Question about Quebec and English pre-1977

Westcoaster

New Member
Feb 22, 2010
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Hi everyone,

I know you probably tire of these types of questions, but I'm curious about this if not for the simple fact that I'm an American guy and find Canada and history dual history and culture extremely fascinating.

I have a question about the province of Quebec and the English language in the years before Loi 101 in 1977 and the Quiet Revolution. So, ideally I guess I'm asking old timers from the area there that were around then. Recently, I saw an older picture of Montreal from what appeared to be the 1920's or so, and ALL signage was in English. The name of the street trolley, marked "Centre St.", a sign on a building marked "for sale", a large building named, (I think) Commercial Union Building.

Of course it doesn't surprise me to see English on an old photo, but it DID surprise me to see no evidence of French whatsoever given the current linguistic climate. Montreal was of course Canada's economic, commercial, and economic capital and ironically, the cultural capital of English-speaking Canada. No that is not a typo, I've just done my historical homework.

I'm wondering, if before 1977, was English signage dominant elsewhere in Quebec, or just Greater Montreal? Were signs mostly in English in Quebec City, which today is something like 94% francophone? What about smaller cities such as Chicoutimi or Trois-Rivières?

What was the road sign situation like on autoroutes, if indeed they were built before the language laws came into existence? Were they in English, French, bilingual?

I find it fascinating. I think Canada is a beautiful country, though I've only been to Vancouver. In that part of the country, the only sign that Canada is English/French is signage at the border or at other federal government institutions. Otherwise, one might assume Canada's 2nd language is Cantonese or Punjabi. ;-)

At any rate, thanks in advance.
 

s_lone

Council Member
Feb 16, 2005
2,233
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Montreal
Hello WestCoaster... I was born in 1981 in Quebec city but my father, who is anglophone was born there in 1947 and I just posted him your question. I'm sure he'll have a couple words to say about it... Stay tuned...
 

eh1eh

Blah Blah Blah
Aug 31, 2006
10,749
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Under a Lone Palm
1977. That is when Sun Life moved its head office to Toronto, along with some other worried companies. At that time Bombardier made it clear, they were a large multinational company based in Canada and would remain in Canada if Quebec insurgents asserted independence. At least Trudeau did one thing right. Quebec is still part of a strong Canada.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,466
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Location, Location
I think that your question points to the reason for Loi101.

In Montreal, the language of commerce and power was English; the French tended to be marginalized for many reasons (religion, politics, etc etc). Your picture from 1920 is exactly why Bill 101 was introduced - French Quebecers wanted to be masters in their own house, so to speak.

With the surging economic power of Quebec Hydro and such, the French people started to have more economic power, to go with the political power.

One interesting aspect of Bill 101 was that Eaton's became Eaton in Quebec (while it lasted).
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,466
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Location, Location
1977. That is when Sun Life moved its head office to Toronto,

Remember what they said about the difference between Sun Life and Francis Fox - Sun Life pulled out in time.

Seriously, though, Montreal was a major financial / banking / industrial center, but that has shifted quite dramatically to Toronto, partly because of the language issues.
 

Bar Sinister

Executive Branch Member
Jan 17, 2010
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Edmonton
I visited Quebec several times in the 1970s. All signs were in English and French in most of the places I visited with precedence given to neither. That has now changed, of course. Part of what may have made it change was the fact that many businesses located in Quebec insisted that their employees speak English even in areas where language did not matter. For example Ford auto workers in Quebec plants complained that all signs including warning signs were in English. Ford's reply was that this was the way it was worldwide in Ford plants. It did not take the Quebec media long to learn that Ford's policy was to use the language of the country it operated in everywhere in the world except Quebec, even using French in its plant in France. Annoying policies like this gave life to the Quebec language laws that soon f9ollowed.