Latest news with #anglophones
National Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Majority of Canadians see progress a decade after Truth and Reconciliation report: poll
Article content The survey also suggests respondents who said they are proud of Canada's history are more likely to report Canada is making good progress on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, at 68 per cent. Of those who reported they're not proud of Canada's history, just 39.3 per cent said they believe Canada is making good progress. Article content Pride in Canada's history seems to be strongly correlated with the age of respondents. Just 36 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 24 reported feeling proud of that history, while 78 per cent of those 65 and older said the same. Article content Francophone youth reported being more proud of Canada's history (59 per cent) than anglophones (35 per cent) — a finding Jedwab said he was surprised by, given the persistence of the province's separatist movement. Article content Jedwab said while the poll found most Indigenous respondents reported feeling pride in Canadian history, it can't be taken at face value because the sample size was so small. Article content 'There's a need to actually pursue further research in this area to get a better idea of how Indigenous Peoples feel,' he said. Article content 'We need to be more attentive to that diversity in terms of drawing conclusions about the views of Indigenous Peoples … We do need to better understand what the nature of the relationship is right now, how people feel about whether progress is being achieved or not and how we go forward together.' Article content
Local France
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
French Expression of the Day: Ça passe ou ça casse
Why do I need to know ça passe ou ça casse ? Because it's useful to emphasise when an event - whether it's your French citizenship interview or a global summit - is really very important. What does it mean? Ça passe ou ça casse – usually pronounced sah pass oo sah kass – literally translates to 'it goes or it breaks.' In practice, this French phrase has several equivalent English expressions (maybe anglophones really like living on the edge): 'Make or Break,' 'Sink or Swim' and 'Do or Die.' Advertisement It's used to describe a situation where everything feels like it is hanging in the balance, with the potential outcome being uncertain, but very important. You might see this phrase in newspapers when an important summit or parliamentary vote is approaching, but it's more commonly a phrase that you'll hear spoken aloud, especially in sports commentary. It's slightly colloquial but not offensive and there are few situations where it would be inappropriate. It's even the title of a few popular French songs, including the title of an album by the French singer Frédéric Lerner. Use it like this Je prépare mon examen de conduite depuis si longtemps, et c'est la seule date disponible pour passer l'examen au cours des prochains mois. Ça passe ou ça casse. – I have been preparing for my driving test for so long, and this is the only date available for months to come. It's do or die. Ils négocient les propositions sur la crise climatique depuis des mois, sans succès. Ce sommet sera une affaire de "ça passe ou ça casse". – They have been negotiating the propositions for the climate crisis for months to no avail. This summit is going to be a make or break situation. A l'approche des Alpes, ça passe ou ça casse pour Jonas Vingegaard - As they approach the Alps, it's make or break for Jonas Vingegaard
Local France
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Local France
Inside France: Dodgy French politicians, fast trains and fun soldiers
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Slippery politicos It's been a bad week for dodgy politicians in France - ex PM François Fillon was finally sentenced over the fake jobs scandal that torpedoed his 2017 presidential bid, while ex president and convicted criminal Nicolas Sarkozy was stripped of his Légion d'honneur . These two very much represent the past in French politics, but the woman who hopes to be the future also suffered a legal setback the previous week - a Lille court denied Marine Le Pen's appeal against the loss of her role as a local councillor in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area, following her conviction for embezzlement. The fact that these things are all happening in the same couple of weeks is pure coincidence - Fillon and Sarkozy have both been dragging out the legal process for years - but it does highlight the issue of corruption in French politics. The reaction in France from many has been to worry that this paints a terrible picture of their country - but among foreigners I notice that the response is often the exact opposite; they see it as a positive thing, and proof that France is willing to prosecute corruption in high places. I wouldn't get over excited about the powerful getting their comeuppance - all three have access to the sort of lawyers who can and do drag out cases for years, and ensure that their clients get sentences at the lower end of the spectrum. But it does at least send a message that no-one is above the law. On track for growth This week - the week when the UK's latest high-speed rail project was delayed for what feels like the millionth time - we're also looking at how France got so good at high-speed rail, and how it manages to keep build costs comparatively low. One French expert said that France's 'authoritarian streak' is a key component. READ ALSO : How France became a world champion of high-speed rail✎ Advertisement I find that whenever you mention French rail success, anglophones tend to respond that France's frequent rail strikes put them off - that may be the case for them, but data suggests that the French don't feel the same way, with more and more people taking the train each year , and more people choosing high-speed rail over flying. It's the same with tourism - the anglophone reaction to French strikes or social unrest that takes place over the summer is often to suggest that it will damage the tourism industry. That's not born out by statistics either, with France retaining its crown as the world's most visited tourist destination and on course to break its own records in 2025 . I feel that it's worth digging in to this data, because it gives the lie to the assumption that you can either have an engaged and militant workforce or you can have economic growth, but you can't have both. France's rail and tourism industries would suggest that these are far from being mutually exclusive. Advertisement Talking France We talk about both dodgy politicians and rail in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast, before having some fun with a segment on French swearing - and why it is both cool and elegant. Listen here or on the link below. Oldie but a goodie I saw this clip being shared a lot in response to Donald Trump's somewhat underwhelming military parade last weekend - from the Paris Bastille Day event in 2017, it's a reminder that military parades can also be fun. The French military displaying a sense of humour was perhaps also a foreshadowing to one of my favourite bits of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony - the very serious Garde Républicaine soldiers suddenly morphing into a backing band for Aya Nakamura. Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
Local France
17-06-2025
- Local France
French word of the Day: Roissy
Why do I need to know Roissy? Because you want to be sure that you're going to the right airport. What does it mean? Roissy - pronounced roughly as whaa-see - is the name of a suburb to the north of Paris. But its more common use is as shorthand for the city's Charles de Gaulle airport. The airport's official name is Paris-Charles-De-Gaulle with the IATA airport code of CDG. Among anglophones it is routinely referred to as Charles de Gaulle, however French people, especially Parisians, tend to use Roissy as the shorthand way to refer to the airport - named after the suburb where it is situated. Advertisement It's commonly referred to as Roissy in newspaper headlines, and French people will also often say 'Roissy' when they mean the airport. This can cause some confusion if you have asked someone to meet you at Charles de Gaulle and they message to say they are "5 minutes away from Roissy". But don't panic, it's the same place. Even the official airport website refers to it as Aéroport Paris Charles de Gaulle (Roissy CDG). Use it like this Les aéroports de Roissy et Orly bloqués par des taxis - Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports blockaded by taxis Tempête Caetano : vols retardés à Roissy, perturbations sur les lignes TGV Ouest, bouchons sur les autoroutes - Storm Caetano: Flights delayed at Charles de Gaulle, disruption on the TGV lines in western France, traffic jams on the motorways Je te retrouve à Roissy à 19h - I'll meet you at Charles de Gaulle at 7pm
Montreal Gazette
04-06-2025
- General
- Montreal Gazette
Can a city councillor call people ‘idiots' on Facebook? A judge will decide
By Can a municipal councillor insult others on social media — calling them 'idiots,' 'morons' and much worse — if the exchange has nothing to do with their official duties? That question was put to Quebec administrative judge Sandra Bilodeau on Wednesday during an ethics hearing involving Andrew Caddell, an anglophone rights advocate and town councillor in Kamouraska. At the heart of the case is a long, heated Facebook exchange about anglophones, conducted in French on New Year's Eve, in which Caddell commented. Topics included Bill 96, Quebec's language law reform, which Caddell described as 'discriminatory.' After investigating a complaint, the Quebec Municipal Commission determined Caddell likely contravened Kamouraska's ethics rules 13 times, citing conduct that was 'disrespectful or uncivil' and lacking in 'honour.' He could be fined up to $4,000 or suspended from his elected duties for up to 90 days. At the hearing, Laurie Beaulieu, a lawyer for the commission, noted that Caddell's Facebook profile mentions that he is a Kamouraska councillor, and he mentioned it on 10 occasions during the Facebook discussion. Beaulieu said Caddell told some individuals to 'go f--- themselves' and called others morons, idiots, bigots and losers. He also used the abbreviation 'TDC,' which, in context, clearly was shorthand for the French word for 'a--hole,' she said. She said the words used breached Kamouraska's ethics code, which forbids councillors from engaging in 'offensive, disparaging, or intimidating actions, or any form of incivility of a vexatious nature.' Elected officials are entitled to express their opinions freely, Beaulieu said. But their position requires them to do so with restraint, and Caddell's behaviour was 'objectively contrary to the honour and dignity of the office.' Beaulieu added: 'Mr. Caddell has the right to express his views on the Charter of the French Language — that is not under debate today. However, he must do so while respecting the rules of ethics and professional conduct.' Caddell is president of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy, which has raised more than $200,000 to finance a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Bill 96. He's also a columnist with the Hill Times, an Ottawa political publication. Michael Bergman, a lawyer representing Caddell, argued that the comments, which he described as 'hard, difficult, strong, emotional, and passionate,' were made outside of Caddell's duties as a councillor. 'They had nothing to do with the needs, policies, affairs, or operations of the municipality of Kamouraska,' Bergman said. 'It was an exchange — a difficult one with intense words, without a doubt — between people regarding linguistic and minority questions across Quebec and Canada.' Elected municipal officials must be able to exercise their freedom of expression, he said, adding there is no precedent of a municipal councillor being subject to an ethics complaint for social media activity unrelated to their municipal role. Bergman described Caddell's French as 'exemplary,' noting that in the online discussion, he simply used 'street language — the kind of everyday talk Quebecers don't take issue with.' One should also consider the context of the Facebook discussion, he said. He pointed out that Caddell was under intense attack from others. Among other things, he was called a racist, a 'Rhodesian' and a 'supremacist' and told to 'take the 401 and screw off.' Bergman argued Caddell should be cleared in part because of a discrepancy between the English and French versions of Kamouraska's ethics code. In French, it refers to councillors being respectful toward 'citizens,' while the English one says 'citizens of the municipality.' Bergman said there's no proof anyone in the Facebook discussion — on the page operated by political commentator and former politician Nic Payne — was a resident of Kamouraska. For her part, Beaulieu cited the French version of the code. She said it's clear from the context that 'the notion of citizen must be interpreted broadly and liberally. (The code) in no way establishes that the term 'citizen' is limited to residents of the same municipality as the elected official.' The judge gave the two sides two weeks to submit briefs regarding the discrepancy between the French and English versions of the ethics code. A ruling is expected within three months. Caddell was elected as a councillor in Kamouraska, a municipality (population 607) in the Bas-St-Laurent region, in 2021. Caddell is a former Montreal West town commissioner who ran for the federal Liberals in 2011.
