From: gordon@madmax.uwaterloo.ca (Gordon R. Strachan)
Subject: Re: Denied access to English schools?
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 15:03:36 GMT

In article <BtLDK3.48t@ireq.hydro.qc.ca> beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Denis Beauregard) writes:
>In article <BtK0wC.Kt8@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> gordon@madmax.uwaterloo.ca (Gordon R. Strachan) writes:
>>In article <BtJvLD.I18@ireq.hydro.qc.ca> beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Denis Beauregard) writes:
>>>In article <1992Aug25.085646.12416@spxtech.qc.ca> steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter) writes:
>>>>From article <1992Aug25.063838.25321@cc.umontreal.ca>, by dignard@ERE.UMontreal.CA  Michel Dignard waxes:-
>>>
>>>7 millions of francos where assimilated and humiliated because of
>>>illegal laws in Western Canada.  We just don't care about your silly
>>>problem.
>>>
>>
>>Just out of curiosity could you please tell me when there were ever 7 million
>>French speaking people in western Canada?  Even for you this statement is
>>pretty outrageous.
>>
>
>If the western provinces had been bilingual in 1870-1900, the migration
>to USA would have been directed to west and we would have get more French
>in West and less in USA.  There are some 14 millions descendants of French
>in North America.  6 millions in Quebec, let's presume 1 or 2 millions out
>of Quebec still speaking French, and we get 6 or 7 more millions who could
>have kept the French language without the anti-French laws (that were
>found illegal 100 years after).
>

This is a pretty vapous argument.  There is no way you can make the claim that
laws prevented people from migrating there.  And then to go on to claim that
this forced them to be assimilated is also suspect.  At worst it would have
prevented their leaving Quebec, it would do nothing to force assimilation.  It
didn't even force assimilation of the French that were in the west.

However, leaving all that aside and accepting your argument and true for the
moment could you please then explain to me why the Quebec government (both
liberal and PQ) have actively supported these so called humiliating laws.
As I am sure you are aware, any time the French minority in the west have
legal action to improve their rights, the Quebec government as actively
supported (by submitting briefs to the court) the government position against
the French people!

>>>
>>>We don't care.  Quebec is not yet part in the 1982 constitution.
>>>
>>
>>This is actually wrong.  Quebec *IS* part of the 1982 constitution because
>>it is part of Canada.  If you don't except that logic then ask yourself this
>>how did Bourasa envoke the not-with-standing clause if Quebec isn't part of
>>the constitution.  This idea that Quebec never signed the constitution is
>>a facilacy started by Mulroney.  No province ever signed the constitution.
>>In fact, the only Canadian names that are on the constitution are all French
>>names from Quebec.
>>
>In 1982, there was some signed agreement without Quebec signature for
>constitution rapatriement.  I can't believe Mulroney invented this and

Yes there was an agreement in principle about what should be in the
constitution itself.  But, this is a different matter.  The repaitriation of
the consistution was unilateral by Treadeau himself.  The point is that there
never was a need for a province to sign the constitution and no province
ever did.  If you don't beleive me go look.  Read a copy of the constitution
and try and find anywhere where a representative of any province signed it.

>no media tried to show it was false.  Tom Box could probably find some
>details on this.

It has been pointed out a few times by the CBC.  Unfortunately it is now such
a large urban legion that everyone accepts it as a fact.


The point of what I am trying to say is that it is simply too easy to blame
the people outside of Quebec for what you preceive as all the problems.  I
don't accept your aguements that somehow all English speaking people are
evil oppressors bent on dominating the French people.  It is too simple to
say that.  The government and system we live in today, the one you seem to
disagree so strongly with, is just as much a result of the French in Quebec
as anyone else.  You must remember that Quebec itself is not a monolithic
entity and there are French people with different views on how the country
should be structured.  And it is those people, more than anyone, who had a
large hand in writing our current constitution.

What I am trying to say is that you should not see the people around you as one
of enemies but rather as people trying, but always succeeding, to do what they
think are best for everyone.

>
>>Gordon
>
>
>-- 
>  \_\    Denis Beauregard  *  internet:beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca
> /   \   Genealogiste officiel : Beauregard/Jarret/Jarest/Vincent
>J   __>  Vient de paraitre : Andre Jarret et ses Ancetres
>\_.-===  En vente par l'auteur                      Opinions ? Et pis non !

Gordon