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Quebec’s Place in Canada
When Gwen Simpson and her husband Wally decided to open an antiques store in Quebec 15 years ago, they hit on a name that strikes most people as cute and clever. ... "
The signs the couple put up didnt sit well with Quebecs Commission for the Protection of the French Language, which enforces laws aimed at preserving Quebecs unique French culture. ... This is not the only instance in which Quebecs English-speaking minority is challenging what many feel is the governments effort to cram French language and culture down their throats. ... " In return for a modest payment, the store owner gets a sticker that says: "This sign is the property of the CIT-CAN Foundation, a non-profit federal corporation to promote the multi-ethnic and multicultural character of Canada. ...
Today, more than 80 percent of the population is French, making Quebec the only place in North America where French-speakers are in the majority. Although French is an official language throughout Canada, francophones, as they are called here, say Quebec needed its own laws to assure the provinces unique identity wasnt swallowed by an Anglo tide. ...
Many people trace Quebecs relatively high unemployment rate and sluggish economy to the 1977 Charter of the French Language, which made French the official tongue of government, courts, public schools and businesses. ...
As a result, the Equality Party, a small political organization, filed a complaint with the United Nations, alleging that Quebecs segregated school system violates an international agreement that bans discrimination against children based on language and other factors.
"Clearly, in Quebec, the best interests of children take second place to concerns about the French language," the Montreal Gazette said in an editorial.
Approximate Word count = 1370
Approximate Pages = 5.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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