This is one of our most controversial newsletters to date. Is Canada Bilingual? Your many responses were overwhelming. Unfortunately, we were unable to to publish everyone's comments. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this important Canadian issue. Let us know how you feel about this subject. Send comments to: Newsletter

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Galloping Geezer
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Thinking of Canada
If you are confused about your identity, look no further than the maple leaf. This symbol touches our nature, food, drinks, music, sports, clothes, business and every other feature of Canada. What does the maple leaf mean to you?

by Jim Corbett, South Korea

Quick Quotes from our readers!

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Languages pass test
Second language instruction will be mandatory for Alberta students as early as Learning Minister Lyle Oberg said yesterday that's a certainty. The only questions are how to deliver it in rural areas and what grades will be affected.

"Language acquisition in a global society is absolutely an imperative, so we're looking at how we can do that, potentially in 2006-07," Oberg said.

Learning department spokesman Mark Cooper said at least four other provinces make second-language instruction mandatory.

In Alberta, paying for a program is still in question.

"It probably means an increase (in funding)," Oberg said. "One of the other hurdles we have to overcome would be how do we distribute it out to the rural areas. You are not going to have a second-language teacher in every rural area, in every rural school."

Oberg also said school boards can pick the language.


By DAVID SANDS, LEGISLATURE BUREAU

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Re - Bilingualism

Well here are my thoughts on bilingualism. Since I am of German origin, I think I can safely have an opinion and say something about this subject. In my opinion, bilingualism is a big waste of money. I think that only those who are afraid that something will be lost by choice legislate the preservation of it. In my case, my family spoke German and by their own efforts and my choice I chose to preserve my heritage. That said I didn't try to force it upon anyone, nor did I try to burden a country already starving of money with my petty wants. While it's true the French Canadians have a wonderful culture and language more than worthy of preservation, legislating it's use and forcing people to use it is not the right way to preserve it, furthermore it's an expensive luxury we cannot afford. Shall we legislate that all the languages be accepted in all government offices? I think not. This is Canada, I am not a German Canadian, there are no Indo Canadians or Asian Canadians. It's time we all learn to sacrifice a little and remember we are all Canadians FIRST. The country should come first and let us all shoulder the burden of keeping our own cultures alive at our expense. As far as I am concerned, when you come to Canada, you have a duty and an obligation to learn it's cultures and adapt. Speak the main language out of respect, lose the scabard, sword or what have you because that's not acceptable in Canada, if you choose to have a one, or if that price, the price of having to conform a little is too high, that one person or group is more important than the entire population, then please do stay where you are. Maybe I am a little off track, but this bilingualism is a part of an entire trend which is making the country unprofitable, laden with red tape, and in some cases biased. Is German an official language in this country? No. Do I still speak the language? Absolutely. So am I biased? Absolutley not. I fully expect to have to speak some French when visiting Montreal because of course that makes sense. Wherever the majority in an area speak a certain language, that would be the language I would speak while visiting there. It's common sense. When I travel to Vancouver's China town, will I hear French, English, you do the math. Common sense has to prevail. Move to Quebec, speak french otherwise it's pretty simple.

That's my opinion.

Michael

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Re - Bilingualism
Your readers might be interested to know that in Montreal many of the graduating university students these days are in fact trilingual or better. While some Western Canadians still see bilingualism as a thorn in their leathery hides, young people today have already gone well beyond this old issue as a way to secure future global employment.

lp

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Re - Bilingualism
How counterproductive to pander another language.What about all the other immigrant cultures ? I believe Canada would be better served to use one language for commerce and communication but allow the myriad of cultures to use their own religion,language & customs in their own homes if they so choose.

dd,Ab

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Hi here are my thoughts on bilingualism...

Canada is not bilingual. Quebec is not bilingual. New Brunswick is not Blinigual. British Columbia is not Bilingual. With today's changing Socitey Canada is not Bilingual. Canada can be English and French speaking but we just dont have to time to try. Canada is too busy worrying about the War on Iraq or the Softwood Lumber Tarrifs or the 2010 Winter Olyimpic Bid. We are not focusing on the basics of what Canada is and what we stand for, one of which is bilingualism. For decades we have been fighting with Quebec over whether they will ever sign the Consitution of Canada or Seperate and become a new Country. Quebec refuses to be bilingual because they refuse to promote the english language in there province. British Columbia feels like Canada outcasts since the Government seems not to recognize us very well. Canada can not be Bilingual unless certian measures are inplemented by the Canadian Federal Government. They have to show Canadians that Bilingualism is who we are!!!

J H
Delta, BC

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South Canada
I am a proud Canadian, born in Calgary in 1916, of parents from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Of course , one of our treats was maple syrup. I have it in my fridge, always. and have found many uses of it. I thought I had found the most northern Maple Tree in North America, at the north end of Shushwap Lakes. It turned out to be a Norway Maple, which is not a native tree, that was planted years ago around the hotel.

I wrote the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario, enquiring how far north Maples grow, there. I have letters from each province stating that there are no Maple Trees in their provinces that grow north of the 49th parallel. They grow only in Southern Canada, where the political power of Canada exists. That is where about 70% of all Canadians live, and that is south of the 49th parallel. Southern Canada includes the Maritime Provinces, except for a small part of Newfoundland, but not Labrador. Historically the areas are referred to as Upper or Lower Canada. They are referred to as Eastern Canadians, but really they are Southern Canadians. All that area is below 1,000 feet of elevation, which horticulturally is so different than all the rest of Canada, which has so little political power, to effect a change.

We proudly fly the Canadian Flag, which has the Maple Leaf, so rare in most of Canda.

When we are at our cabin, on Shushwap Lake, I proudly fly the Canadian Flag and the wartime version of the flag of the RCAF, in which I was involved as a pilot in the Battle of Berlin in 1943 and 1944.
V.L. Doug Hawkes

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