Amanda Simard -- the sole Francphone in Doug Ford's caucus -- has left Ford Nation. It should come as no surprise. During the election campaign, Martin Regg Cohn writes, Ford told Julie-Anne Lamoureau, Radio-Canada's Queens Park correspondent:
“It’d be important to be able to communicate with part of our country that speaks French — I love Quebec, I love Quebecers,”
But there are 622,000 Franco-Ontarians, the people who tune into Lamoureaux reporting. Franco-Ontarians? Who are they? Ford did not -- in fact, he has never -- seen them:
Ford’s garrulous nod to French Quebecers and grievous snub to Franco-Ontarians gave the game away from the get-go. It revealed his obtuseness about minority rights that go to the core of linguistic identity.
If Ford could so easily forget his fellow Ontarians back then, is it any surprise his government remains so oblivious now — and that it would so wilfully toss grenades into so vulnerable a community? Let us count the ways:
On the day of his swearing-in last June, Ford summarily eliminated the stand-alone ministry of francophone affairs, downgrading one of our two founding peoples to second-class citizens.
In this month’s fall economic statement, his PC government went back on its campaign pledge to proceed with Ontario’s first dedicated French-language university. Promise made, promise broken — in either language.
The Tories also downgraded the independent French-language services commissioner, folding the advocacy role into the duties of the provincial ombudsman’s office (which focuses on individual grievances, not collective goals).
Mr. Ford's vision is neither wide nor deep. Word has it that other members of his caucus are thinking of joining Simard -- who, for the moment -- is sitting as an independent.
Image: LaPresse.ca
8 comments:
Simard may be courageous standing up for Franco-Ontarians, but she was also elected with the rest of the plunderers and theoretically is just fine with fleecing the public as long as it be done in two official languages.
A good point, Danneau. Her actions will have more significance if others join her.
How could Simard have been the only francophone caucus member when Princess Caroline speaks "flawless French"? Cohn's editor should have caught that.
As a Franco-Ontarian educated in French school system, I'm proud to wear the green-and-white flag on my lapel. After axing the long-planned French university, I hope Ford doesn't start gutting the francophone school boards when he finds out about them.
Cap
Good point, Cap. Perhaps it has something to do with Caroline's last name. She's fluently bilingual. But neither of her parents are -- officially -- francophone. I suspect French school boards are another Ford blindspot. In fact, I suspect all school boards are a Ford blindspot.
I went to high school in Belle River, on Lake St. Clair. It is, or was, designated an officially bilingual area. Many of my friends were from Pointe aux Roches, Stony Point. They were from French-speaking families and it was great fun to hang out with them and their families and friends. It sure helped an anglo build up language skills. Is their status going to be affected by Ford's policies? In the past their region has been heavily NDP. One of my classmates was Comartin's brother.
I hope Ontario doesn't screw that up.
So who do you consider to be an "official" francophone, Owen? I must admit I've always considered Brian Mulroney, from Sept-Iles, Quebec as a francophone. Tom (Thomas) Mulcair, from the Ottawa region as well. Both fluently bilingual. Do you have to be "vieille-souche" to qualify? Both parents french speaking or with french family names? What about Pierre Elliott Trudeau?, Daniel Johnson? I mean this is serious beyond being aficinados of "tree sauce" and skatie-punchie" Mac
I grew up in Quebec when the Two Solitudes were the conventional wisdom, Mound. My wife and I went to the same high school, which housed both French and English students. Both contingents had absolutely nothing to do with each other. We really knew how to screw things up. These days, I get the distinct impression that we're marching backward.
Your point is well taken, Mac. Francophone should refer only to langauge. My own family has members who only speak French -- even though their last name is McCaffrey. I mention this, however, because there are some who don't think of them as truly French. Old prejudices die hard -- which seems to be the ugly truth behind this incident.
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