MPs back Dieppe sign fight
Published Saturday June 27th, 2009
Law student pushing Dieppe city council for bilingualism bylaw for business signs
Efforts to force Dieppe businesses to include French and English on all their interior and exterior signage, by way of a municipal bylaw, won the support of two federal politicians yesterday.
Brian Murphy, Liberal MP for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, and Yvon Godin, New Democrat MP for Acadie-Bathurst, have both endorsed Martin LeBlanc-Rioux, a McGill University law student from Dieppe, in his continuing bid to get city council to adopt a city language bylaw.
LeBlanc-Rioux started the process last fall and in January presented a petition to council with 4,016 names supporting a bylaw. At the time, city council was non-committal on what to do with the petition but said they'd study the proposal.
LeBlanc-Rioux said he's trying to make sure French is kept prominent in Dieppe -- a city which tags itself as the Acadian capital of the world.
Dieppe businesses with interior French or bilingual signage were recorded at 39 per cent in 2005, growing to 73 per cent in 2007. With exterior signs, the number went from 45 per cent in 2005 to 72 per cent in 2007.
LeBlanc-Rioux said a language bylaw would force national chain stores, which might not respect or recognize Dieppe's demographics, to abide by rules.
Murphy and Godin said they hoped their added voices would encourage councillors to speed up the process of making a decision.
"Dieppe could be the example for the province," said Godin, suggesting the city could serve as an example to other cities and towns in the New Brunswick -- Canada's only officially bilingual province.
Moncton -- Canada's only officially bilingual city -- has 80 per cent of its business signs in English only, with two per cent in French only and 18 per cent in both official languages, according to the findings of the New Brunswick Council on French Language Planning.
Murphy, a former mayor of Moncton, said Dieppe could be an example to the city next door.
"Maybe it's something that the City of Moncton will think in its wisdom is a very positive thing," he said.
Murphy said New Brunswick's French-speaking community has waited long enough to see language equality exhibited in the front windows of businesses, and not just on the written papers of laws, bills and motions.
"It leaves open whether there should be a renewal of provincial policies with respect to official bilingualism," said Murphy.
Both Murphy and Godin brushed off suggestions the provincial or federal governments would intervene in forcing a language bylaw on municipalities.
However, they're still calling on Dieppe to lead the way.
Calls made to Dieppe city hall yesterday were not returned.
LeBlanc-Rioux said he was confident the city was taking his proposal seriously, but hoped for an answer sooner rather than later.
"I didn't want a doctor's thesis," he said. "I wanted a bylaw."
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To get some 4000 signatures he must have found every native Quebecer living in Dieppe and some of the few Acadians still carrying the torch of revenge against the sins of our forefathers. All of the Acadians I know say they feel that Quebec has no more respect for their culture then they do for any English based cultures.
Dieppe city council didn't jump on the idea. That should be enough to indicate to these Federal ministers that it is a city issue, not even provincial, and they have no business giving an opinion. I'm sure there is more important federal problems that could use some attention.
People shop where it is convenient and where they can get the products and services they want. Regardless of the signage in Dieppe I will shop in Moncton North - unless they relocate Dieppe or I move, that will not change - I could care less what language is on the sign.
The gov't has better things to do with taxpayers money then police signage, like improving healthcare and education for starters.
Why was my comment removed where I stated that Quebec has an agenda... To take over the Maritimes just as they did Quebec? To rid the Maritimes of all Anglophones, With every English speaking person that leaves the maritimes there is a Francophone from Quebec to come here and take their place.
If the Acadians think they are secure they are wrong.
Quebec has helped you get where you are today... You enjoy the good wages and perks of the provincial, county and municipal jobs while Anlophones are lucky to have a job flipping burgers at a fast food joint.
Quebec will expect a payment in return... For Acadians To give up their culture and for you to learn "Proper French."
There copied and pasted and if removed there will be other places to post it that allow ones freedom of speech and expression such as Freecycle and Kijiji.
More people access these sites than the they do the T&T.
As Queen Latifah would say, 'all y'all better recognize and start respectin'!'
Another myth that seems just as near sighted: somehow, for some, it doesn't seem fair that Francophone rights group are bigger and better funded than Anglophone rights group. Reality is that Anglophones form the majority in New Brunswick as well as the GMA. As a majority, and we live in a democracy, all governments, national, provincial and municipal, in the case of Moncton and Riverview, are creatures of the Anglophone majority and way more influent and funded than any Francophone rights group will ever be.
Minorities do need some protection and promotion just to survive. That's the general idea.
I don't think most of the people here are anti-French or anti-bilingual (which doesn't have to mean French/English either), they are just sick of hearing about Acadia and French (having it shoved down their throats) and the glaring inequality of the two language cultures. The problem is, the more I read these forums and every time I come back to Moncton, I see that frustration turning into anger which is not good. Like I said before, Acadia and the French hardcore people better start laying off before they realize that the majority is English!