The controversy of the “hello, hi”

Photo Dominic Scali

Dominique Scali

Sunday, 18 February 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Sunday, 18 February 2018 01:00

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The merchants of Montreal are they going to abandon the formula ” Hello, hi “, like the wish more politicians ? Nothing is less sure, judging by the reactions exaspérées (or ironic) of the English-speaking community.

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Reminder of the controversy

The minister liberal Marie Montpetit has launched the debate on the “Hello, hi” when she qualified in the interview, this formula of” irritant ” for the francophones in November last year. The leader of the parti québecois Jean-François Lisée has taken over the debate and proposed a motion calling on the traders to abandon the phrase. The liberal Party refused to support it, but ultimately supported a version that is inviting to welcome the guests with the word “hello” on the 30th November.

A reaction to ” visceral “

A long time ago that the community did not react as strongly to a controversy in linguistics, writes Robert Libman, former leader of the Party of Equality, which was founded to respond to the dissatisfaction of English-speaking people in the 1980s.

The open lines on the radio does dérougissaient not, open letters have arrived in the English media, shows-t-it. “The reaction has been visceral. “

Resolution to the council

In December, the municipal council of Côte-Saint-Luc has adopted a resolution proclaiming this small town défusionnée as a ” proud community Hello, hi “.

“We were shocked and disappointed with our government,” says councillor Ruth Kovac.

Even more used ?

According to Jack Jedwab, the controversy has made it so that even more people are using the phrase “Hello, hi” than before, at least in the west of Montreal. “This is like a joke or a wink between the English-speaking “, interpreter-t-it.

“I don’t know if it uses more than before, but I believe that it should be used way more deliberate, in any case. In a more conscious way, to send a message, ” observes Ruth Kovac. For the most [English-speaking], it is a farce, this controversy. “

T-shirts ” hello, hi “

In order to make fun of this debate “ridiculous,” the photographer Henri Hadida has created a t-shirt bearing the image of the symbol of Montreal with the slogan ” Hello, hi “. It is estimated to have sold a fifty since November, since he has made available on eBay.

At the restaurant Our-Beef-de-Grâce in Montreal (photo above), the employees could wear a t-shirt house, emblazoned with the “Hello, hi” for over a year. The owner Johnathan Dresner, 37 years old, explained that he had the idea to use this “signature” montreal “. “It is, of course, I would not have created the t-shirt after the controversy, I wouldn’t want to add oil on the fire,” he said. But nobody is offended. Even as some customers began to take the t-shirt in the photo, he adds.