From: boris@sys6626.bison.mb.ca (boris)
Newsgroups: can.general,can.politics,soc.culture.canada
Subject: Re: Rosemere
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 92 03:34:05 CST
Organization: system 6626 BBS, Winnipeg MB

evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) writes:

> It gives me significant comfort that such views are not shared by all
> Quebecois. I was very pleased to see the results of the referendum in
> Rosemere recently, where a clear majority (I believe >70%) turned *down*
> a proposal to go unilingual.
> 
As reported on the cbc national, and on midday, only about 40% of the 
population voted. so 70% of the 40% who cared enough to vote favoured 
bilingualism.  The OLF representative stated that the vote was 
meaningless.  The mayor said the vote was done solely for the town with 
no greater political meanings attached. 
  He also stated that out of town peoples had been asked to keep out of 
it. I believe he afirmed that they did. He also said that now that the 
vote had been held that the out of towners could make of it what they 
willed.

> It was opposed by the francophone mayor and city council, and could not
> have been defeated unless the francophone majority had also wanted to
> remain bilingual.
> 
The mayor also stated that historically the town had been founded by the 
english as was made bilingual by them when the english had been in the 
majority. now that the english are the minority he said the town would 
not turn around and repudiate the founders good will by making the town 
unilingual french.

> In interviews I had heard on CBC radio, the mayor had said that French
> was not in any danger in the city merely due to the co-existence of
> English. His main goal, he said, was the preservation of a community
> which worked well, where anglophones and francophones lived and worked
> together with a common respect for each others' cultures and languages.
> Apparently the residents of Rosemere agreed, rejecting the pleas of the
> parachuted OLF intellectuals that unilingualism was the only way.
> 
> Apparently the OLF is not bound by the referendum, and can choose to
> forced Rosemere uniligual anyway. But given the results of the vote,
> that would appear unlikely. I hope.
> 
The OLF will make a decision on rosemere somtime next week. I am ver 
interested in how it turns out.
 
> I would be interested in hearing more details about the city, and about
> the campaign. I believe there may be lessons here for folks on *both*
> sides of the issue. Nothing beats a good dose of tolerance, co-operation,
> and benefit of the doubt.
> 
> PS:
> 
> I only received my information on the issue from As It Happens on CBC
> Radio. What have the other media said? Is it too much to ask the media
> to find some hope in this event, rather than yet more ammunition for
> this or that pet crusade?
> 
> -- 
>  Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software Ltd., located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
>          evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!utzoo!telly!evan / (416) 452-0504
>               If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?

boris

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