The Trudeau Legacy: Nurses Lose Licences-Bilingualism, Natives-Status, Bud: Looming Aboriginal Disaster

Nurses at Montreal English hospital fail French test, lose licences

The Office de la langue francaise recently warned the use of French in the workplace is in a "precarious" state in Quebec and Premier Jean Charest has hinted at a crackdown

The purpose of the language laws in Quebec and Canada has not been to make English speakers bilingual so that they may operate in French; the object has always been to garner jobs for those whose first language is French--to turn Canada into a French speaking country, one where citizens must speak French. If English speakers question the promotion of the French language or the expense and unfairness of it where 75-80% of the population are not French speakers, they are termed "racist", "anti-French" and their chances of not advancing or not working are even better.

In what country in the world does such a small percentage of the total population have so much power that the majority language group is not able to apply to work for their own government because of this language policy -- the promotion of French policy?

Haven't you figured that out yet? The bafflegab is BS about the near-death of the French language -- as if Celtic and other languages have not died away throughout history. What is intrinsically valuable to most Canadians about the survival of French? Nothing! Unless we are French Canadian. And therein lies the rub.

If Canadians don't see the efficacy of French in their lives--lives increasingly needing Spanish, Hindi, Mandarin, Arabic, et cetera--what is the point? To whose benefit is this forced upon Canadians by 20% of our population? Why should we be forced? Why can Canadians not choose a second language--any second language -- which makes learning so much easier?

Because Quebec wants it and whatever Quebec and Acadian Francophones want is what the rest of us get.

Nurses at Montreal English hospital fail French test, lose licences Brian Daly, The Recorder and Times (Brockville) / CP, Jan. 4, 05

MONTREAL (CP) - Two nurses at an English hospital have had their licences revoked after failing a written French test even though Quebec faces a nursing shortage.

Elizabeth Davantes, 47, and Eulin Gumbs, 43, who both speak French, say they'll look for work outside Quebec after losing their jobs recently at the Jewish General Hospital. Quebec's language watchdog and the provincial nursing federation require that all nurses, even those in English hospitals, pass a written French test.

[. . . . ] "Quebec is my home. My family lives here, my kids live here. But I cannot support myself on nothing."

[. . . . ] The Office de la langue francaise recently warned the use of French in the workplace is in a "precarious" state in Quebec and Premier Jean Charest has hinted at a crackdown. [. . . . ]

I know of one instance, years ago, where someone certified to work in Quebec applied and was refused. Upon being told he must "apply for permission to apply", he said that's because I am an English speaker and you don't want Anglos returning to Quebec. The response? "That's right -- but you didn't hear that from me."




Canada still pays for Trudeau blunders -- Even questioning the bilingualism program--promotion of French--is akin to treason


Canada still pays for Trudeau blunders -- Even questioning bilingualism program is akin to treason January 2, 2005, Ted Byfield, Calgary Sun

It's perhaps fitting that in the year that marked the 20th anniversary of Pierre Trudeau's retirement as prime minister, one of his most cherished programs is being quietly pronounced a failure.


A poll conducted for Heritage Canada found that only children buy into bilingualism.

[. . . . ] Ottawa is about to direct another $750 million into the bilingualism program, whether it works or not.

[. . . . ] When in 1967 [Trudeau] took over as prime minister, the national debt stood at $17 billion. When he quit in 1984, he had inflated it to a hitherto unthinkable $200 billion. He had assumed, that is, that government spending and borrowing was essentially limitless.

His fellow Quebecer, Brian Mulroney, had much the same assumption and took it beyond $400 billion. But then the lenders, chiefly Americans, balked and blew the whistle.

Trudeau was wrong again, and the next two generations will pay the price.

We are only now beginning to experience the consequences of his third great initiative, the Charter.

My own suspicion is that it will prove the most calamitous of all. [. . . . ]

Trudeau ever leading a peaceful, secure country that worked was the calamity; he fit the zeitgeist -- and Canada is stuck with what he and his Liberals wrought. I am so fed up with the media's Trudeau hagiography.

I don't want a controlling government, activist justices and bilingualism as something no-one dares discuss -- except to praise it. One language group and one political party have run the show too long. Enough, already!




Ottawa, First Nations seek to redefine Indian status -- Current law will result in 'legislated extinction,' warns Phil Fontaine

Ottawa, First Nations seek to redefine Indian status Bill Curry, CanWest, Jan. 3, 05

[. . . . ] According to briefing notes presented to Mr. Scott when he became Indian Affairs Minister in July, the department urged the Minister to tackle the contentious issue and recommended options ranging from expanding First Nations rights and benefits to include Metis and some non-status Indians or doing away with the notion of status altogether. [Forget that last one; it is not going to happen.]

The internal briefing notes, which were obtained by CanWest News Service through Access to Information legislation, warn the main challenge facing the government is that Metis and non-status Indians are increasingly building a legal case for access to government treatment on par with status First Nations. [. . . . ]

Meanwhile, those with status are rapidly losing that distinction because of a legal provision that a child born into a family that has had two generations of marriage between a status person and a non-status person is not recognized as an Indian. [. . . . ]

Shat on a turtle -- and -- Indian Time

The Times of Winnipeg -- "Liberalism: The Haunting Fear Someone, Somewhere, can help Themselves"

Just go and read both.

Shat on a turtle Raskolnikov, Dec. 17, 04

A few weeks back I posted a story about a rad-indian friend of mine who feels that colonialism and Whitey are to blame for all indian woe, even the horrors of living tax-free and getting all education paid for.

This friend -- let's call him by the same moniker I give all forlorn indians tilting at windmills, Eh Guevara -- is in town for the holidays, visiting his ex and two of his five children ( the other three, from two different mothers, are on some rez in Ontario). He stopped by last night (an unexpected drop-in while I was watching ESPN Classic hockey; few would survive such gall), and after some strained greetings we sat down and he allowed me the joy of listening to him talk about how his art gallery ( this quarter's ambition; last quarter he wanted to be a rapper; previously he was going to be: an actor ("Adam Beach is a sell-out indian. He should be demanding that studios make an accurate movie about the history of AIM"; a lawyer; the first indian to perform open-heart surgery; and finally a film director of his own), how his art gallery was definitely in the planning stages and when it opened it was going to be the best Aboriginal art gallery in Canada.

Not that he was an artist. Just a patron. . . .

Indian Time

Indian Time Raskolnikov, January 04, 2005

Grab a snack, this is a long one.

This started off as a small-scale reply to what I felt was a silly and condescending article. A little while later I was fully enraged and in battle mode.

See my rebuttals in italics. [. . . . ]

Thanks to Kate Milligan of Western Standard / The Shotgun and Small Dead Animals.



Bud Talkinghorn: The looming Aboriginal Disaster

Phil Fontaine, the Grand Chief of the Canadian Indian Federation, is not serving his constituents well. His constant playing of the victim card is not going to get his people out of their dilemma--one marked by poverty, rampant substance abuse, and unemployment. Instead of taking the approach of newly-landed immigrants and attempting to intergrate with the business cultural community of Canada, he wants to keep them unassimilated. If the native culture had proven to be economically feasible, I would say, "fine"; but it isn't. Staying on reserves (many extremely isolated) will only perpetuate this reliance on the taxpayers' largesse. With their numbers growing way ahead of the general population's, there will come a time when that welfare will have to be reduced drastically. There have been hints that the Prime Minister wants to bring the Metis into the welfare orbit, thus hastening the time that this reduction will occur. There is a tipping point where the Liberals' spendthrift ways will lead to their absolute defeat. Mulroney's Conservatives can attest to that type of drastic heave-ho. [Isn't Mr. Mulroney beginning to look good in comparison with what has followed him? NJC ]

The entire federal native policy is riddled with political correctness. Andy Scott hasn't the courage to expose the absurdity of many Indian policies. Even the suggestion that native-run education is an obvious failure has to be couched in muted pronouncements. Learning Slavy, or Northern Cree might be a culturally sensitive thing to do; however the real world of commerce couldn't care less. They want people highly literate in one (or both) of Canada's official languages. Mainly, it is the very inward-looking philosophy that keeps the natives in a powerless position. It is about time that Scott developed some backbone and told Fontaine to get with the realities of modern life, before we lose another generation of native children.

© Bud Talkinghorn