I am a Montrealer living in New York, my place of residence for the past 35 years. I left shortly after graduating from McGill University in 1984. Fortunately, I maintain a link with Quebec thanks to the initiative of the 80 for 80 network of the Quebec government, which seeks opportunities for collaboration. business between Quebec and the United States.
I would like to thank Google Translate and a good friend from Quebec for the help with this translation (the lectern and the revision of Press made some fixes). My French immersion in 7e year could not take me far!
I visit Montreal every year to see my family and friends.
Walking in the streets of Montreal and discovering the grandeur of this city makes me say one thing to my French-speaking Quebec friends: congratulations. You have prospered. Mission accomplished. In fact, you might not know it, but you are undefeated.
The Montreal of the 60s and 70s in which I grew up has always had a special place on the world stage. Unique. With its multilingualism, it was unlike any other city in North America. But French-speaking Quebec naturally sought to advance independence and linguistic laws to establish the primacy of French – or perhaps its survival – in a city which owed so much of its grandeur and its “uniqueness” to its “Francophonie”. “.
From the vacuum created by the departure of businesses and a large part of the English-speaking population, a new economy and a new French spirit have emerged to remake the city in their image. Montreal’s emergence as a hub for technology and artificial intelligence, along with its dynamic life sciences and smart or electric car technology, is impressive. A new generation of industrious French-speaking Quebecers have rebuilt the province’s economy and, in so doing, added to its distinctive cultural vibe. So I say: Quebec, you have prospered. A great, world-class nation-province that continues to evolve. We call New York the great melting pot, but honestly, Montreal is the real deal integrated cultures while presenting a resolutely French face to the world.
I raise this phenomenon in the context of the new linguistic laws under consideration.
Have these past laws made Quebec and Montreal more French-speaking? Without a doubt, they did. But it is difficult to say with so much certainty that they did not have a negative impact on the economic success of Quebec and Montreal for some time. And, despite their impressive accomplishments, have language laws hindered everyone from reaching their full potential? It is of course unverifiable. In this context, I offer only the following: if the concern for the survival of French is paramount, use a fine brush to modify the laws which solidify the culture and the French language in Quebec.
A brutal instrument applied to education, immigration and commerce can do more harm than good to Quebec’s long-term fortunes. Rather, build on the strength of your proud city and nation-province.
Make it a destination for the world. Not just a tourist destination, but a destination for the best and brightest in the arts, education and business. If there are some non-French speakers among them, welcome them. And finally, invest also in your people and in all the world-class institutions that exist in Quebec, whether they are of French origin or not.
I grew up in Montreal over 50 years ago, and Montreal was a French-speaking city. Yes, economic stewardship was not in the hands of francophones, but Montreal and the province of Quebec were unmistakably distinct. It was a French-speaking city and nation-province at a time of independence movements. And they remained a French-speaking city and nation-province despite the slight decline of the French language, as the Office québécois de la langue française suggests.
Quebec will always be distinct. No one inside or outside of Quebec today would disagree that business leaders should communicate with their employees in the language they speak. It shouldn’t be controversial. And yes, we want more French Canadian hockey players. But these stories are not the big picture. The real story is the emergence of Montreal – and Quebec as a whole – as a proud, world-class society, built on its French roots that successfully navigate the forces of globalization as it continues to evolve.
To this day, when I tell people that I am from Montreal, their first comment is: “You have to speak French. As impossible as it is to remove the joie de vivre of Quebec, it is impossible to remove French from the cultural fabric of Quebec society. It is a good thing and a source of strength for Quebec.