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Montreal Gazette
7 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
In Belgium, it's Bonjour that's causing trouble — not Hi
By Sometimes, it's saying 'Bonjour' — not 'Hi' — that gets a service worker in trouble. In Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region, a train ticket inspector is facing official backlash for greeting a passenger with 'Goedendag-Bonjour' instead of just 'Goedendag' — a reminder that language sensitivities aren't unique to Quebec. 'That a commission would say adding 'Bonjour' alongside 'Goedendag' is somehow illegal or a violation — it's a real shame,' Ilyass Alba, the train employee, said in a video posted on social media. 'It's regrettable that in 2025, in this era of globalization, someone would say: 'Hey, you can't do that because of a 1966 language law.'' The Dutch-speaking passenger filed a complaint last year with Commission permanente de Contrôle linguistique (CPCL), Belgium's language watchdog. Because the interaction occurred in a Dutch-speaking area, Alba should have started the conversation with 'Goedendag,' the commission said in a statement last week. The CPCL said Alba could have continued in French but only if the passenger had responded in French. The language clash occurred as the train was approaching officially bilingual Brussels, where a Dutch-French greeting would have been allowed. Reached by The Gazette on Monday, Alba said he was not authorized to speak to reporters. He noted that his employer — Belgium's national railway — 'considers the case closed.' The Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges (SNCB) has downplayed the incident, saying Alba will not be punished for his transgression. The railway is calling for more linguistic flexibility, saying 'current regulations are not sufficiently focused on the passenger.' It wants to 'put passengers at the heart of its priorities and be able to properly inform all travellers in the national languages, particularly for tourist destinations.' Alba, a train influencer with more than 60,000 followers on TikTok and Facebook, is also calling for more linguistic tolerance. 'Speaking multiple languages isn't a threat to Dutch or to French,' he said in the video. 'If we make an announcement in Dutch in Charleroi (a French-speaking city), it's not a threat. On the contrary — it's really an asset. It's a sign of openness.' The Bonjour blowup has sparked international headlines. Alba is capitalizing on his newfound fame, selling mugs stamped with 'Goeiedag Bonjour' and a Belgian flag via 'Goeiedag' is a more informal variant of the Dutch greeting 'Goedendag.' 'Start your day with a mug that speaks volumes! Inspired by a viral anecdote, it adds a fun touch to your mornings,' Alba says on the Dutch–French bilingual website — using the English words mug and fun on the French-language side. There are important differences between the situations in Quebec and Belgium. For one thing, Belgium has three official languages — Dutch, French and German — while Quebec has declared French as its only official language. Also, while Quebec's Charter of the French Language — commonly known as Bill 101 — guarantees consumers the right to be served in French, it does not ban service workers from saying 'Hi.' Some Quebec francophones consider 'Bonjour-Hi' a sign of linguistic encroachment and a threat to French. Anglophones largely see the phrase as a polite way for workers to gauge a customer's language preference. The National Assembly has twice — in 2017 and 2019 — passed resolutions urging merchants to say au revoir to Bonjour-Hi and just keep Bonjour. Mayor Valérie Plante has also weighed in, saying 'we should encourage people to only say Bonjour.' The Legault government briefly floated the idea of formally banning Bonjour-Hi. It backed off after critics said it would be impossible to legislate conversations between citizens and service workers. French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge has called on Quebecers to insist on receiving service in French and to report any violations to the Office québécois de la langue française. Language complaints have soared under the CAQ government, with more than 10,000 filed in 2024-25. By far the largest category of complaints — 40 per cent — concerned language of service. A decade ago, only 18 per cent of complaints addressed this issue. Quebec periodically conducts investigations to monitor language-of-service trends, sending observers into stores posing as regular customers. In the 2024 study, the use of bilingual greetings such as Bonjour-Hi rose from 4 per cent to 12 per cent. A series of Gazette articles this year raised questions about the results of the latest study, including whether the use of secret shoppers from visible minorities may have skewed the results. Some research suggests Quebec store workers are more likely to greet customers in English when they appear to be from visible minorities.
Montreal Gazette
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Ticket to buy? Not at the Bell Centre box office
Re: ' McCartney to play Bell Centre Nov. 17-18 ' (The Gazette, July 11) Last Friday, I ventured down to the Bell Centre, arriving at 6 a.m. to join a group of people who had already assembled to purchase tickets to see Paul McCartney. Most of the folks in line were francophone, and I found the long wait passed quite quickly as we shared reflections and interesting anecdotes about the former Beatle. On a personal note, I feel fortunate to have spent my early teens working in Liverpool, where I spent many happy times at the Cavern Club — renowned for the amazing talent who performed there — back in the early '60s. Seeing McCartney live is the closest thing to seeing the Beatles. I remember his last Montreal concert, when he played for almost three hours and the audience — from teens to baby boomers — stood up and sang along in wondrous unity. His performance was magical. On Friday, there was a growing sense of anticipation and jubilation at the ticket office. Sadly and unexpectedly, at 9.40 a.m., an employee swooped by with a written notice she displayed on the glass door: Go to Ticketmaster online. We were gobsmacked. My first thought was to take a taxi to the nearest library to access a computer, but I changed my mind — knowing I had missed the boat on snagging a good seat to see McCartney. Perhaps, instead of Band on the Run, he will change the lyrics to Fans on the Run. Jim McDermott, St-Laurent Francis served as vocal inspiration I was beyond saddened to learn of the death of Connie Francis. She went through a lot in her life. Her brother was murdered. She was raped — an event she said destroyed her marriage. I first saw her on The Ed Sullivan Show when I was 13. She inspired me so much that I tried to copy her voice, until vocal lessons taught me to allow my own style to emerge. My most important memento of her is a cassette called Twenty Years of Connie Francis, given to me by a lifelong friend. My favourite song is Where the Boys Are, which was made into a film. It showed her acting prowess and versatility. After writing Francis a letter, I had almost given up hope, but three months later it came — an autographed photograph. Her impact on my life was immeasurable. Louise Corda, Côte-des-Neiges A tip to consider courtesy of Trump Donald Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill includes a $25,000 tax deduction for restaurant servers earning tips. If Quebec and Canada were to follow this example, servers would effectively be paid closer to a true living wage without that cost being a burden to restaurant owners or their customers. Food for thought? Ian Copnick, Côte-St-Luc Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be. Please send the letter in the body of an email, not as an attachment.
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Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec can't afford to be ‘the most generous welfare state in North America'
The Corner Booth On Wednesday, the Coalition Avenir Québec government pledged to invest $540 million into student services — less than one month after it was met with fierce backlash for slashing $570 million in education funding. While former senator André Pratte is 'happy for the education system,' he says this flip-flopping by Quebec means more drastic cuts are on the horizon. 'We can't afford everything that we want from the government of Quebec, as a society. I'm all for government intervention in many different fields, but we have to choose (to take) into account our means, to pay for all this,' Pratte told hosts Bill Brownstein and Aaron Rand on this week's episode of The Corner Booth, where he discussed his latest op-ed for The Gazette: A welfare state Quebecers cannot afford. 'This $540 million that they just found, they need to take from somewhere else.'
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
‘Thanks is not enough': Mom praises Pierrefonds woman who saved daughter from drowning at pool party
News By Sandra Zagury was at a birthday party with her daughter on a Saturday last month in Île-Bizard when a bee suddenly caused a commotion, setting off a series of events that nearly ended in a little girl's drowning death. Another child noticed that eight-year-old Thakshana Ganeshan, who had been in the pool, was no longer moving. A man pulled her out of the water and partygoers were trying to help her on the grass, Zagury recalled. The Pierrefonds resident, who is a high school physical education teacher, jumped into action. Thakshana wasn't breathing, she said, and 911 was called. 'When you're in a situation like this ... the adrenalin kicks in,' Zagury said in an interview with The Gazette this week. 'And I just started doing compressions.' As part of her job, Zagury knows and teaches CPR to her students, but she said it was her first time doing it in an emergency. In the moment, she said, everyone at the party was trying to help but some told her to stop, worrying the child's ribs might break. 'I kept going and going. And then after that, after maybe about a minute or something of compressions, she coughed up water,' Zagury said. 'So that's when I knew she was alive. I started to cry because of emotion, because I saw her. And then I was so happy that I cried.' They put the girl on her side so she wouldn't choke, Zagury said. Then first responders arrived at the scene and loaded Thakshana on a stretcher. 'A second life' The last thing Thakshana said she remembers is being at the pool party with her friends when someone screamed 'bee!' and one followed her as she was on the edge of the pool. Her mother, Umananthini Shanmugarajah, was at home and had just missed a call from the party. She had dropped off her two daughters, with plans to pick them up around 5 p.m. Shanmugarajah was worried and repeatedly called back, but there was no answer. That is when police reached her to tell her what had happened. 'But they said, 'She's not dead. She's breathing.' Then I start to cry,' she recounted through tears in an interview with The Gazette. Thakshana had ingested too much water and was kept in the hospital for 24 hours, her mother said. She had chest pain, but has been doing well since she came home. Medical staff advised the parents to bring Thakshana back if she developed a fever, but luckily that didn't happen. 'The doctor told me, 'You're a lucky person,'' Shanmugarajah said. The Montreal Children's Hospital reports that its trauma centre handles 'at least one drowning or near drowning per week over the summer months.' In an alert posted to its website earlier this month, the hospital noted 73 per cent of the drownings seen in its emergency department 'occurred in home pools, park pools, aquatic centres or water parks.' Everyone said her child was given 'a second life,' but it was Zagury's actions that saved Thakshana from drowning, according to Shanmugarajah. 'Thanks is not enough, to me, to express what she did,' she said, adding she would 'do anything' for the woman who rescued her daughter. The family is registering Thakshana for swim lessons, something they hadn't done before due to her asthma. Both women also said what happened was an accident, with Shanmugarajah emphasizing 'I don't want to blame anyone' at the party. Shanmugarajah said she couldn't imagine surviving without her daughter. As Thakshana's mother, she also said she felt guilty for not being at the party and fears it would not have been a happy ending if Zagury hadn't been there. 'I just wanted to do the right thing,' Zagury said. Following Thakshana's recovery, her family decided to have a big celebration for her eighth birthday, which was just a few days after the rescue. Shanmugarajah and Zagury's children were already friends through school daycare services, often playing Uno together. But now the two mothers hope to stay in touch, with Zagury inviting Shanmugarajah's family over this summer. Water safety tips As part of a joint alert about summer safety, the Montreal Children's Hospital and Urgences-santé say drowning prevention takes a 'multi-pronged approach.' They suggest close supervision of children around all bodies of water, including being within an arm's reach of anyone with 'weak swimming skills.' It's best to know the swimming skill level of 'those in your pool,' they say. Other recommendations include swimming lessons for children and CPR training for any pool owner. They also say swimming shouldn't be done alone at any age.
Montreal Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
‘No sale': Commenters not enticed by Vermont town's ‘Rue Canada' gesture
Commenters on social media had a lot to say about Thursday's news that Burlington, Vt. was temporarily renaming Church St. to Rue Canada. The gesture is an attempt to woo Canadians who are staying away in droves following the election of President Donald Trump. As reported by The Gazette's Jack Wilson, Canadians, including Quebecers, 'are travelling to the U.S. in smaller numbers than before.' The number of Quebecers crossing the border has dropped 43 per cent in June compared with June 2024. 'They could name the entire city after me personally and the most they would get is a virtual meeting. No sale,' said X user Kyle Riley. They could name the entire city after me personally and the most they would get is a virtual meeting. No sale. — Kyle Riley (@Smileyyeg) July 18, 2025 That user's comment reflected the majority who replied to the article on X and BlueSky. 'This is kinda sad cause vermont ain't that different from canada ideologically and culturally but im still not stepping foot there anymore,' said another X user, Dee. 'I have to give them credit for persistence ... for persisting in thinking performative nonsense like this is going to work,' said X user Harrison Lansing. I have to give them credit for persisting in thinking performative nonsense like this is going to work. — Harrison Lansing (@HarrisonLansing) July 18, 2025 Others on X said Burlington's decision makers were 'missing the point entirely' and 'watering a dead plant.' Some commenters were also sympathetic to the plight of the American border towns who rely on Canadian tourists to boost their economy. 'As a Canadian, I find it heartbreaking to be hurting our friends and neighbours. The Northeast US and Eastern Canada are so integrated economically and culturally, it's almost like family infighting that none of us wanted,' said X user TacticallyHip. As a Canadian, I find it heart-breaking to be hurting our friends and neighbours. The Northeast US and Eastern Canada are so integrated economically and culturally, it's almost like family infighting that none of us wanted. — Strictly Khaki (@tacticallyhip) July 18, 2025 On Bluesky, journalist Dale Smith called the move 'more extreme not-getting-it from Americans,' while Bluesky user Trevor responded with: 'Hope you'll enjoy your stroll down 'Sorry We Threatened to Annex You' lane!' The temporary renaming of Church St., which will return to its previous name on Sept. 1, isn't the only overture made by Americans looking to bring back Quebec tourists in the wake of Trump's '51st State' rhetoric and tariffs. A rally for Maine-Quebec Friendship Day was held in Augusta on St-Jean Baptiste Day last month. Pro-Canada Vermonters, including Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, made a stop at Jean-Talon Market in May to promote goodwill between neighbours. Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est recently went viral for an ad campaign looking to entice Americans who might be sheepish about crossing the border with their 'Come hug it out in the Eastern Townships' campaign. The ad showing an American tourist and Canadian hotel worker sharing a hug has been viewed 2.1 million times on YouTube since being uploaded on May 22. This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM.
