get this straight by Doug Collins Riel was a loony, too HAT WOULD BE your reaction if the Socreds decided to make this province officially bilingual, so that parking tickets, road signs, all government correspondence, provincial courts, etc., French and English? The Socreds are unlikely to do anything of that sort, of course. But if you have been following the news from Manitoba, you will know that if it weren’t for a massive grass-roots opposi- tion and a Tory party that is still Tory, Howard Pawley’s NDP government would have pushed that province into ir- reversible, constitutional bil- ingualism. And don’t think it’s ridiculous to talk about Manitoba, B.C. and _ bil- ingualism in the-same breath. OFF HIS ROCKER In B.C., 45,600 claim French as their mother tongue. In Manitoba the number is 54,000. The percentages give Manitoba a greater French weight (five per cent as opposed to 1.6 per cent here) but that. doesn’t discourage some people. And some people are making big gains. The point is that, as far as the numbers are concerned, it would be possible to make almost as good a case for bil- ingualism here as there: And never mind « “that” demanding*: such:.-/a'/ thing would be ‘thought to: be off his rocker. Lunacy is the most common disease in Canada today. Who would have imagin- ed, even 10 years ago, that the ability to speak French would be a prime qualifica- tion for promotion in the RCMP out here on the West fe anyone : would be available in Coast, or even to join the force? Not only that, but there are plenty who want to give the place back to the In- dians, editorials demand that we apologize to the Japanese for what happened during the war, and some old Chinese guy who paid $500 head tax to get into the country 60 years ago finds support for getting his money back. Loonies abound, all right. The cry as far as French Manitoba is concerned is that they wuz robbed, the pro- vince having been officially bilingual until 1890, when the legislature voted for English only. Then, a couple of years ago, some guy with a French name gets a traffic ticket and says he wants it in both languages. Never mind that he speaks English as well as you do, like nearly all Franco-Manitobans. (only 2,620 people in that province speak French only). He wants his ‘‘rights,’’ and takes the case to court, and Pawley ’ and his NDP chorus, being -wimps,.try to appease him by introducing legislation that has now: ‘been ‘dropped. Thanks to the big Peasants Revolt, that is. LANGUAGE COPS Federal politicans of all parties unite in condemning the unwashed. And the Federal Tories sell out just as eagerly as the others, Brian Mulroney having his eye on .. Display 980-0511 Winfield Fromm invites all of his clients and friends to join him and his staff at.. ANGELA MICHELE RHONDA APPARENTLY THE STAFF HAS CHANGED BUT THE QUALITY OF WORK REMAINS THE SAME “Prices flexible according to Complexity of hatte design * Washing, drying & styling always me lucect! * Open Monday Sat * Evening appomtments available ————— eS SS |! « FORCED TO OPEN HALFWAY THROUGH « RENOVA LION SPECIAL 1 * Free bottle of Joico of Nexus Shampoo with full haircut * Free bottle of Joico of Nexus ( oaditioner with permancat Offer vaiid until | March 3ist 1984 with this coupon i. wave % HAIR APPARENI 984-0201 the Quebec vote. The big- time media, meanwhile, are even more condemnatory, and ‘‘bigots’’ becomes the most popular word in the headlines. Yes, we know who the bad guys are, and they are the Anglos. Just read any na- tionat column. The same scribes, however, have never written a critical word about what is going on in Quebec, where unilingualism (mean- ing French) is the policy even though 20 per cent of the population prefers English, and where the language cops will nail you if you dare to put up a business sign in that forbidden language. Only this week a chap was being prosecuted because he was calling himself a florist in- stead of a ‘’fleuriste’’ Me, I don’t give a damn about 1890. I also don’t give a damn about Louis Riel. He was a loony, too. Become a Friend of BC's Childrens Hospital. ' Please write to us at— LIKE a huge metal dam the North Shore ap- proach to the Lions Gate Bridge towers over the road below linking Park Royal to North Van- couver via the Squamish Indian Reserve. 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