CANUCKS - Cultural Question

[Bravo]

OK - I have been in several provinces in my time - including several visits to both Ontario and Quebec.

I understand the rich French heritage of Quebec and the desire of half of its citizens to secede and form an independent nation-state. On the other hand I had a great time in Toronto three years ago and the association wth the British Crown was omnipresent.

Having said that - I ask the following.

Whenever I visit a website that is related to Western Canada - provinces that are hundreds or thousands of miles from Quebec - I see the option to view the site in French.

How many French speakers live in Manitoba, BC or Sask for example? Go to Winnipeg and how many business signs are written in French? Is it meaningful? Or are basically all signs in English? Do the French speakers there demand that they have French signs?

 

[Silver]

mostly only Federally related stuff will be French, or companies that want to attract biz from QB, otherwise...no one cares

all the signs and everything here are in English, except fed gov signs

 

[Golfbum]

Basically in a nutshell, years ago our Federal Government decided it would be in the best interest for Canada (OK QUEBEC) that all provinces have highway signs etc posted in English and French. Cost taxpayers MILLIONS OF DOLLARS to do this. In fact I just read a newspaper article today that the Toronto GO TRANIST system has set aside $8.5 million to change all their signs to English/French.
Now I have no problem with this. What I have a problem with is in Quebec it is illegal to have a business sign in ENGLISH. Soooooooooooo what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.
Does this make sense to anyone outside of Canada? Cause it sure as hell does not make sense to me!
To put it bluntly, (no offense to any of our fellow golfers in Quebec) Canada's Federal Government has spent billions of taxpayers money to pacify the radicals in Quebec over the past 2 or 3 decades to try to keep them from seperating from Canada. Example, ADSCAM, where our Feds tossed millions of dollars to advertising companies in Quebec to advertise the Canada Government in that province. Problem being, most of that money was wasted. Currently there is a court hearing to decide who hid what from the rest of Canada. And it is getting messy!
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with French people from Quebec. What I have a problem with is the radicals who continue to hold the rest of Canada hostage with their threats to seperate from Canada and become an independant country. Meanwhile they want our tax dollars. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Stay Tuned In

 

[Rockford35]

Saskatchewan does it's best to hold onto it's French heritage (yes, we had french settlements here, like in the Frenchman River Valley, oddly enough...). Unfortunately, they do it in a terrible manner. It is very desireable in this province to be bilingual as federal jobs are easier to get with multi-language skill sets. When you want to get your kids into a French school in these parts, you have to apply and you are screened based on your heritage. Basically, if you have french blood in your family, you're in. If not, learn german or chinese, you'll stand a better chance of becoming bilingual.

That being said, when I was in grade 7, i moved from Saskatchewan to Winnipeg where they have a huge French community. I started school about a month into the school year knowing basically the numbers from 1 to 20, all the colours and how to ask to go to the bathroom politely. I was in for a world of hurt. Thier grade 7 was equivalent to our grade 12. So there really is no standard accross the provinces, but I really think this stems from having such a small french population in the province. It gets worse as you go west, of course. BC has hardly any french that I have come accross in my travels, correct me guys if I am wrong here.

On an everyday basis, the only french I see is if i read a Federal website, turn on the one "required" french channel, or read basically anything with ingredients in it. All of these are requirements by Canadian law. Basically, for many, a big waste of time, I hate to say it. But, being a bilingual country, i guess you do have to keep the minority happy. I mean, there is quite the spanish influence throughout the SW United States, true?

I personally wish I new more french than I do. I get by. But, to be bilingual would be sweet. I know around these parts, you can get a supplement to your wage for some government positions with bilingualism. That would be dope, as the kids say.

I'd also like to learn to speak chinese to I could go to Vancouver and fit in with the majority instead of being a minority.

R35

 

[Silver]

French is fairly accessible in BC, actually. It's funny because, in Canada, things get progressively less "je ne sais quoi" the further west you go until you get to BC, then things sort of go back to "normal." At least that's my impression. Basically, I see Alberta as being totally backward - and that has very little to do with language.

Anyhow, I grew up at a "French Immersion" school. I was in FI from the time I was 5 until I graduated at 18. I spent the subsequent summer in Montreal on a government funded "Summer Language Bursary Program" (your tax dollars sent me to party in the best city in Canada for 7 weeks, thanks boys). I've barely spoken a word of French in the 8 years since, other than when I went to Europe two summers ago and spent a good amount of time in Paris - where they preferred I spoke English because my accent was ass.

There isn't a huge french population here, but French schooling IS fairly accessible due to some major court decisions from many years ago based on complaints from French communities that weren't able to school their kids in their own language in a bilingual country.

There is always the issue of the bilingual country that breaks down like this:

Canada - Bilingual
New Brunswick - Bilingual
Quebec - French
Every other province - English

We don't have French road signs or anything though. And in QB, as far as I know, you're allowed to have English signs, but I don't think you can have EXCLUSIVELY English signing. I *think* that that was the decision.

And R35, that's really only an issue in Richmond, where if I'm not mistaken, something like 60% of the population is Asian/South Asian. Then again, Surrey has a huge South Asian population. Basically, most of the people now are second generation...or "CBC" as my friends refer to themselves (Canadian Born Chinese). Technically though, the majority of the Lower Mainland is still white. I forget what the numbers are, but it's still the majority. The entire population is becoming more beige though (in the words of Canadian comedian, Russel Peters). My last girlfriend was half Japanese and my current girlfriend is half black.

We're multicultural around these parts, yo.

 

[bdcrowe]

For the sake of unity and understandability, the world should adopt American as the official language. Forget English, it's outdated since we improved upon it. Contactions are there for a reason, use them liberally. Stop putting all of the unnecessary letters in those words, the "u"s are getting tired of it, let them have some rest. Aluminum. Try it once. Aluminum. Se how well that rolls off the tongue?

And for the record, in this new world order, feel free to use the word cigarette, smoke, stogey, cancer-stick, coffin-nail-- any of the above interchangeably. But please refrain from the term "f-a-g", as the phrase "Suck down a f-a-g" has very different connaotations attached. Thank you...

 

[Rockford35]

Silver,

Thanks for the insight. I guess what I was trying to state was that the french community is always around in terms of schooling, but not so much in terms of full thriving french environments. There are a couple in Saskatchewan here and there, where almost everyone speak exclusively french. They are getting harder to come by of course. Myself, I took french in school from about grade 4 til grade 11, and then opted to take an advanced economics course in grade 12 instead. I think I made the right choice. I can order a hot dog in Quebec, and still figure out the tip. Yes, I'm special like that.

As for "American" as the language of choice Crowe, if you do enough digging, you'll find that what is spoken today in much of America is actually a stagnant version of old world English. With the unity of the countrywith respect to language coming so early in it's creation and settlement, the Enlish that was originally spoken there is still evident in many cirumstances. To put it bluntly, you guys got stuck in the old English rut and never got out of it. Americans have never wobbled off the track as many dialects of English around the world have. Anywhere you go around the world to English dominated/accepted language countries, you'll find a series of changes and community based dialects. America never had this happen. Sure, there have been influences on it, but the vast majority of americans are speaking an old, rustic version of a language that has gone the way of the dodo, except in the US.

For what it's worth, it's not Al-u-mini-um, it's almuninum. And it's not Jag-gu-are, it's jaguar.

Friggin' Brits. (This is funny because I shared an office with a good friend who is British. I would always say "we should go for Chinese food for lunch so I can put some Wor-chester-shire sauce on my rice.....ah, he would snap....i just laughed and laughed....)

R35

 

[Bravo]

Thanks for the cultural lesson.

The replies you posted pretty much confirmed what I suspected to be true.

I had many many encounters with the Quebecois in the Summer of 1976 when I lived in Burlington Vermont and went to Montreal for the Olympic games. And unfortunately I must say that many of the encounters were less than pleasant, although I loved Montreal and had a fantastic time at the games.

When I was in Toronto at a convention 3 years ago, I was at a hospitality suite in the hotel at about 11:00 pm/2300. This place had wide open bar that started at 6:00, so anybody left standing at 11:00 was pretty tanked....

I was drinking with a fellow who worked for the RCMP. I started telling him about being in Montreal for the 76 games. I did not bring up Quebecois, just mentioned how much fun I had at the games there.

He is a native of Ontario and spent 15 years in the Army before joining the RCMP. He told me about being assigned to a combat unit that was comprised primarily of Quebecois and how they made his life miserable day to day. And the fact that they were in a combat unit was worse because of the constant exercises which demanded a high degree of interdependence and cooperation.

Thanks again for the education. And I will add that if we get our trip going somewhere down here - that we welcome everyone...even the French-speakers if we get one or two here on the site....

 

[Rockford35]

Hehe...good story.

I had to chuckle tho, I was born in 77. I kinda missed the 76 games.

If it helps, I won't make your life a living hell like your RCMP buddy. Well, I won't on purpose, anyways.

R35

 

[Silver]

Hehe...good story.

I had to chuckle tho, I was born in 77. I kinda missed the 76 games.

If it helps, I won't make your life a living hell like your RCMP buddy. Well, I won't on purpose, anyways.

R35

I will! After all, I have a French last name!

Apparently our ancestors came over with Samuel de Champlain or something REALLY old like that. At roughly 2-3 generations per century, that puts me somewhere in the double digits for generations of Canadian'ness. Probably 12th or so. Then again, at least three quarters of my great grandparents were born in either England or Scotland, so my Canadian'ness might be slightly diluted by "foreigners."

But yes, I'll draw on my Quebecois heritage to harass you all. And R35, you're ooooooooold. You've got a whole YEAR on me.

 

[Rockford35]

Do I? I'll work on that, see what I can do.

My family comes from a direct decendent of Rob Roy. Ya, the same dude that was ousted from just about everywhere in the UK many years back.

Jealous? You're jealous.

RobRoy35

 

[Bravo]

Hehe...good story.

I had to chuckle tho, I was born in 77. I kinda missed the 76 games.

If it helps, I won't make your life a living hell like your RCMP buddy. Well, I won't on purpose, anyways.

R35

You are the same age as my nephew and we get along great....

I told the story about the time last September we played at a great course here that has hosted the PGA Championship twice and the US Amateur once.

He and his best buddy were talking about how they were going to blow it by me - the full trash talk.

I got off to a slow start from the tee - couldn't get it in the fairway to save my life and they weren't much better. Starting on the 4th, I was putting it right down the middle of the alley about 275. They were swinging their backs out and in the woods half the time..

On the middle of the back they started mumbling...."hey good tee game man.....you got good power and in the short grass....uhhhh....."

I finished with an 83 and they were in the mid-90's. And while we did not play the Championship tees, we played the set right in front of those....The course was about 6900 that day....

So, you'll be with a Vietnamer when you guys come down - but I am lucky I was never called up to that stupid war....we learned how to party though and still do...I got a bag of golf tourney tricks that will keep you watching your backside.

 

[bdcrowe]

You are the same age as my nephew and we get along great....

I told the story about the time last September we played at a great course here that has hosted the PGA Championship twice and the US Amateur once.

He and his best buddy were talking about how they were going to blow it by me - the full trash talk.

I got off to a slow start from the tee - couldn't get it in the fairway to save my life and they weren't much better. Starting on the 4th, I was putting it right down the middle of the alley about 275. They were swinging their backs out and in the woods half the time..

On the middle of the back they started mumbling...."hey good tee game man.....you got good power and in the short grass....uhhhh....."

I finished with an 83 and they were in the mid-90's. And while we did not play the Championship tees, we played the set right in front of those....The course was about 6900 that day....

So, you'll be with a Vietnamer when you guys come down - but I am lucky I was never called up to that stupid war....we learned how to party though and still do...I got a bag of golf tourney tricks that will keep you watching your backside.

Oh, the golf tourney tricks... I used one of those today. Got off to a slow start, along with everyone else. One particular partner is a very good player and friend, usually shoots low 80s and gives me fits if we get competitive. I made a snide remark about emailing his score to the company Monday. He said, "Oh, it's on now. You're toast." I made the snide remark about having to count his strokes for him now. etc... As we got back into our seperate carts, I asked the age old: "One question, bro. Do you breathe in or out on your backswing?"

I beat him by 10 strokes. I am evil. I admit it...

 

[Golfbum]

For the sake of unity and understandability, the world should adopt American as the official language. Forget English, it's outdated since we improved upon it. Contactions are there for a reason, use them liberally. Stop putting all of the unnecessary letters in those words, the "u"s are getting tired of it, let them have some rest. Aluminum. Try it once. Aluminum. Se how well that rolls off the tongue?

And for the record, in this new world order, feel free to use the word cigarette, smoke, stogey, cancer-stick, coffin-nail-- any of the above interchangeably. But please refrain from the term "f-a-g", as the phrase "Suck down a f-a-g" has very different connaotations attached. Thank you...

Well if we adopt American for our official lanquage we want to include EH, otherwise forget it, we'll stick to our Canadian lingo!

 

[Bravo]

Here are a few of ours:

The most common is The Bag.....

You arrive at the tee to hit your tee shot sometime in the middle of the round....

Your opponents gets out, grabs whatever club they are using and you loiter in the cart, pretending you are adding scores on scorecard etc.....

While they make their way over to where they are teeing it up - as they bend down to put the tee in the ground - you are subtly making your way around behind their cart....

You very smoothly release the "flap handle" that secures the strap around their bag....

You then go to the tee and hit your shot - you compliment them in a big way on theirs. You make your way back to your cart very quickly.

They get in their cart - hit the accelerator and BOOM!! their bag flies off the back of the cart and you are on your way down the cartpath - looking back and them laughing your arse off...