French Speaking 1st At Opening Ceremonies

[CUSO]

just blew a head gasket over the same BS. was gonna watch opening ceremonies with the better half and this is the crap I have to put up with. France would be speaking German if it weren't for the Canadian And English forces coming in and saving them from the German invasion. Now the French in Canada have the nerve to impose their language as an accepted second language in this country.

OK so maybe you have the right (privilege) to speak your language in Canada. But so do the the other founding father of this country. I am appalled by our government to cave to those that we rescued from their existence. Our French Canadians show an arrogance that soils the gratitude that their ancestors in France showed to us we we saved them from German invasion.

I may be a bit biased in this post but WTF

Ever been to Fort Louisbourg
The french played a significant part in Canadian history. Go there and you will be amazed. It has nothing to do with WW-II

 

[imdoo'n]

yeah isn't that where the french got an axx kicking from the english.

 

[pipes]

Pipes is normally a smart guy, but obviously not very good at history. Don't understand why he would type out a reply that insults; his local community (Bonnyville is French), his local sled dealer (French), the Canadian armed forces (majority French) and his own country.

Thanks 234blair for your observation. In hind sight that post wasn't my proudest moment. I apologize to anyone that I might have offended. And Yes you are right history is not my strong suite. I have many good friends that are indeed French. It does still bother me that we have two official languages in Canada and that that language is French. Sorry but that is the way I feel. I give credit to the French for holding their language, I as a Ukrainian have all but lost my language. I feel that if we are a Country with two official languages the second language that should be official is that of the native people of this country. After all. we did take it away from them. Or better yet so that we don't exclude anyone maybe Sign language should be the official second of the world.

And like WHATDAFOOK said I did have a bad day at work. Still not a reason to blow up at anyone on this site, so with that I again I apologize for my outburst.

 

[steel town]

Those Natives must have sore calves today.......................they never quit dancing for at least an hour straight! Pretty awesome ceremony I thought!

I only way I could dance that long is with "fire water".

 

[steel town]

Thanks 234blair for your observation. In hind sight that post wasn't my proudest moment. I apologize to anyone that I might have offended. And Yes you are right history is not my strong suite. I have many good friends that are indeed French. It does still bother me that we have two official languages in Canada and that that language is French. Sorry but that is the way I feel. I give credit to the French for holding their language, I as a Ukrainian have all but lost my language. I feel that if we are a Country with two official languages the second language that should be official is that of the native people of this country. After all. we did take it away from them. Or better yet so that we don't exclude anyone maybe Sign language should be the official second of the world.

And like WHATDAFOOK said I did have a bad day at work. Still not a reason to blow up at anyone on this site, so with that I again I apologize for my outburst.

It's ok man, I was watching the show in a room full of people and even old Granny was pissed about the French, but I had to inform her (she is a war bride) that the french actually pioneered the country and there is alot of them, if I not for Quebecers we would all perhaps be Americans . and one thing I hate is Baseball, and american piss(beer)

 

[pipes]

It's ok man, I was watching the show in a room full of people and even old Granny was pissed about the French, but I had to inform her (she is a war bride) that the french actually pioneered the country and there is alot of them, if I not for Quebecers we would all perhaps be Americans . and one thing I hate is Baseball, and american piss(beer)

there were many that pioneered this great country, not just the French

 

[GasCan]

Gotta comment here...

History lessons aside, I also found it odd that everything opens with French at the games!

As for the opening ceremonies and the jazzed up version of Oh Canada...I loved it! That girl can sing and it's about time that someone with a real voice added something to a song that's been sung for a hundred + years in the same fashion. It's a world stage people, step outside the box and show what you can do! That young girl is an amazing talent and has the voice of an angel!

Those are my thoughts, maybe not yours...and for the record "I dig the way the anthem was sung"

 

[medler]

I am with Pipes on this one ....We were at a restarant and alot of the people around us me included,were a little upset with the french speaking first.i am not a french lover but not a french hater either,but i thought it was alittle rude.Just my opinion

 

[mat]

Holly Pipes...What a close minded redneck you are...Now you know why Quebecers don't like the rest of this country... Modern day Olympic where created by Pierre De coubertin...a french from France...That is why the french language come first. I'm french Canadian...do i have to write it again CANADIAN! just like you and I love this country...My ancestors have been here for over 400 years... And yes the french were here first...If the French had defeated the British at Battle of the "Plains of Abraham" We would all be speaking french today.400 years Pipes...that something... Alberta is merely a 100 years that is like to pages in the history books

 

[burndown1]

just blew a head gasket over the same BS. was gonna watch opening ceremonies with the better half and this is the crap I have to put up with. France would be speaking German if it weren't for the Canadian And English forces coming in and saving them from the German invasion. Now the French in Canada have the nerve to impose their language as an accepted second language in this country.

OK so maybe you have the right (privilege) to speak your language in Canada. But so do the the other founding father of this country. I am appalled by our government to cave to those that we rescued from their existence. Our French Canadians show an arrogance that soils the gratitude that their ancestors in France showed to us we we saved them from German invasion.

I may be a bit biased in this post but WTF

You are correct, But say USA. Not english forces.

 

[I'vegotthenutz]

I just found it weird watching the games without Ron Mclean and the cbc brodcasters familiar voices...

 

[scotts]

Holly Pipes...What a close minded redneck you are...Now you know why Quebecers don't like the rest of this country... Modern day Olympic where created by Pierre De coubertin...a french from France...That is why the french language come first. I'm french Canadian...do i have to write it again CANADIAN! just like you and I love this country...My ancestors have been here for over 400 years... And yes the french were here first...If the French had defeated the British at Battle of the "Plains of Abraham" We would all be speaking french today.400 years Pipes...that something... Alberta is merely a 100 years that is like to pages in the history books[/QUOT
1. your ancestors lost on the plains of Abraham, making that statement lame
2.the natives were here first and the first europeans to arive were the vikings
3 lastly and perhaps most important of all, It's great that you are proud of you heritage and want to preserve your culture. Just stop asking me to pay for it.

 

[pipes]

Holly Pipes...What a close minded redneck you are...Now you know why Quebecers don't like the rest of this country... Modern day Olympic where created by Pierre De coubertin...a french from France...That is why the french language come first. I'm french Canadian...do i have to write it again CANADIAN! just like you and I love this country...My ancestors have been here for over 400 years... And yes the french were here first...If the French had defeated the British at Battle of the "Plains of Abraham" We would all be speaking french today.400 years Pipes...that something... Alberta is merely a 100 years that is like to pages in the history books

quote from Wikipedia.

The Olympic Games are a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD. In the late 19th century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was inspired by Olympic festivals to revive the Games. For this purpose, he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, and two years later, the modern Olympic Games were established in Athens. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter.

something I found on MSN

By The Canadian Press, thecanadianpress.com, Updated: 15/02/2010
Quebec angry over lack of French at Games

MONTREAL - A Quebecer's moment of Olympic glory is being tempered by a bitter feeling in his home province that the language he speaks has been treated like an also-ran at the Games.MONTREAL - A Quebecer's moment of Olympic glory is being tempered by a bitter feeling in his home province that the language he speaks has been treated like an also-ran at the Games.

Celebration over Alexandre Bilodeau's Olympic freestyle skiing victory risked being overshadowed by a torrent of criticism over a perceived lack of French at the Olympics.

The issue is receiving major media coverage in Quebec just as the country celebrates its first gold medal on Canadian soil, delivered Sunday by a French-speaking Quebecer.

There's a two-page spread in Monday's La Presse newspaper with headlines like: French as Rare as Snow in Vancouver; and Only 15 Per Cent of 25,000 Volunteers Speak French; and there was one mocking column in the paper partly written in English, titled Proud to be 'Canadian' — with the word Canadian written in English.

A stream of negative viewer comments was being aired on TV talk shows.

Several commenters argued that French — which is not only one of Canada's official languages, but actually one of the Olympics' official languages — was heard more often at the Beijing Games in 2008 than at Vancouver's opening ceremonies.

Federal Heritage Minister James Moore and Quebec Premier Jean Charest have both noted their frustration over the lack of French spoken at the opening ceremonies.

On Quebec's TV talk shows, questions were being raised about whether official bilingualism in Canada was actually a facade.

Denis Coderre, the federal Liberal critic for official languages, said francophone concerns were being ignored in English Canada.

Coderre, who habitually sprinkles his own political speeches with a few phrases of Haitian Creole or Italian, poked fun at the Vancouver organizing committee CEO's failure to do the same.

He said John Furlong could have bothered, over the last several years, to learn a few phrases of French — other than tossing out a token, mispronounced, "Bienvenue" during his address at the opening ceremonies.

"I don't accept being a second-class citizen," Coderre told a talk show on LCN network.

"The reality is not to find something negative about the games, it's to say look, respect me."

Another former cabinet minister said she watched the opening ceremonies with a group of federalist friends — all people who believe in Canada — and that they were aghast at what they saw.

"We were really disappointed on the one hand, and hurt on the other," said Liza Frulla, who was once minister responsible for sports.

Quebec nationalist groups quickly pounced the issue to argue their case that Canada doesn't work.

They said that federal policies on bilingualism had obviously failed to protect the French language. One ardent sovereigntist said that he expected Games organizers to at least try keeping up the charade that Canada is a bilingual country.

"It seems like the atmosphere of indifference, if not intolerance, of French has reached the point where there wasn't even an effort to save the appearance of bilingualism," Mario Beaulieu, president of the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal, said of the opening ceremonies.

"It's deplorable, but we're not surprised."

Canada's official languages commissioner, Graham Fraser, issued a report last fall that warned Olympic organizers they weren't doing enough to make the Games bilingual.

The Conservative government gave the Olympic organizing committee an additional $7.7 million in September to pay for French translation services and more French signs.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I don't like Quebec, but it has nothing to do with the games


Here I fixed it for you

1. your ancestors lost on the plains of Abraham, making that statement lame
2.the natives were here first and the first europeans to arive were the vikings
3 lastly and perhaps most important of all, It's great that you are proud of you heritage and want to preserve your culture. Just stop asking Albertans to pay for it through equalization payments totaling billions of dollars from Alberta.

 

[scotts]

Oh good another 7.7 million flushed down the drain,thanks quebec.

 

[medler]

Yep, Take from the west and give to the east.......Isn't that the way it is

 

[blastoff]

Holly Pipes.... I'm french Canadian...do i have to write it again CANADIAN! just like you and I love this country...My ancestors have been here for over 400 years... And yes the french were here first...If the French had defeated the British at Battle of the "Plains of Abraham" We would all be speaking french today.400 years Pipes...that something... Alberta is merely a 100 years that is like to pages in the history books

so you are a Canadian or a french Canadian [WTF] make up your mind.
And yes Indians were were before the Frenchies, any ways I am going to eat supper and I am having French Fries,lol

 

[imdoo'n]

when will all this french crap quit, probably when we (English) stop sending them money every time they squawk. stop the stupid equalization payments and let them find there own way. why do the majority have to put up with the BS of a few, cut the cord and let them sink or swim.

 

[GasCan]

so you are a Canadian or a french Canadian [WTF] make up your mind.
And yes Indians were were before the Frenchies, any ways I am going to eat supper and I am having French Fries,lol

Add some gravy to those fries along with some cheese curds and voila...Poutine

lmfao

 

[cueball115a]

Don't want to piss off anyone here, but I like to tell everyone I'm french Canadian and did watch it on TSN and it never came to my mind to pay attension what language they used first. But I'm sure it did to many.

I beleived we should be proud of our atletes and all the volonters that work there. So what they used French or English first, we are Canadian and pround to be no ?