Defense website shut down over French complaint

[Leafless]

The Defence Department has shut down its website featuring photos of Canadian military personnel after receiving a complaint that on-screen commands used to download the pictures were not in both official languages and information regarding the images was poorly translated into French.

But the site was shut down last Friday after a complaint from NDP MP Yvon Godin that the commands on how to download photos were in English only. He also complained that there was poor use of the French language in the photo captions, which are in French and English.

Mr. Godin said he wants the Defence Department and other government departments to follow the law of the land in offering both official languages.

To bad Mr. Godin isn't as concerned about Quebec stonewalling the 'Charter of Rights and Freedoms for years and years with the 'notwithstanding clause' to avoid any bilingual commitment to the FREE use of English in that province.

Mr. Godin it appears is a hypocrite.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...2753766&p=1

[guyser]

To bad Mr. Godin isn't as concerned about Quebec stonewalling the 'Charter of Rights and Freedoms for years and years with the 'notwithstanding clause' to avoid any bilingual commitment to the FREE use of English in that province.

Mr Godin did not shut the site down. DND did , for this and routine maintenance (although maintenance.....?)

He asked them to fix it. It was not a formal complaint.

Robin Cantin, public affairs manager of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, said Mr. Godin did not make a formal complaint but asked that the Defence Department fix the problems on its website.

In its e-mail, the Defence Department responded that it decided to shut down the site while changes were made since it "wanted to make sure that the site was fully compliant before we had it back up and running."

Mr. Godin said he wants the Defence Department and other government departments to follow the law of the land in offering both official languages. He noted issues raised last month at Canadian Forces Base Borden in regards to such problems.

Mr Godin also does not want to interfere in another provinces problems that dont affect him or his constituents.

Acadie-Bathurst is in Noveau-Brunswick , not Quebec.

Mr. Godin it appears is a hypocrite.

He may be, but he knows geography.

[Leafless]

Mr Godin did not shut the site down. DND did , for this and routine maintenance (although maintenance.....?)

He asked them to fix it. It was not a formal complaint.

This was not the first time Mr. Godin interjected in a linguistic fashion as a French sympathizer.

Mr. Godin said he wants the Defence Department and other government departments to follow the law of the land in offering both official languages.

He also complained that there was poor use of the French language in the photo captions, which are in French and English. He noted issues raised last month at Canadian Forces Base Borden in regards to such problems.

Mr Godin also does not want to interfere in another provinces problems that don't affect him or his constituents.

Acadie-Bathurst is in Noveau-Brunswick , not Quebec.

He may be, but he knows geography.

Doesn't look that way.

In fact he can't keep his nose out of Quebec politics otherwise he would have simply advised Quebec officials about the problem and stay out of the linguistics scene, period.

[Borg]

This was not the first time Mr. Godin interjected in a linguistic fashion as a French sympathizer.

Doesn't look that way.

In fact he can't keep his nose out of Quebec politics otherwise he would have simply advised Quebec officials about the problem and stay out of the linguistics scene, period.

Godin knows how to pander to the minority to keep his job - in the end that is his primary concern.

Advertisement - be it good or bad is still advertisement.

If DND had not shut it down there would have been a very strong movement of "indignation" from Godin and his ilk.

Unfortunately - even though DND is almost completely compliant - and strives to be so when it comes to language - that makes it even more of a target when there is a slight mistake.

Rest assured the Godins of this country are cheering loudly over this.

Solution? Treat the french in canada as the anglos are in kebec - official equality does not exist. Use the kebec example for outside the borders of that small minded province. Speak the lingo while inside the borders of the small minded province.

Or better - tell kebec to take a hike and take their share of the bills with them. It would make our lives much better. And, there are many inside the province of kebec that agree with this anglo.

In the end I believe it would improve our relations greatly.

Borg