Anglophones speak up at Bouchard-Taylor Commission

Nearly 200 people of all different backgrounds, cultures and languages attended the session to make their recommendations and opinions on reasonable accommodation heard. As in the French-language forums before, the evening was centred around a number of common themes, including racism, unemployment, the validity of the commission itself, and language.

“We ask why the English presentations during the commission are not translated into French,” questioned Sophie Beaupre of the Mouvement Montréal Français (MMF). Speaking in French, she added that not having translations makes what was said in English inaccessible to a large part of the francophone population. Paolo Zambito, also from the MMF, told the commission chairs, Gerard Bouchard and Charles Taylor, that immigrants will always have trouble integrating in an “institutionally bilingual” Quebec.

“How can we help new arrivals integrate in the Quebec population if there is no common public language,” he said.

Some subtle opposition to the statements made by MMF members came from two people later on in the evening.

“I’m very pleased to be able to speak in English,” said Gilles Babin, a francophone originally form Baie Comeau. “I guess I’m one of the privileged in Quebec.”

Diane Leclerc, who referred to herself both as a Quebecois and “one of the lucky ones who learnt English,” added that making Quebec exclusively French could diminish services to anglophones and allophones and create an unwelcoming atmosphere.

While the microphone did not reach West Islander Chris Eustace before the evening was over, the retired teacher submitted a letter to the commission calling for better access to English schools for all.

“We’re talking about education. We’re talking about English rights. We’re talking about accommodating kids,” Eustace said, referring to Bill 104, which he says limits English-speaking Canadian citizens’ access to English schools in Quebec. Last week, the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, initiated by the Laurier Teachers Union, announced it plans to give $20,000 to the legal defense fund for parents contesting Bill 104 in hopes of getting their children into English schools. “There’s a very important issue here. What we’re also doing regarding this education business is keeping possible good immigrants who could contribute out of the province because of the because of these restrictive laws.”

Another language caused many people’s heads to turn when a woman sitting at the back of the middle row started speaking in a Mohawk language, before switching to English at the forum moderator’s request.

“We’re not very satisfied with what you immigrants have done to us,” she said, adding that 150 million of her people were murdered. “As long as we’re still here, this is our land. You’re all squatters.”

Harvey Goldman told the commission he was embarrassed when he saw an American news report about taking pork out of pea soup to accommodate other religions in Quebec.

“What I would like to see is us talking about the great place we are,” he said. “Some of the suggestions made during this commission have come from the heart and others from a body part I can’t repeat.”

Police presence on Thursday evening was also strong after a group of protestors that tried to storm the French-language public forum last Tuesday came back to denounce what they deem a “racist, xenophobic, sexist’ commission. The protestors left after police refused to let them access the floor. However, un-uniformed bouncers escorted one man out of the meeting room at the end of the evening when he got up and started shouting and condemning the commission.

While there were many comments made throughout the evening, Montreal-resident Elisabeth Champion Speyer received enthusiastic applause when she quoted French philosopher Voltaire: “Think for yourselves,” she said, “and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.”