‘page 6 - August 3, 1977 - North Shore News

Quebec’s separatist premier, Rene. Levesque,

has offered the nine

other.

ee ann ee a

‘provincial premiers a

deal on language rights, which some of the latter
have already seized upon as a way of contributing
_ to national unity. The deal itself is reasonable
enough. But to pretend that it would automatically
draw the two founding races more closely together
is plain nonsense. In fact, the effect could be

exactly the opposite.

In simple terms Mr.
Levesque’s proposal boils
down to this. If the other nine
premiers will agree to
provide French-language
education for the French-
speaking . communities in
their provinces,

permit anglophone immi-

grants to Quebec to send.

“their children to English-

speaking schools in that
province.
It’s an eminently fair

proposal, and it’s going to be

discussed in detail at the |

provincial premiers’ meeting
later this month
Brunswick.

There are a few practical

snags, of course, but none
that couldn’t be solved by a
little goodwill and ingenuity
on ali sides. Most of the

' anglophone provinces except
R.c. have.

news aay we aie

provision for . ‘full-time ins-
’ truction in French where the
demand calls for it—in fact,
- more than 80 per cent of the
francophones living outside
Quebec today have guaran-

teed access to. French
schooling. -
NO FRENCH SCHOOL

In B.C. so far there is not a
‘single school teaching 100

per cent in French, and the.
reason, of course, is noi far .

to seek. According to the
1971 census (the last for
which relevant figures are
available) only about half of
one per cent of B.C.’s

nonulatinn—sav

12,000 people—have French
as their mother tongue.

Moreover, they’re scattered.

throughout the province.

Nevertheless, at least
three B.C. school districts
already have immersion
courses teaching mostly in
French from kindergarten to
grade seven. Other districts
have more limited immersion
courses and all districts teach
some French as a _ second
language.

Even with these presently
modest facilities it’s hard to
believe that B.C would have
any major problem in provi-
ding full-time French school-

“he will |

in New.

services in

ing at the request of a
quorum of French-speaking

parents.

In Manitoba they do it

wmcnever: parents of 28
elementary students or 23
secondary students ask for it.
Province publisher Paddy

Sherman has suggested, in

the case of B.C., that 50
parents might be a reason-
able quorum to start with—

and that such French-speak-

ing students
accommodated

might be
in’ existing:

school buildings in key areas...

Cost could hardly bea major
factor in view of the tiny

percentage of tax-paying.

Franco-Colombiens needing
such services.

French schooling as req-
uired would be a courteous
and friendly gesture by B.C.
towards our French-speaking
fellow-countrymen. It would
also round out, in this

western tip of the nation, the

official policy of bilingualism .

—which aims to make public
any part of
Canada available to all
Canadians in both English
and French. For the small
price involved it is well worth
doing, if only to demonstrate
that British Columbians are
civilized, fair-minded Citi-
zens,

But the contribution to
national unity would, I
predict, be’ precisely nil—
just as it has been nil in the
case of Ontario and the

| the family circle,

.- preserved,

numerous other anglophone
provinces that already make.
full provision for French
schooling.

The avowed purpose of
French schooling is to enable
a French-speaking minority
to preserve its culture, But in
a province where that minor-
ity is only 0.5 per cent of the
population—and where only
five per cent of the popula-

task becomes, in practice,
well-nigh impossible.

Aside from the classroom,
a few
government offices and soc-
ial intercourse with a handful
of fellow-francophones, 95
per cent or more of ail
day-to-day  coimmuinication,

Spoken and. written, is still

going to have to be in

English. |

IMMERSION INEVITABLE

Short. of compelling a
majority of unilingual Eng-

” lish-speaking British Colum-

bians to become proficient in
a language. that they will
hardly ever have occasion to
use, there’s no other answer.
And exactly the same applies

-to the other anglophone
provinces, with the possible

exception of . Ontaric and

New. Brunswick.

So—even with full-time
French schooling—the youn-
ger generation of Franco-

Colombiens must inevitably

become immersed in an
almost totally English culture
for career, business, social

_ and entertainment purposes; |
or else return to Fortess |
‘Quebec. It’s not a question of

whether this is a good thing
or a bad thing. It’s purely a

~~. question of ‘arithmetic.
COURTEOUS GESTURE a

That is why services in
French in the schoois, courts
and government offices—
and in English - in corres-

AS mn

ponding Qucbsos institutisns
—really have nothing what-
ever to-do with the gut issue
of national unity, desirable
though they may be in
themselves as a symbol of
the equality. of the two
founding races. -

Provided that symbolism.is
a better path
towards genuine national
unity ‘might be for both
French and English-speaking
Canadians to accept the
reality of being assimilated

‘into the dominant culture of
whichever part of Canada

where they choose to live.
Among other things this
would call for a readiness by
English-speaking Quebec-

or Sunday.

We already cover every door on
the North Shore—all we have to do.
is Insert Your flyer into our paper,
and pay our carriers a bonus for

each one delivered.

For delivery rates,
call 980-0511

north shore,’ °

news

leliver flvers

The North Shore News has the most
efficient and economical delivery |
system of flyers, brochures, and
pamphlets on the North Shore. We
offer one day delivery, Wednesday

A 1202-1139 Lonsdale Ave. jf
North Vancouver

CE ERA Mbt EDN wha we Sonne we |
: ny
cn ,

tion is even bilingual—the-

RTHRIDGE NC

R as NO

__NORTHRIDG [

#03330 :
_Interior/ Exterior

WHITE

Regular Price $8.98

por gallon per gallon

Reguier Price $2. 09 ) per galton

‘per gallon |

morckhes

2 elawtem a
? See Ee 3, Ss =

C

Sale items subject to ~
- prior sale of stocks on
- hand and availability.
We reserve the right to
limit. quantities.

Interior Exterior

Regular Price $13.98

Demonstration in store
Sat., August 6, 1-4 p.m

#03123
Interior

. per galion

SALE
PRICE

a

labor only

NOS

‘Replace spark: plugs, ignition points,
and belts. Check. distributor cap,
valve, air filter and gasoline filter,

Inicudes light trucks. Any additional parts
before work is started.

E.- NOR i A Jt c

NORTHRIDG

open Saturdays 8 a.m.

sz ;

Rig We

Se cas

WE SERVICE ALL MAKES

- 5 pm.

YOUR EXCLUSIVE
NORTH SHORE CHRYSLER DEALER

W77 MARINE DRIVE, N. VAN. 980-6511 |
NORTHRIDGE NOR THRIDGE. NORTHRIDGE. NORTHRIDGE

labor only

condensor rotor. Adjust timing, carburetor
cooling system hoses, spark plug wires, colt, .pev

or service will be quoted

Regular Price $10. 98

EFFECTIVE SALE DATES:
AUGUST 4TH-10TH, 1977.

ON.

t

LYON! 39014H

i
£

I9GI4)

— "3901NHLYON JOGIMHLYON

ra FHERO8 Sho rem dire rate BRR tate Scpabinnagnn oes} ane pena Here ee EN OT