First of all, I would like to thank the President and CEO of Air Canada, Mr. Michael Rousseau, for his frankness and his pride in being unilingual English in Quebec, despite his French-speaking origins, a French-speaking spouse and a residence for 14 years on the South Shore of Montreal. After all, proficiency in the use of the French language has long since ceased to be required for the head offices of international companies in Montreal, whether for the Caisse de dépôt et placement, Couche-tard or CGI.
What a shock! But above all a collective awareness that the linguistic competence of French in Quebec has a secondary value in the business world. Surprised? Not really!
Linguistic inferiority complex
Michael Rousseau is also an easy scapegoat. It is the reflection of our inferiority complex which aims too often to hide our identity as a Francophone to please at all costs, even if it means erasing our origins until assimilation, as is the case. Indeed, too often we give ourselves the mission of showing everyone that we can express ourselves well in the only language that
brings in money, English. After all, we insist that our children understand this issue and become bilingual, because their future careers are at the cost. True or false? What can we do after this cruel but real observation of the decline of French in Quebec?
Our values
First of all, I suggest linking linguistic competence to civic values. Indeed, if Quebecers collectively agree to pay more taxes and levies, it is because they realize that their societal values, their survival nationalism, is not only a matter of language or culture, but also an identity nationalism of solidarity.
We should demand that this skill become essential for someone who wishes to live in Quebec. Whether in corporate executive positions or in the federal public service. Then, we should add civic competence, that is, the ability not only to communicate with the surrounding Francophone community, but also to know its history and values.
National identity
The difference in Quebec is not only linguistic or cultural, but it also has its social-democratic and secular values since the Quiet Revolution. Like the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland) we are committed to equality between men and women, which is why we implemented a system of childcare and parental leave before the other provinces and adopted a law on the secularism of the State. We have also innovated by creating programs to support people who are victims of illness or accidents, such as pharmacare and accident insurance. With its carbon tax, Quebec is also the most innovative province in the fight against climate change.
Our civic values are deeply linked to our national identity and our instinct for linguistic survival. Hopefully the next Quebec culture and citizenship course will be adapted to future business leaders in Quebec so that they become an essential civic skill linked to learning French.
Stevens Leblanc archive photo
Jean Baillargeon, Strategic communications consultant, Quebec