Several anglos have given up

Photo Dominic Scali
In the office of Gary Shapiro are executive to the effigy of the Canadian and Montreal Expos. “I’m not antifrançais,” says the activist.

Dominique Scali

Sunday, 18 February 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Sunday, 18 February 2018 01:00

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Gary Shapiro has founded a quebec Office of the English language. After 20 years of struggle, it ceased its activities last summer, tired of fighting for a cause ” goes nowhere “. A gesture that demonstrates according to him, “apathy” of the English-speaking community.

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“Cursed English” is one of the first phrases of French he has learned, launched by a young neighbor when he was about eight years old.

Gary D. Shapiro, 62 years old, grew up in the Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Montreal. In his office, a sweater of the Habs and one of the other Expos are much in evidence.

“I’m not antifrançais “, wishes to clarify the man who is at the head of a family business of air conditioning and ventilation.

But he remembers very well when the taste to mount the barricades took him. It was in 1977. The Charter of the French language had been adopted, obliging the traders to a prominent display in French (see the box on page 12).

The next day, his family was forced to change the stickers that were placed on all of their trucks because the ones in English were the same size as those in French. “No bigger. Of the same size, ” he insists.

Bilingual before the time

“We were bilingual before we are told to be. Bilingualism was a business practice in normal, even at this time, ” he says.

Mr. Shapiro has founded the quebec Office of the English language two decades later, in 1996. He does not remember the trigger, but explained that there was a ” gap ” in the defense of the rights of anglophones.

The organization was, among others, to inform English speakers about their rights and to lobby with shops where English was excluded.

According to him, the fact that English is often a disadvantage on the labour market in quebec. “Myself, if I have two candidates of equal skills, I’ll hire a French-speaking as the seller. “

“If the customer is a Mr. Lévesque, he will not be interested in what Mr. Smith has to sell. He wants to see a Mr. Gagnon, shows-t-it. I have to do what works for my business. “

The English threatened ?

As 66 % of English-speaking respondents, it is believed that the French no longer needs to be protected as before. The number of persons who use French as their first official language in use is on the rise in Quebec, according to Statistics Canada.

Mr. Shapiro has rather the impression that it is English that is in danger of extinction in the province.

Even Jean-Paul Perreault of the body Imperative for the French to admit that the language of Molière is no longer as threatened as before.

“We are no longer in the protection. What you’re looking for, it is to showcase quebec culture “, he explains.

In fact, the number of Quebecers who speak English at home is increasing, albeit combined with other languages, according to the last census.

“It is [rather] the vitality of the communities in English, which is in danger, more than the language itself, explains Lorraine O’donnell, a professor at the School of community affairs at Concordia University. We know that the English is strong. But the English have fewer places in which to live in English. “

“The damage is done “

After 20 years defending the rights of his own, Gary Shapiro now has the impression that it is too late.

II think of all the young English talent who have left the province, which was mentioned in The Journal yesterday.

“The damage has been done “, let-t-he fall.

It has therefore closed its Office of the English language a few months ago, noticing an “apathy” growing in the community. It is more difficult to mobilize people who want to donate money, but are unwilling to devote time to the cause.

“Now, I want to take care of myself,” he says.

Robert Libman, the former party of Equality, is observed that the same abatement. “Many have thrown in the towel. They have accepted the realities of language. “

“The anglos are afraid to complain, are afraid to make baffles “, abounds lawyer Harold Staviss.

But he does not see that black horizon. “The brits want to speak any more French than before and the francos want to speak more English than before,” says he.