Posts Tagged by quebec
Not Enough French? Give Me A Break.
| 2/15/2010 | Posted by Patti under Canadian News, Canadian Politics |
So James Moore, the federal Heritage Minister, doesn’t think there was enough french at the opening of the Olympics on Friday evening. Leaves me wondering what opening ceremonies he was watching, I had a belly full of french and I was watching it on NBC. I can’t say I was particularly impressed to be watching an event taking place in a very definitely english speaking province and hearing every statement said first in french and then in english.
Yes, I know, we are a bilingual country and the IOC rules require both french and english. I could have been a lot more tolerant of a shifting back and forth on which language was first but french consistently had the first usage and then Moore whines there wasn’t enough french? That strikes me as pandering more towards Quebec votes than anything else.
Quebec Premier Charest complained at a news conference there wasn’t enough french used. He was reported to have said “that while the opening was “magnificent,” and that there were more mandarin speakers in British Columbia than francophones everybody would have liked to have had more french in the opening ceremony.” Really? Maybe in Quebec, the only french speaking province in the country. (more…)
New Immigrant Guide Book
| 11/13/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
It isn’t often I have much positive to say about Harper and his gang of thugs behaviour in Ottawa. I’ve now found a second positive thing to talk about from this government, not bad in four years. The first, for anyone who thinks I have never liked anything about them is his apparent commitment to renew and rebuild our Canadian Armed Forces. I always hated the constant cuts previous governments had engaged in.
This second item has just been released, the updated study guide for new immigrants. I’ve looked through the guide and am pleased to see it, to me, provides a broader view of Canada, its past, values, and society in general. It talks about some of the more painful aspects of our past, explains our structure of government, our attachment to the Monarchy as part of that government, the military etc.
There have been criticisms that the guide doesn’t mention the environment nor does it depict women as being a presence in the country. Both of the criticisms are legitimate, neither of them surprise me. This government would like to ignore the existence of both the environment and the need to protect it and the equality of women. Harper has shown repeatedly that if not for political pressure to have women involved, he’d like a boys club around him and for the most part there is. (more…)
Follow Me!