🚀 go-pugleaf

On Fri, 28 Jun 1996, Denis Beauregard wrote:

> A Montr=E9al, la f=EAte du Canada est organis=E9e par le Dr Singh, le m=
=EAme=20
> qui est =E0 la t=EAte d'un des mouvements pour d=E9molir =E9conomiquement=
 le
> Qu=E9bec en cas de s=E9cession.

So it's organized by a private citizen, correct? Who organizes and funds
the St Jean Baptiste festivities?=20

> La St-Jean =E9tait d=E9j=E0 f=EAt=E9e sous le R=E9gime fran=E7ais.  St-Je=
an-Baptiste
> est le patron des Canadiens fran=E7ais (autrefois des Canadiens) et des
> Ukrainiens.  Ce n'est que r=E9cemment que le 24 juin, en devenant la
> F=EAte Nationale du Qu=E9bec (ce que le Canada anglais n'accepte pas en n=
e
> laissant pas un calendrier produit hors-Qu=E9bec porter la mention "F=EAt=
e
> Nationale" ), que r=E9cemment que le 24 juin a cess=E9 d'=EAtre une f=EAt=
e
> ethnique (Canadiens fran=E7ais) pour devenir non-ethnique (Qu=E9b=E9cois)=
.
>=20
> Et Neil l'a montr=E9, il a travers=E9 la foule au plus fort de la parade
> avec son drapeau canadien et on ne l'a pas lynch=E9...

I realize this is a sensitive issue (tolerance of federalists in Quebec),
and so should have been more careful in my wording, Denis. At no time did
I feel threatened in the LEAST bit during the entire parade, and my
journey through the midst of a Bouchard-led separatist rally (I still
laugh just thinking about it). Having finished my 7-week stay in Montreal,
I can say with complete confidence that I had ZERO bad experiences with
regard to my being an anglophone (or an ethnique). The only time someone
refused to speak in English with me was a gentleman at the Bibliotheque
national du Quebec. When I asked him if he spoke English, in French, he
kept telling me (politely), "Mais vous parlez francais tres bien,
monsieur!" I guess I pronounce "Parlez-vous anglais?" well enough to
convince people I can parlez en francais equally well. :)

One more thing though, regarding federalists in Quebec: I have spoken to a
few francophone federalists in Montreal, some of whom say that they are
reluctant to express their opinions about Canada freely among other
francophones, for various reasons. In a way I suppose this is natural,
since liberals in Arizona feel the same way. :)

Neil=20
http://u.arizona.edu/~neilends
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona