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.
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.