I don't think it's fair to force a business to pay the expense of adding bilingual signage and it shouldn't come at the expense of the peoples tax dollars.
Will huge corporations like Walmart and MacDonald's will get a pass like they did in Quebec.More tax $$$$$$$$$$ that could have went on health care, education and social programs.Soon someone will complain about a parrot in a pet store that said Hello and not Bonjour. This really happened in Quebec and the Language Police there wrote the pet store a fine.
In another incident the language police took out the take out sign because it was in English. What nonsense!
I believe in freedom of speech and free press and our local media and newspapers are preventing us from having our say over matters such as this. I have provided a link regarding this article in The Times Transcript. Note that many comments have been censored, especially the last ones made. I think this is wrong as everyone is entitled to their opinions.
Here is the article.
Here is the article.
MPs back Dieppe sign fightPublished Saturday June 27th, 2009
Law student pushing Dieppe city council for bilingualism bylaw for business signs
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By Nick Moore Times & Transcript Staff
Efforts to force Dieppe businesses to include French and English on all their interior and exterior signage, by way of a municipal bylaw, won the support of two federal politicians yesterday.
Brian Murphy, Liberal MP for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, and Yvon Godin, New Democrat MP for Acadie-Bathurst, have both endorsed Martin LeBlanc-Rioux, a McGill University law student from Dieppe, in his continuing bid to get city council to adopt a city language bylaw.
LeBlanc-Rioux started the process last fall and in January presented a petition to council with 4,016 names supporting a bylaw. At the time, city council was non-committal on what to do with the petition but said they'd study the proposal.
LeBlanc-Rioux said he's trying to make sure French is kept prominent in Dieppe -- a city which tags itself as the Acadian capital of the world.
Dieppe businesses with interior French or bilingual signage were recorded at 39 per cent in 2005, growing to 73 per cent in 2007. With exterior signs, the number went from 45 per cent in 2005 to 72 per cent in 2007.
LeBlanc-Rioux said a language bylaw would force national chain stores, which might not respect or recognize Dieppe's demographics, to abide by rules.
Murphy and Godin said they hoped their added voices would encourage councillors to speed up the process of making a decision.
"Dieppe could be the example for the province," said Godin, suggesting the city could serve as an example to other cities and towns in the New Brunswick -- Canada's only officially bilingual province.
Moncton -- Canada's only officially bilingual city -- has 80 per cent of its business signs in English only, with two per cent in French only and 18 per cent in both official languages, according to the findings of the New Brunswick Council on French Language Planning.
Murphy, a former mayor of Moncton, said Dieppe could be an example to the city next door.
"Maybe it's something that the City of Moncton will think in its wisdom is a very positive thing," he said.
Murphy said New Brunswick's French-speaking community has waited long enough to see language equality exhibited in the front windows of businesses, and not just on the written papers of laws, bills and motions.
"It leaves open whether there should be a renewal of provincial policies with respect to official bilingualism," said Murphy.
Both Murphy and Godin brushed off suggestions the provincial or federal governments would intervene in forcing a language bylaw on municipalities.
However, they're still calling on Dieppe to lead the way.
Calls made to Dieppe city hall yesterday were not returned.
LeBlanc-Rioux said he was confident the city was taking his proposal seriously, but hoped for an answer sooner rather than later.
"I didn't want a doctor's thesis," he said. "I wanted a bylaw."
http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/711902
Law student pushing Dieppe city council for bilingualism bylaw for business signs
A1
By Nick Moore Times & Transcript Staff
Efforts to force Dieppe businesses to include French and English on all their interior and exterior signage, by way of a municipal bylaw, won the support of two federal politicians yesterday.
Brian Murphy, Liberal MP for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, and Yvon Godin, New Democrat MP for Acadie-Bathurst, have both endorsed Martin LeBlanc-Rioux, a McGill University law student from Dieppe, in his continuing bid to get city council to adopt a city language bylaw.
LeBlanc-Rioux started the process last fall and in January presented a petition to council with 4,016 names supporting a bylaw. At the time, city council was non-committal on what to do with the petition but said they'd study the proposal.
LeBlanc-Rioux said he's trying to make sure French is kept prominent in Dieppe -- a city which tags itself as the Acadian capital of the world.
Dieppe businesses with interior French or bilingual signage were recorded at 39 per cent in 2005, growing to 73 per cent in 2007. With exterior signs, the number went from 45 per cent in 2005 to 72 per cent in 2007.
LeBlanc-Rioux said a language bylaw would force national chain stores, which might not respect or recognize Dieppe's demographics, to abide by rules.
Murphy and Godin said they hoped their added voices would encourage councillors to speed up the process of making a decision.
"Dieppe could be the example for the province," said Godin, suggesting the city could serve as an example to other cities and towns in the New Brunswick -- Canada's only officially bilingual province.
Moncton -- Canada's only officially bilingual city -- has 80 per cent of its business signs in English only, with two per cent in French only and 18 per cent in both official languages, according to the findings of the New Brunswick Council on French Language Planning.
Murphy, a former mayor of Moncton, said Dieppe could be an example to the city next door.
"Maybe it's something that the City of Moncton will think in its wisdom is a very positive thing," he said.
Murphy said New Brunswick's French-speaking community has waited long enough to see language equality exhibited in the front windows of businesses, and not just on the written papers of laws, bills and motions.
"It leaves open whether there should be a renewal of provincial policies with respect to official bilingualism," said Murphy.
Both Murphy and Godin brushed off suggestions the provincial or federal governments would intervene in forcing a language bylaw on municipalities.
However, they're still calling on Dieppe to lead the way.
Calls made to Dieppe city hall yesterday were not returned.
LeBlanc-Rioux said he was confident the city was taking his proposal seriously, but hoped for an answer sooner rather than later.
"I didn't want a doctor's thesis," he said. "I wanted a bylaw."
http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/711902
Here are some emails I received regarding this article.
1)ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A "LANGUAGE POLICE" LIKE QUEBEC??? WHAT IDOTICY!!! AGAIN, IF ANY ENGLISH COMMUNITY DID THIS WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, THEY WOULD BE CALED BIGOTS!! THIS IS JUST FRENCH BIGOTRY AGAINST THE ENGLISH!!
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2)Very interesting. I lived in Dieppe for 20 years as a Bilingual Acadian, English being my first language. My parents both grew up in Dieppe. When we lived there, Dieppe residents were about 50% English and French or so it seemed. Now, when visiting Dieppe, I feel more like I am visiting Quebec. It seems now that Dieppe is 50% Acadians and 50% Quebecers. If they want to live in Quebec, perhaps they should move back there. Just as an observer living outside Dieppe now, I have never seen such a waste in Tax Payers money than in the past ten years. I believe that the bylaw regarding signs is just the next step in Dieppe becoming the next Quebec City. While we are at it, why don't change the name to "Little Quebec". I was born in Quebec and lived there for 10 years as well as living in Dieppe for 20 years, and they are two places I would never want to live in again. Just thought I would share my view of the "new" Dieppe.
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This one is probably from the law student.
3)...If I ever find out who you are, and with time I will, I swear I'm going to have your head ! NO ONE, but you gives a dam about your problems with bilingualism! Having more then one language in our country, reguardless of which one it may be, is an honor!To point out a fact, I'm english, but I welcome any languages in our region.We all have to live together, black/white, english/french whatever... Grow-up !
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By Blogger; Hmmm, That sounds like a threat. I can't give out my ID... If I do I could end up with a pigs head on my doorstep and I am a vegetarian.
If you are such a firm believer in bilingualism why didn't you send me the email in both languages?
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