French in Quebec: "A question of feeling?"

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/place-publique/editorialistes/andre-pratte/200905/10/01-855092-une-question-de-feeling.php

...Selon Luc Plamondon, le gouvernement du Québec devrait faire davantage pour «promouvoir le français» auprès des immigrés. C'est vrai. Cependant, il faut reconnaître que les efforts déjà consentis ont porté fruit: entre 1991 et 2006, la proportion de Québécois allophones capables de parler français a grimpé de 69% à 75%. La situation de la langue au Québec n'est pas seulement «une question de feeling»; il faut s'appuyer sur des données fiables.

Le récipiendaire de la Médaille d'honneur a aussi observé que les jeunes Québécois sont trop souvent tentés par le «franglais». Encore là, nous partageons l'inquiétude de M. Plamondon bien qu'elle nous paraisse un peu paradoxale venant de l'auteur de Le monde est stone, Coeur de rocker et Tiens-toé ben j'arrive!. En ce qui a trait à la qualité de la langue, il faut se garder de faire preuve d'une nostalgie mal fondée. S'il est triste que le français de beaucoup de jeunes d'ici soit parsemé de mots anglais et même, qu'ils échangent parfois en anglais entre eux, il faut se rappeler qu'à une époque pas si lointaine, les Québécois francophones multipliaient les «muffler», «bumper» et autres «wiper».

M. Plamondon s'en est pris aux politiciens qui restent «les bras croisés» devant la menace qui pèse sur le français. La Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal a loué son «courage». L'auteur des extraordinaires Starmania et Notre-Dame-de-Paris aurait fait preuve de plus de courage encore s'il avait invité les gens de son milieu à être des modèles pour ce qui est de la qualité de la langue. Car tous preux défenseurs de la langue française dans leur discours, nombre d'entre eux n'ont aucun scrupule à laisser tomber des énormités du genre: «Ça l'a pas de sens» et «C'était un hostie de bon show.»

Omar Khadr: U.S. defence secretary signals Guantanamo prisoner will soon be transferred to Canada - thestar.com

Omar Khadr: U.S. defence secretary signals Guantanamo prisoner will soon be transferred to Canada - thestar.com

Communications director joins NDP exodus under Mulcair - The Globe and Mail

Communications director joins NDP exodus under Mulcair - The Globe and Mail

More New Democrat officials who had been close to former leader Jack Layton and failed leadership candidate Brian Topp are leaving the party in the wake of Thomas Mulcair’s arrival at the helm.
Drew Anderson, the NDP director of communications, told staff Monday morning that he is leaving, a source said.

Macpherson: Mulcair faces a test to unite NDP's English and French wings

Macpherson: Mulcair faces a test to unite NDP's English and French wings

Six days before the New Democratic Party leadership election, a Montreal-based volunteer for candidate Brian Topp gave an early sign on Twitter of a problem in Quebec for whoever would be the NDP’s next leader.
“One of our vols is running 4 the QS nom in Westmount today,” Ethan Cox tweeted, “so we’re releasing most vols to support her.”
That is, at a crucial time in the NDP campaign, the volunteers were being released to help one of them get a provincial nomination for the Quebec solidaire party, which is sovereignist as well as left-wing.

Coyne: Mulcair victory inevitable but still impressive

Coyne: Mulcair victory inevitable but still impressive

Mulcair has remarkably little connection to the party he now leads. One senses no great personal affection for him in the party, nor any particular identification with what he stands for. His acceptance speech fell spectacularly flat, and not only for the professorial monotone in which it was read: it made only the barest appeals to party unity, invoked no party icons, touched on no party history, in fact barely mentioned the party at all.

Mulcair wins prolonged race for NDP leadership

Mulcair wins prolonged race for NDP leadership

"For far too long, certain leaders did nothing more than divide Canadians, pitting francophones against anglophones, west to the east. Even if this division can lead to short term political gain, the price to pay is far too heavy to our nation."

Mulcair's definition of victory takes new meaning as NDP leader - The Globe and Mail

Mulcair's definition of victory takes new meaning as NDP leader - The Globe and Mail

Thomas Mulcair keeps repeating that he has won all three provincial and three federal campaigns he has entered. He can now boast that he has won his first leadership race, beating out his six rivals to become Jack Layton’s successor at the helm of the New Democratic Party.
So forget all the nicknames that the hot-tempered Mr. Mulcair has earned over the years (“Grizzly” being the main one): All he cares about is being seen as a winner.

Postmedia: Ten challenges for Thomas Mulcair

Ten challenges for Thomas Mulcair

1. Prove them wrong
Mulcair’s critics say he lacks the temperament to be a leader. They have spoken of his volcanic temper, his ego, his refusal to work cooperatively with others.
Now is the time for Mulcair to prove them all wrong. Now is the time to demonstrate that behind that fiery public persona lies a leader who is in control of himself.

LaPresse: Le PQ craint que la viande halal devienne la règle | Jocelyne Richer | Politique québécoise

Le PQ craint que la viande halal devienne la règle | Jocelyne Richer | Politique québécoise

De son côté, le ministre Pierre Corbeil a dit que le PQ avait tendance à exagérer l'importance de ce phénomène. Il nie que la viande halal soit en train d'envahir les cuisines québécoises.
«La question que tout est halal, ce n'est pas vrai», a-t-il dit, lors d'un bref point de presse, au terme de l'interpellation, en ramenant plutôt la proportion halal à 0,6% de la production totale des abattoirs sous inspection québécoise. Et pour les abattoirs sous compétence fédérale, c'est «un infime pourcentage», selon lui.
À la suite du tollé récent survenu autour de l'abattage halal, le ministre Corbeil a écrit cette semaine à son homologue fédéral, Gerry Ritz, pour lui demander «d'examiner la possibilité de réglementer l'identification des viandes provenant d'abattages rituels».

Gazette: Quebecers not eating unlabelled halal meat: minister

Quebecers not eating unlabelled halal meat: minister

QUEBEC — Parti Québécois agriculture critic André Simard raised questions again Friday about the “ritual” killing of animals to produce halal and kosher meat, prompting Agriculture Minister Pierre Corbeil to remind Simard, a veterinarian, that he once worked as a provincial slaughterhouse inspector and should know better.
Defending himself, Simard said he was not trying to whip up anti-Muslim or extremist sentiment with his accusations that Quebecers may unwittingly be eating halal meat and may be paying more for that meat because Muslim prayers were said before the animal was killed.
“Religious ritual slaughter, whether it is kosher or halal, is an exception to the law, not the general rule,” he said.

Gazette Editorial: The halal affair: Shameless prejudice imported from France

The halal affair: Shameless prejudice imported from France

No Dogs or Anglophones: Language Hotheads Breed Violence

No Dogs or Anglophones: Language Hotheads Breed Violence

Yesterday in LaPRESSE,  Denis Lessard has written an article that says that the OQLF has no legal basis to force 'modifiers' on store names.

"Yesterday, the spokesperson of the Office, Martin Bergeron, argued that it was too early to announce the number of complaints made ​​on the question of name displays as a result of the campaign organization. "We checked our legal interpretation before moving forward. We understand that there are people who do not have the same interpretation as us, "he said.

 That readers is the closest you're going to get to an admission that the OQLF knows that it is wrong.
Mr Lessard went on to say this on the subject.

"This new campaign of the OQLF ignored a formal opinion of the Conseil de la langue, provided the government of Lucien Bouchard in 2000, at a time when  Louise Beaudoin was the minister in charge. The PQ government was told then that it was advisable to use incentives to get companies to francize their names, since according to the law, they were not on solid ground." Link{Fr}

And so the OQLF is out of line and knows that it is on thin ice, the question  remains as to why it pursues this course of action.

Postmedia: Quebec slaughterhouse debunks media frenzy over halal meat

Quebec slaughterhouse debunks media frenzy over halal meat

National Post editorial board: Quebec’s ludricrous poultry politics | Full Comment | National Post

National Post editorial board: Quebec’s ludricrous poultry politics | Full Comment | National Post

Quebec opposition condemns ritual slaughter | The Canadian Jewish News

Quebec opposition condemns ritual slaughter | The Canadian Jewish News

Growth plans for Quebec icon | Entrepreneur | Financial Post

Growth plans for Quebec icon | Entrepreneur | Financial Post

Xenophobia lurks in halal hysteria

Xenophobia lurks in halal hysteria

Gazette OpEd: The PQ plays its anti-immigrant card, again

The PQ plays its anti-immigrant card, again

QMI: St-Hubert dit non

St-Hubert dit non

Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert ne veulent pas de poulet halal, mais la chaîne ignore si Olymel a toujours respecté cette demande.
«On veut du poulet refroidi à l'air et le poulet halal est refroidi à l'eau. Il faut absolument que notre poulet soit refroidi à l'air. Nous avons des spécifications très précises sur la grosseur et le poids. On n'a jamais demandé du poulet halal», a expliqué Josée Vaillancourt, porte-parole de l'entreprise.
Selon elle, tous les poulets proviennent de l'usine Olymel de Berthierville, qui ne vend pas de viande halal.

Quebec slaughterhouse debunks media frenzy over halal meat

Quebec slaughterhouse debunks media frenzy over halal meat

CJAD 800 – News. Talk. Radio. :: PQ gets little support from animal rights groups - CJAD Local News :: CJAD Local News

CJAD 800 – News. Talk. Radio. :: PQ gets little support from animal rights groups - CJAD Local News :: CJAD Local News

GM: Muslim community calls PQ alarmist over halal meat - The Globe and Mail

Muslim community calls PQ alarmist over halal meat - The Globe and Mail

TorStar: Halal meat creating controversy in Quebec - thestar.com

Canada News: Halal meat creating controversy in Quebec - thestar.com

RadCan: Des politiciens nourrissent une controverse sur la viande halal | Politique | Radio-Canada.ca

Des politiciens nourrissent une controverse sur la viande halal | Politique | Radio-Canada.ca

QMI: Abattage halal ou casher - Un accommodement déraisonnable, dit le PQ

Abattage halal ou casher - Un accommodement déraisonnable, dit le PQ

LaPresse: Le député André Simard inquiet de l'abattage rituel | Claudette Samson | Agro-alimentaire

Le député André Simard inquiet de l'abattage rituel | Claudette Samson | Agro-alimentaire

LaPresse: Le PQ veut encadrer l'abattage selon les rites halal | Paul Journet | Politique québécoise

Le PQ veut encadrer l'abattage selon les rites halal | Paul Journet | Politique québécoise

PQ slams halal meat production - Montreal - CBC News/CP

PQ slams halal meat production - Montreal - CBC News

But Olymel spokesman Richard Vigneault said his company's products are processed under all required food safety and quality control standards mandated by the federal government.

The certification process consisted of having an iman recite a prayer in the plant and did not affect the slaughtering methods at all, he said.

"In no way we're practicing traditional halal slaughtering — no way," he said in a telephone interview. "In matter of fact, this [halal] certification has changed nothing about our slaughtering."

He dismissed media reports – including one on the talk show of former politician Mario Dumont, who helped get the debate rolling – as "totally wrong."

Vigneault said Olymel's method, which he insisted is humane, is to stun the poultry with an electric shock first and then slaughter it mechanically.

While Olymel's St-Damase, Que., plant is halal-certified, it has another poultry plant in Berthierville which is not.

"It's the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that regulates the slaughtering."

Anglo students transcend old divisions

Anglo students transcend old divisions

The student strike has revealed an important generational divide within Quebec anglophone communities.

There is an ideological divide as well.

 The only Quebec we've ever known is post-Bill 101, and we don't have the same baggage and hangups as those from past generations - the people who represent the anglo community in the media, at city halls, and at the National Assembly. 

No angryphones to be found there. Accommodationists prevail.


We're bilingual and bicultural, we have both anglo and franco friends, and we live our lives not on one side of a solitude, but constantly in between.

Like most anglos under 40.
 
My student association has been on strike for over a week, joining associations representing more than 130,000 students. 

The minority of students in Quebec (over 400 000)


At our general assembly, I spoke and voted in favour of the strike, seeing it as our responsibility to do our part to fight a destructive government that from Day 1 has attacked public services and placed the interests of its wealthy friends ahead of those of the general public.

Granted.


I've been disappointed (though not surprised) to see the uniformly negative, even condescending, coverage that the student strike has received in the English-language media. In editorials, letters to the editor, news stories and talk radio, the middle-age, middle-class, Liberal-voting West-Island resident machine took it upon itself to try to take down those young people who dare to stand up and defend themselves against the powerful.

 Not uniformly so. You must have read Matthew Hays' pro-strike piece last Friday, just for example.

 I was happy to learn that Concordia students have decided to join their colleagues in this movement, the first students at an English institution to do so. 

A minority of eligible voters bothered to vote 'yes' in the General Assembly, in an unfree and unfair show of hands.  The McGill Arts Undergraduates Students voted 'no'.

While the old generation has largely decided to line up behind a tired and discredited government, many of my generation share the same concerns as francophones do. We have decided to put our foot down.

Many, but not all (see above).

Huntingdon mayor has way to outsmarting Quebec language law

Huntingdon mayor has way to outsmarting Quebec language law

It was through discussion with a citizen named Robert Parkinson, of Montcalm in Quebec City, that an idea came to me, one based on wisdom: Why fight Bill 101 and engage the town of Huntingdon in a debate that will eventually divide Quebec unnecessarily? Let’s be smarter than this anachronistic law! Thus, over the next few days, the Town Council will be setting up an independent newspaper with a not-for-profit mission that will provide bilingual information from the town to its residents. The corporation, led by a group of committed residents, will ensure the dissemination of relevant information to the community, for and on behalf of the town and various community organizations in our region.

NDP's separatist pandering threatens national unity | Full Comment | National Post

NDP's separatist pandering threatens national unity | Full Comment | National Post

Just like the Bloc, the NDP argues that a majority of 50%-plus-one is the only valid rule in a democracy. Yet even the NDP requires a two-thirds majority to amend its own constitution.

This is why I`d rather negotiate with Tweedledum than Tweedledumber.

Liberal election calls records given to agency - Canada - CBC News

Jutra Awards: Monsieur Lazhar aces the test

Jutra Awards: Monsieur Lazhar aces the test

Jutra organizers included a note on ballots saying it was not necessary to have seen all of the films in order to vote. When this was made public a few days back, many in the industry were mighty peeved, including Forcier. He said since his film hadn’t made much money at the box office – and hence hadn’t been seen by all that many people – he didn’t expect to win anything Sunday night. It turns out Forcier’s pessimism was well-founded.

There has also been much complaining about the fact that the Jutra nominations were decided by a 16-person jury, a system brought in two years ago. Prior to that, the nominations were decided by members of all the different local film associations and guilds. This year, a couple of major films were snubbed by this jury, notably the critically-acclaimed films En terrains connus and Funkytown.

Brian Topp to ask Quebec MP to step aside if he wins - Politics - CBC News

Brian Topp to ask Quebec MP to step aside if he wins - Politics - CBC News

If Brian Topp wins the NDP leadership, one of the NDP's 58 Quebec MPs would be asked to resign so Topp could run in a byelection and get into the House of Commons "very quickly," the leadership candidate said.

In an interview Thursday with Evan Solomon, host of Power & Politics, Topp said asking someone to step down to create a vacancy is a "delicate matter" but that he would do it.

"I'm not going to name names and point at ridings, but I'm hoping to create an opportunity to get into the House as quickly as possible, yes," the Quebec native said.

Don Macpherson: The NDP, echoing the PQ``

The NDP, echoing the PQ

So while the PQ would say publicly that the NDP language policy doesn't go far enough, it should be secretly pleased with the NDP leadership candidates' unquestioning acceptance of a policy that goes as far as it does.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/echoing/6255813/story.html#ixzz1oMkBeX6b