Language and cultural tensions are once again heating up Quebec—and it looks like nothing will be sufficient to quench these fires.
Canadians have been aware of an ongoing separatist debate in Quebec for quite some time now. In an attempt to safeguard its unique majority-Francophone population, and to resist bilingualism and multilingualism, separatist thought seems to be on the rise amongst Francophone Quebeckers. The latest episode in an escalating movement to defend and preserve the French language stems from one of Quebec’s most popular French-language authors, Victor-Lévy Beaulieu. Beaulieu has proposed a symbolic ultimatum: to burn his entire body of work, comprised of some 70 pieces, if nothing is done to stop the surge of bilingualism in the province. Sparked by Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois’s suggestion that Quebec school children could benefit from taking more classes in English, Bealieu’s rash request comes at a time when English-speaking schools are on the rise. Parents are increasingly advocating the value of a bilingual education, insisting their children will have more opportunities with more than just French under their belt. Beaulieu, however, sees bilingualism as a signpost of future Anglicization—and assimilation—of Francophones.
But he is not alone in his his sentiment. Quebec’s language watchdog has accused a popular Irish pub in Montreal of showcasing English-only vintage advertisements for Guinness and Harp Lager, as well as an English-only chalkboard menu and service. This appears to violate Quebec’s language laws, which require French to be predominant on most commercial signs.
In another related issue, the Journal de Montréal featured a report of obtaining employment downtown with a limited knowledge of French, prompting the question of whether there is enough French spoken in downtown Montreal.
Some Canadians claim that Quebec’s laws are intolerant, discriminatory, and even racist. Much criticism and debate has surfaced in recent years over reasonable accommodation of immigrants in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which demands that accommodation be made to various ethnic minorities. As Quebec faces the question of its own identity, confronted by the various cultures of immigrants, the province feels their own French-Canadian culture could be sacrificed. The government encourages only French-speaking immigrants, having abused the principal of reasonable accommodation of immigrants by, for example, contesting the balloting of Muslim women who wear Muslim head coverings such as the niqab or burka.
Those who argue against bilingualism claim that a bilingual Quebec will eventually result in an Anglophone Quebec. Are Quebec’s cultural-protectionist methods intolerant and discriminatory, or are they legitimate practice to ensure that French Canada doesn’t lose its roots?
Sadly, I’d have to say both. In a country where only 7.1 million people speak French at home, compared with the some 20-plus million who speak English, not to mention the neighbouring U.S. where the predominant languages are English and Spanish, Quebec is a fish out of water. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and feeling backed into a corner, Quebec has seized any and all opportunities to preserve its language and culture.
However, Quebecois culture doesn’t have to fade away. The onus to change lies not with French Canada, but with the majority comprised by the Anglophones. Change or a solution, if one indeed exists, will take a significant effort on the part of Francophone and Anglophone Canadians. Although many have expressed their support for a bilingual country, the solution does not lie in a few English Canadians learning how to speak French. English Canada must come together to recognize French as equal in every way to the English language. We need more education, dialogue, understanding and experience. We should celebrate the fact that we can speak two languages here, promoting this as an economic and cultural strength instead of boycotting and undermining either language.
It is safe to assume that Quebec will not back down in its fierce struggle. The province still feels pressure to defend its language, regardless of how many livres leave the bibliotheque.
