Path: utzoo!lsuc!hcr!jimr
From: jimr@hcr.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Canada: Minority rights
Message-ID: <1599@hcr.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Aug-89 14:07:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: hcr.1599
References: <632@philmtl.philips.ca>
Reply-To: jimr@hcr.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Distribution: can
Organization: HCR Corporation, Toronto
Lines: 44
Summary: 

In article <632@philmtl.philips.ca> tremblay@philmtl.philips.ca (Michel J. Tremblay) writes:
>Many individuals on the net are claiming that rights are denied
>to minorities in Que'bec. This is false.
>According to D'Iberville-Fortier, Federal Official Languages Commisionner, 
>Keit Speicer, former Federal Official Language Commisionner, and of 
>Brian Mulroney, Que'bec is the province where the minorities are best 
>treated. Anglophones in Que'bec (less that 5%) had, have and will keep
>full control over their schools and Universities. Can we say the same
>about Francophones in other provinces?. Anywhere in Canada, minorities
>should be respected, not only in Que'bec.

This may all be true. However it is also true that *only* in Quebec is the
*suppression* of minority languages institutionalized a la bill 178. (I also
understand that school children were/are being punished for speaking
minority languages during breaks - is this true?) To me there is a huge
difference between refusing to support a minority language, as much of
English Canada does with French, and actively suppressing it, as Quebec
does. Thus, in *my* opinion, minorities are indeed better respected in
English Canada.

>One note about immigrants in Que'bec is reqired here. 
>Immigrants in Que'bec  FREELY
>chose to join the English speaking or the French speaking community.
>Their choice is usually influenced by their cultural background.
>They have access  French/English courses. Medical and social services
>are provided in both languages. Jobs are available for French and/or
>english speaking individuals. It is in fact only in Que'bec and in 
>New-Brunswick that the immigrants can chose their linguistic community.
>Anywhere else in Canada, English is the de-facto imposed standard.

I was under the impression that immigrants were required to educate their
children in the French school system even though a perfectly good English
school system is available (the exception being if at least one of the two
parents was educated in English in Canada). And, whereas I respect Quebec's
prerogative to require this I think it strongly contradicts the above
statement concerning immigrants' freedom of choice.

[Now for an aside]
I remember several years back Quebec was talking about charging higher
university tuition fees for non-Quebec Canadian students. Was this ever 
implemented?

J.B. Robinson
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