LETTER

Bilingualism in Quebec government services...

 

I am concerned by the comments made by Mr Ferguson, May 17, about the fact that he is shocked that he was not able to get emergency information in his preferred official language from the Quebec Government during the flood. In short, Mr Ferguson asserts that Quebec should be providing emergency information in both languages (like the rest of Canada, apparently), that because French is a small minority language in Canada, everything should be bilingual, and that the situation has gotten worse after 12 years in Quebec.

First, I agree with Mr Ferguson that information from public authorities/services should be provided in both official languages. But Mr Ferguson seems to forget that, although Canada has two official languages, it is unfortunately not a bilingual country. This issue is very far from being Quebec specific and I can testify myself that when I was living in Ontario (while serving my country), I was not always able to get services in French (and it was not even in an emergency context…). So, you know what I did? I spoke English the best I could to get my points across because I understood it is not always easy to find people speaking French in an English-dominant environment. So, I am pretty sure you can appreciate that the same difficulty is also real in the Quebec province, although to a lesser extent in the Gatineau area. So, what happened to you is unfortunate, especially in an emergency situation, but it cannot be used to justify your comments.

Second, yes, French is a minority language in Canada. And it is getting even more marginal. Yes, Quebec is a French-dominant cultural environment, but French is still losing ground and it is even worse outside Quebec. So if you think that the situation has gotten worst for you in the last 12 years, just put yourself in the shoes of francophones outside Quebec. The Anglophone communities in Quebec have plenty of resources and services in their mother tongue that Francophones outside Quebec cannot even think or dream of having one day.

On another note, I am pretty confident that your comments do not reflect the attitude of the Anglophone community in Aylmer. Canada is a diverse country and we all have to embrace it. That is my hope, that you would be comfortable enough in French so that those situations would not irritate you to the point of making displaced comments. I have been living and working in my second language over recent years and I am always amazed how flexible Francophones are when conducting meetings. In our meetings, everyone speaks English when the vast majority speaks French. And you know what is funny? Although I could be shocked (maybe I should, after all), I still feel proud to be able to speak in English every time I have the opportunity. I am not perfect, but I am proud of it as I see each interaction as an opportunity to improve.

Mr Ferguson, as a Canadian citizen who cares about bilingualism, you can (and have to) be flexible, understanding and willing to learn, too. This is the starting point of openness and respect towards diversity. French is one of the minority languages that we all should strive to protect as it is a cultural and national treasure. Same could be said for first nations cultures. We have to speak a language to keep it alive, as they say, and I would add that la langue française telle que parlée au Québec is at the root of the culture that you have enjoyed living in over the last 12 years.

Respectfully,
Jean-Marc Dionne Jr. (Aylmer)