My own experiences in Quebec, a month in Jonquiere as part of the J'Explore program and a summer in Quebec City as part of a university exchange program were enriching and rewarding experiences that I'll always treasure. All of the locals, federalist or separatist, were very friendly and accommodating. A couple of friends of mine of Chinese origin, who participated in similar programs, also had the same pleasant experiences.
In part because of that, I've also tried to see things from the Franco-Quebecois point of view, to get their views on why they see things like the languages laws as so necessary. To that extent, I've even
come to support some aspects of the laws. That doesn't mean I support things like Pastagate or attempting to regulate an online Facebook page-such actions are just plain stupidity.
Besides, it's not as though the Franco-Quebecois are the only ones who have controversies over language.
Look at the controversy over Chinese-only signs in Richmond, and the
Chinese immigrants who agree with it.
Arizona voters repealed their state's bilingual education programs and made them all almost English-only, while the British Home Secretary
said that immigrants ought to only speak English in their homes. And when it comes to the attitudes behind the Charter of "Values",
Quebec is hardly the only place where they exist...A friend of mine who's about Jabberwalker's age also related to me her own personal experiences travelling through Quebec. While she doesn't speak a word of French, she found that it was the Montrealers who were rude assholes to her. By comparison, it was the people out in the smaller rural towns who were very friendly and accommodating. Even if they didn't speak much English, my friend and them still managed to get on quite well and somehow muddled through their conversations.
It's notable that so many of the people cited in this article talk about the economy as a reason for leaving.
A number of prominent Quebecers, including separatists like Lucien Bouchard, have been talking for years about the need to fix the problem.Here are some translated extracts:
$1:
Quebec must obviously ensure that its citizens speak and write good French...the State must also make much more effort to ensure that Quebecois can speak and write in English, plus another language.
...
Just as the Quebecois will be less numerous, so too must they be more productive. A work environment favourable to performance and innovation must be added to a skilled labour force.
...
The unhealthy mistrust of the private sector that has developed in some circles must also be gotten rid of...Why do we accuse large Quebec companies of all kinds of evils when they want to invest here, even as we glorify ourselves with their international success?
Other prominent ideas include ending the cap on tuition increases and an overhaul of the provincial tax system to put more emphasis on consumption taxes and less emphasis on income taxes.
On the matter of language, Lucien Bouchard's brother Gérard also talked about how it would be
"criminal" for Quebec to turn its back on English. Gérard also took issue with other separatists like Pauline Marois,
accusing them of "nurturing anxiety and insecurity" for cheap political gains.It seems to me that one of the biggest obstacles Quebec is facing right now is its godawful provincial leadership. And I'm sure we can all agree that
that is a problem that Quebecois are hardly alone in facing...
CKA Uber 
