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I had an Uber trip in Montreal yesterday, from downtown to YUL. The driver kept apologising for his bad English. He was not at all upset about my terrible French.

It is not the normal people that care about these Language laws.

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Evan, You completely missed the Quebecois dilemma. The Quebecois doesn’t want to be involved in politics neither want the sacrifices. What they want is someone to solve their problems…with a magic wand. Legault understands that and he is just overplaying his role..being a father. Previous governments just lied to the Quebecois and make them believe things are going to get better…meaning spending more and more…with the unions not too far away. It can go as far as there are no consequences if we separate from Canada. Legault’s government lies but does not know how to sell the same bullshit to the Quebecois…

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Hugh McLennan had it right when he wrote of the two solitudes, back in the 1940s. I'm a francophone who grew up in the Cote des Neiges in the 1950s and 1960s. My parents sent me to English school, where I was regularly beaten up -- oh yes, I was the only Catholic in a Protestant school, which didn't help.

So I know the utter contempt that the English had for the French for over a century. That called up the revanchard feelings of the French, and the emotional need to show that they were just as good, if not better. Off the island, people in "les regions" resented the Montrealers and their airs of superiority. That is still true today.

So you have a three-way split: (1) The Anglos, who live in the western part of Montreal Island (yeas, there are a few in the Eastern Townships, but too few to count), the bulk of whom have finally learned French, but who by and large are the decaying remains of a dying civilization )Liberal territory) (2) The Francos who live on the eastern part of Montreal Island, many working class who speak passable English or no English (QS territory) -- and oh yes, the elites of Outremont and now TMR, who look down on the hoi polloi (3) the French outside Montreal and its suburbs, a large proportion of whom do not speak English, resent Montreal, and are ripe territory for populism (think PQ).

How do you govern an entity like that?

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I am an anglo who grew up in the Eastern Townships, worked most of my life in Montreal and now commute between the two, I fully agree with you analysis. The Rest of Quebec doesn't understand Montreal. ROQ want to protect Montreal, but Montreal is going to Montreal. This is why Québécois, others Canadians, and immigrants are drawn here.

That said, Montreal doesn't get ROQ. The last instance of the PLQ was a faceplant outside Montreal. Of course, a paternalistic, by-the-book, accountant with zero imagination would get a bump from the pandemic, but the multi-culturalism and fanciful environment ideas just don't resonate. Neither could handle just running the education and health systems. Might as well let the CAQ wear it.

Back in the townships, when not threatened, the English name mix-ins distingish the St-Isidore-de-Clifton's from the multitude of St-Jean-de... elsewhere. My French is far from native, but it is fluent. Native French speakers assert (sometimes very poor) English to assert their dominance over their each other. As you alluded, the Levesque's know that to thrive, one needs a legitimate opposition. Parizeau just wanted to be the first president and drive around in a Rolls-Royce wanting his peasants in the fields.

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Merci Beaucoup.. monsieur ! Hope I can contribute un petite peu via my mangled ‘bar french’ - oui oui yes yes.. bring it !

I has nothing but good things to relate re numerous n sundry adventures in la belle provence.. Was an early, indeed primary camera shooter/contractor when MeteoMedia first went on air.. shot & DOP’d all their Promotions - fab adventures & my adventures in Hull hilarious & was well known at ‘the Chaud’ to the boss legendary Bouncer of The Chaudier.. who drank free at our Beachcomber Bar in Ottawa back in the 70’s - was back there so many times shooting in the Big O & Quebec City.. haha.. A total fave from my childhood until today.. & when I need to feed my Quebec ‘jones’ I just spin some vinyl of Pagliaro & Daniel Lanois’s ‘Acadie’ among others.. & refresh my joi d’vivre .. or just get my ass (in my mind) there & explore them Plains of Abraham.. from both points of view ! 🦎🏴‍☠️

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