Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troopers)

[shannon]

As long as we have language police roaming the streets, I do not think we'll ever see an end to this crazyness and language tensions in Montreal.

It looks as though the mayor of TMR (probably a separatist) and the language police may have formed some kind of alliance.

The Town of Mount Royal in Montreal has recently painted over the English part of their street signs despite the fact that their signs were perfectly legal based on the current laws and their bilingual status. Why on earth would anyone use tax dollars to paint over perfectly good street signs that are completely legal??? Unless they are separatists. The law says that bilingual towns (50% + 1 has English as their first language) can have bilingual street signs as long as French is predominant. The street signs were legal since the law does not call for marked predominance on street signs.

This has made headline news in Montreal last week. Here are a couple of links to this story ...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/07/07/tmr-olf.html

http://thesuburban.com/content.jsp?sid=94908310020097430835828676692&ctid=1000000&cnid=1008159

 

[JonB2004]

RE: Montreal Town Caves i

Quebec is beginning to piss me off with all their separtist BS. If they want to separate, they can go right ahead.

 

[cdn_bc_ca]

RE: Montreal Town Caves i

News like this makes me mad, but then again, none of the signs here in BC have French on them so I guess it's fair.

But I'm still mad... just less mad

 

[shannon]

Re: RE: Montreal Town Caves i

News like this makes me mad, but then again, none of the signs here in BC have French on them so I guess it's fair.

Good point, cdn_bc_ca. However, there probably aren't too many towns in BC where over half the town population has French as their first language.

There are many towns here in on the island of Montreal where the majority of the town citizens have English as their first language. As such, they are entitled to bilingual status (yes even with the repressive and divisive language laws, majority English speaking towns can still have bilingual street signs).

I'm still baffled as to why the mayor would go ahead and do something like this given that the signs were legal to begin with???

 

[cdn_bc_ca]

RE: Montreal Town Caves i

I don't know, maybe the English speaking citizens should do something about it?

 

[shannon]

Re: RE: Montreal Town Caves i

I don't know, maybe the English speaking citizens should do something about it?

Absolutely. Vote for a new mayor who's not a separatist.

 

[shannon]

Re: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

Some Montreal towns are not giving in to the language police and are keeping their English street signs. I applaud the West Island town of Beaconsfield for sticking it to the tongue troopers.

CBC News:

Town councillors in Beaconsfield voted Monday to defy a Quebec law that requires it to change its English-language street names to French.

It was a quick vote, and the decision was unanimous.

"To offer [a] suggestion to change the character of a street name that's been there for 100 years is just not acceptable to us," said Beaconsfield Mayor Bob Benedetti.

Here's a link to the full story:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/07/11/beaconsfield-olf.html

 

[tracy]

RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

It's such sillyness. I couldn't care less if a neighbourhood has signs in English, French or whatever.

 

[shannon]

Re: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

It looks like the language police here in Montreal continue to apply their strong arm tactics against the English speaking towns within the city. They just never stop.

Many of us here think the language police has no credibility and the office itself is a big joke. Why? It's one thing if they followed their own racist and divisive laws, but they don't. They are a bunch of hypocrites. The head of the language police has said in the past that English street names such as "Maple", "Elm" or "Church" were perfectly legal in all towns. The discussion always arose around the legality of the street identifiers (ex: street/rue, road/chemin ... etc) in regards to the bilingual towns.

Now all of a sudden, English street names are not legal anymore??? Since when? It appears the tongue troopers make up the laws as they see fit for their convenience.

Here's a quote from the latest edition of The Suburban:

The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) has asked in the past that Beaconsfield change street names like Maple and Elm to Érable and Orme. Benedetti said the city won’t do that and added that the only signs that it will change are the ones that need replacing.

Here's the whole story:

http://www.thesuburban.com/content.jsp?sid=14998158015722209467942366681&ctid=1000001&cnid=1008256

 

[Said1]

RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

Such petty nonesense. Bickering over street signs. They can have their culture for all I care.

 

[shannon]

Re: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

English speaking towns in Montreal should be looking at CSL as a role model. They are doing the right thing by replacing all their street signs next year with equally bilingual ones (even though 80% of the town uses English as their preferred official language).

Here's the story:

http://www.thesuburban.com/content.jsp?sid=14998158015722209467942366681&ctid=1000029&cnid=1008230

 

[s_lone]

RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

I'm personally very supportive of the efforts to conserve French language but sometimes all this gets out of hand. Montreal has an UNQUESTIONABLY bilingual history and having English street names should be embraced as part of Montreal's rich and unique cultural heritage.

 

[Martyr]

RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

I don't really get it???

Everywhere you travel has some street signs different than where you live generally speaking, I am wrong???

So I don't really care if their signs are in French or in English but I do feel they should preserve their culture, as well.

Anytime you travel to places that have a different culture or language, you generally prepare for this and keep it in mind or gather the research you require to make your way through this area.

That's why they have tourist kiosks & informatiom services generally worldwide.

I deal with this on a regular basis, living in Ottawa bordering Quebec. I don't find it difficult???And I love Montreal!!!

 

[Machjo]

RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

I'm almost tempted to go back to Quebec and teach English there again. I would teach English, all in French. But I would never utter a word of English. I'd simply spell each word... in French! And then when criticised, I'd just say I'm doing my part to preserve the French language in Quebec!

After all, if they hate English so much, why oh why are they forcing their kids to learn it. Maybe we could cut a deal with them. All French schools would ban the teaching of English as a second language. But all native speakers of English, while required to learn French as a second language in secondary school, would be left alone. No more Bill 101. How's that for a deal? The French speakeres would finally not have to put up with English anymore, while English speakers would be left alone. Both sides win.

 

[Said1]

Re: RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Tr

I

I deal with this on a regular basis, living in Ottawa bordering Quebec. I don't find it difficult???And I love Montreal!!!

Don't find what difficult? Finding a Depaneur in Hull on Sunday? :lol:

 

[Martyr]

RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Troope

Ha, Ha, Said1,

Gotta love those "Depaneurs"!!!!

 

[Said1]

Re: RE: Montreal Town Caves in to Language Police (Tongue Tr

Ha, Ha, Said1,

Gotta love those "Depaneurs"!!!!

Thankfully the LCBO is now open Sundays.

Not that I drink or anything. :lol:

There are rumours that the Wellington and Parkdale store is moving, however.