[lg policy] Canada: Decision for Quebecers

[Stan Anonby]

Montreal was prospering economically in the '60's; but a shrinking 
percentage of Quebec residents were speaking French. The writing was on the 
wall. Basically, the Quebecois chose their language/culture over economic 
prosperity. It's a tough call, and you've got to admire them for it. Today, 
threatened languages/cultures the world over usually have to make the same 
choice.

Stan Anonby

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
To: "lp" <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 8:06 AM
Subject: [lg policy] Canada: Decision for Quebecers


> Decision for Quebecers
>
>
> The Ottawa CitizenNovember 19, 2009Comments (8)
>
> In 1967, Montreal was the capital of Canada. Not in name, but in most
> everything else. People from all over the globe converged on Montreal
> for what was probably the greatest world's fair, Expo 67. The business
> community, with its precious head offices, located in Montreal. It
> spoke two languages so the city was ideally suited to serve business
> and culture in Quebec and the rest of Canada.  In addition to
> language, that situation arose because the Canadian highway and
> railway systems ended in Montreal. The city had the first major
> airport in Canada for flights from Europe making it a natural
> entrepôt. The Port of Montreal did big business, located between the
> St. Lawrence Seaway and the Atlantic.
>
> In addition, capital flowed from, as it was called then, St. James
> Street, universities grew in two languages, labour was plentiful, and
> a country of resources and a world of traders stood at its door.
> Montreal could speak English to North America and French to
> Europe.Then Montreal, and Quebec, gave it all away. Restrictive
> language policies made Montreal look inward. It went from being the
> major centre of Canada to the major centre of Quebec. Head offices
> fled to Toronto in the face of separatism so the delicate factors of
> production that so favoured Montreal disappeared. Why do business in
> Quebec in French, companies concluded, when you could conduct affairs
> in English in Toronto to serve the bulk of North America? Language
> policy divided Quebec from its position of trade and wealth.
>
> Now former Parti Québécois premier Jacques Parizeau is promoting his
> book on sovereignty and dragging out all the old saws about
> independence; for example he argues a national securities regulator
> would undermine Montreal's economic position. Oddly, it was people
> such as Parizeau who did that already. Quebec has an opportunity to
> prosper if Canada signs a free-trade deal with the European Union.
> Montreal could become the entrepôt again between two continents. Or it
> could answer the siren call of nationalism, looking inward. It's up to
> Quebecers to decide.
>
> http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Decision+Quebecers/2239238/story.html
>
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