From: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen)
Subject: Re: Denied access to English schools?
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
	<BtJvLD.I18@ireq.hydro.qc.ca> <BtK0wC.Kt8@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>
	<BtLDK3.48t@ireq.hydro.qc.ca>
Reply-To: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 02:36:12 GMT
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X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

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).

Actuellement Denis, les lois ont eu de controverse a ce temps la.

As I have in the past made comments similar to Denis's, I have chosen
to add some qualification.

DATELINE: Manitoba

1870 - Manitoba created as a bilingual province
1890 - With (French) Catholics reduced by Protestant immigration to
       only 10% of the population, provincial legislature passes law
       disbanding separate (French-language) Catholic schools in
       favour of a single, English-language non-denominational system,
       and abolishes official status for French.
1896 - The Federal Conservatives inability to resolve the Manitoba
       Schools Question, coupled with loss of confidence in French
       Quebec following the Riel execution brings Liberal Wilfred
       Laurier to power.  (The Federal Parliament had the
       constitutional power to override the Manitoba legislation,
       but could/would not.
1897 - Following the mandate he received in the federal election, PM
       Laurier 'convinces' the Manitoba Government to reintroduce
       minority language and religious education.  
1916 - English is restored as the sole language of instruction in
       Manitoba. 


DATELINE: Alberta/Saskatchewan:

1869 - Northwest Territories organized.  English and French officially
       recognized.  French-language/religious education develops on
       its own. 
1890 - Federal Parliament moves to grant the Territorial Legislative
       Assembly power to abolish official status of French in the
       Assembly if it sees fit.  Opposition Leader, Wilfrid Laurier,
       in seconding the motion, notes the absense of any Francophone
       legislator in the NWT, and expects that the Legislature would
       refrain from acting thus if Francophone representation
       occurred. 
1892 - Territorial Assembly abolishes use of French in Assembly, over
       the objections of the two Francophone legislators present.
1901 - Francophone population in region:  4%
     - Anglophone population in region:  47%
1905 - Creation of provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan out of the
       NWT.  


(No, I don't have these facts memorized; I looked them up.)

I don't have access to any numbers, so I can only hypothesize in a
manner similar to Denis on the relationship between the anti-French
legislation of the Prairie Provinces and the migration numbers from
French Quebec.  (If anyone DOES have access to them, I would GREATLY
appreciate seeing them.)

It is clear from the speeches of Quebec MP Henri Bourassa (that I
posted a few weeks ago) during the debate on the creation of Alberta
and Saskatchewan that he thought an officially bilingual West would
promote the development of a truly Canadian (ie. bicultural/bilingual)
society there, and looked to the political past of Manitoba since its
creation as a tragic occurence.

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

Actually, it wasn't even Mulroney, but Lucien Bouchard who wrote the
first campaign speech where Mulroney voices this opinion.  (Bouchard
has said that he wrote the speech as if he were going to give it.)

--
Stewart M. Clamen			Internet:    clamen@cs.cmu.edu
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