responds, "well that's exactly the way it is here in Montreal as well. Terrible the state our country is in."

Later in the day, Chas sits down on the bench and strikes up a conservation with the old man. The man learns that Chas just left Victoria to spend his retirement in Montreal. The old man asks, "What were the people like in Victoria." "Salt of the world. People are always friendly there." Well he says, "You will find the same of the people here in Montreal, kind and friendly people, just like Victoria."
 
#18 ·
If you want to manufacture something in Quebec, and only market it there, are you sure that the label must be bilingual?
Shall I show you some packaging, or are you grasping at straws?

May be true in the large cities with a significant English population. What about the small French only areas? Federal bilingual yes, Provincial?
P-R-O-V-I-N-C-I-A-L. I said it. The answer is yes. Feel free to look at my previous post.
 
#19 ·
MB,

Quebec is probably so important to Canada because some of Canada's largest corporations are from there. Quebecor World Group, as i have said before owns more than half the world's paper and pulp industry, Bombardier, ALCAN aluminum, world's largest producer of aluminum, PCM Construction etc.

The list goes on and on. In many respects Montreal is a much more important city financially than Toronto is.

I am much more irritated by Islamic Canadians demanding funding for Islamic schools because of the existence of Catholic funded schools in Canada than the Quebecois.

You have to emrbace the French my friend. Je parle francais courament for a reason. I make more money because of it.
 
#23 ·
Montreal is one of the few places outside of Vancouver and Vancouver Island that I have seen of this wonderful country.

To me it is like New Orleans is to the rest of America: a part of it, but with its own rich heritage and a distinctly different culture that isn't quite replicated anywhere else. It can be bothersome to some, but on the whole it adds to the rich cultural tapestry of the country.

I don't know enough about the rest of Quebec to comment on it (apart from Montreal, Pin Court and the eastern township of Mansonville, that's all I've seen of Quebec) but in my limited experience there I did not find anyone who was "Anglais-opposé" and plenty of people who did not speak French or at least not dominantly.

I do agree that the Quebecois dialect of French is its own thing, distinct from "French" just as Portuguese is distinct from Spanish.
 
#31 ·
IGetting labels made with French on them, wasted space on the labels, made the packaging look worse, and was very expensive cost to add to the process. Also the profits from Washington state alone were several times higher than BC and Alberta put together.
:lmao: No.

Adding French to a label does not magically make it more expensive. What a load of horse$hit. :rolleyes:

As far as aesthetics go, it depends on the designer and their level of abilities. But it's amazing at what lengths some people will go to have an excuse to hate another. :baby:
 
#37 · (Edited)
Multi million dollar American corporations that I used to deal with have dropped the entire Canadian market mainly but not exclusively due to labeling laws.

When I made up my nutrition products we had to hire someone fluent in Quebecois French to work with the graphic designers to make the labels meet the stupid Canadian Standards.
Right... maybe the American corporations dropped the Canadian market because they didn't want to relabel everything in "English" as opposed to "American". Those silent vowels are very expensive theses days.

My girlfriend at the time was French, born and raised in France, very educated. When she did the label re-wording, the government rejected it because it was not "proper" Canadian French.
I work a great deal with the Federal Government: DND, Health Canada, Treasury Board, etc. and I've seen a lot of examples of them rejecting "English" text because it didn't adhere to the proper "British" spelling. What is your point? This is Canada, not France: To have someone from France who has no sensitivities to Canadian French doing translation (or whatever she supposedly doing) is flat-out a bad idea.

It was a very expensive process for our company and any other company to meet Canadian legal compliance. My partner bought me out, after that the company started to wholesale to California, the profits were very large. He closed shop here, moved to Oregon and has NEVER looked back. Oh and I have tried to make a deal with him for distribution rights for Canada. For him the market is too small and the headache too big, he will not sell anything to Canada.
It was expensive because you didn't have someone competent--end of story. I do know one thing: Americans have low tolerance for Canada regardless of whatever issues you seem to have.

I don't think you know what you are talking about. Unless some things have changed dramatically since 15 years ago.
LOL. Dream on. I've been living in Quebec for almost ten years and counting. It seems to me that you have gross misconceptions overall.
 
#39 · (Edited)
Manny I hope you don't try to become an ambassador for Quebec, unless you really want to Quebec to separate or cause a civil war.
You and your buddy Himmler are the ones spewing bigoted rants on ehMac. Not me.

Quite frankly, I felt it was sad that nobody [with the exception of Vandave] stood up and confronted you and Evan's hate-filled posts. I would have rather a real Quebeccer do it, but if I don't, who will?

Do you speak for the people of Quebec or are your statements just your own opinions?
I don't speak for Quebec anymore than you speak for Canada.

Kind of odd that you would want some sort of clarification. But if you really want to know where I stand on issues; here it is:

I have absolutely no use for intolerant idiots, such as yourselves. I'm a firm believer of live and let live and decry any attempts at forced assimilation because some people find it inconvenient, or believe they are being forced by some boogeyman. The fact that a province wants to maintain it's identity is a noble cause. I do NOT want Quebec to separate from Canada. I do NOT believe ANYBODY should be forced to do what they don't want to do.

The mere fact that people use STATISTICS as an excuse (among others) for cultural genocide is so absurd that the fact that this thread still exists worries me. Who's next?

If this post talked about the forced assimilation of a religious group or another minority, people would be up in arms. This thread is nothing more than hate thinly veiled as a political discussion.

Quebeccers don't want to separate from Canada--they want to be accepted. The Bloc is the last remnants of a separatist movement that is dying a slow and painful death--it is dragging everything and everyone down with them. And the more people like you spew venom at Quebeccers, the more they wonder where their place in Canada is.
 
#35 ·
I don't really understand what recognizing Quebec as a nation really means.
Does that change anything for anybody?
I assume Quebec adheres to this definition when they talk about a nation:
Nations are culturally homogeneous groups of people, larger than a single tribe or community, which share a common language, institutions, religion, and historical experience.
and don't equate Nation with State or Country.

As to the other comments in this thread - I don't know why people get hung up about labelling - that's a minor issue.
The big issue is that Canadians from outside Quebec are treated like second class citizens in Quebec; Quebec has all sorts of laws that are specifically aimed at making life miserable for Canadians in Quebec.
Which other province has a language police? A "language police" - how ridiculous can you get. Maybe the question should be which other country has a language police?
And where else does the English part of a sign have to be half the size or less than the French portion?
Here is a real doozy: If you are a Canadian and want to attend university in Quebec, you pay a huge tuition premium over Quebecers. But Quebecers can attend University anywhere in Canada and pay the same tuition as very other Canadian.
And if that isn't bad enough and one-sided, if you come from France, a different country! - you pay the same tuition in Quebec as a Quebec resident. no premium like Canadians and no even bigger premium like students from all other countries.

I don't have a problem at all with Quebec being recognized as a nation per the above definition - they have their unique culture, unique law and unique language already, but what should be outlawed is Quebec's treatment of non-Quebec Canadians as second class citizens.
 
#38 ·
I'm tired of the Bloc party and the whole separation, nation, distinct society, whatever thing. We are Canada. We are the best country in the world. We are equal. Not one person, nor province, nor group of people is better than the other and that is the way it should be, no ifs ands or buts.
 
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