August1991 Posted July 21, 2025 Report Posted July 21, 2025 (edited) https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/the-corner-booth/article1038769.html Edited July 21, 2025 by August1991 Quote
August1991 Posted July 24, 2025 Author Report Posted July 24, 2025 I liked the take-away - quote of Dion: "Canada does not work in theory. It only works in practice." Unlike Dion who works in theory, not in practice. I knew his father, Leon. Smart guy but like Claude Ryan. Quote
SpankyMcFarland Posted September 16, 2025 Report Posted September 16, 2025 Was Charest the most bilingual politician in Canada? We certainly don’t have too many outside Quebec approaching his level of fluency. I thought he was an Anglophone when I first heard him. 1 Quote ‘How small we make our worlds. Gather them in, tighten them up into little castles of fear.’
August1991 Posted October 18, 2025 Author Report Posted October 18, 2025 On 9/15/2025 at 10:02 PM, SpankyMcFarland said: Was Charest the most bilingual politician in Canada? We certainly don’t have too many outside Quebec approaching his level of fluency. I thought he was an Anglophone when I first heard him. Agreed. Charest has no accent in either language. By grammar, Trudeau Snr mastered both languages well. Levesque made mistakes in English, never in French. ==== But both Trudeau Snr and Levesque used language in ways that were original, new. English Canadians all know of the Trudeau Snr, "Just watch me!". 1 Quote
August1991 Posted October 18, 2025 Author Report Posted October 18, 2025 (edited) Let me try to explain: Trudeau Jnr can speak English/French in a bland way; he has no accent in English or French. But when Trudeau Snr spoke, I always listened. ==== Somerset Maugham, a misogyne, famously said: "I know a woman who can speak seven languages fluently. Unfortunately, she can't say anything intelligent in any one of the them." Edited October 18, 2025 by August1991 Quote
SpankyMcFarland Posted October 18, 2025 Report Posted October 18, 2025 (edited) 22 hours ago, August1991 said: Agreed. Charest has no accent in either language. By grammar, Trudeau Snr mastered both languages well. Levesque made mistakes in English, never in French. ==== But both Trudeau Snr and Levesque used language in ways that were original, new. English Canadians all know of the Trudeau Snr, "Just watch me!". PT was happy enough to keep a French flavour to his spoken English and not become too blandly anglophone. I wouldn’t even think about his fluency. For good and ill he towers above the rest. One of a kind. But I have heard francophones complain about JT’s French in that it doesn't sound genuinely local. Edited October 19, 2025 by SpankyMcFarland Quote ‘How small we make our worlds. Gather them in, tighten them up into little castles of fear.’
SpankyMcFarland Posted October 19, 2025 Report Posted October 19, 2025 (edited) I’d say both Duceppe and Bouchard could easily have honed their accents in English if it had suited their purposes. They were so fluent as to be entirely comfortable in the English language election debates and lob a few zingers too. Blanchet isn’t quite at that level but he’s good enough. Edited October 19, 2025 by SpankyMcFarland Quote ‘How small we make our worlds. Gather them in, tighten them up into little castles of fear.’
August1991 Posted October 20, 2025 Author Report Posted October 20, 2025 On 10/18/2025 at 2:16 PM, SpankyMcFarland said: PT was happy enough to keep a French flavour to his spoken English and not become too blandly anglophone. I wouldn’t even think about his fluency. For good and ill he towers above the rest. One of a kind. But I have heard francophones complain about JT’s French in that it doesn't sound genuinely local. Trust me. When he spoke English, his supposed French accent was a play. And when Pierre Trudeau spoke French, he was no Quebecer. ===== I raised my kids to speak like him, in public: international French. My wife raised them to speak a different French. Quote
August1991 Posted November 16, 2025 Author Report Posted November 16, 2025 Pierre Trudeau spoke good French, international French. I raised my daughters to speak such. ===== But they can imitate a Newfoundlander. What is genuine? Quote
SpankyMcFarland Posted December 22, 2025 Report Posted December 22, 2025 (edited) On 11/15/2025 at 11:58 PM, August1991 said: Pierre Trudeau spoke good French, international French. I raised my daughters to speak such. ===== But they can imitate a Newfoundlander. What is genuine? Nobody but an academic or some similarly obsessed soul masters all the dialects of a widely spoken language. Newfoundland English is like the Irish variety - most outsiders go for a blend of the more commonly spoken variants and end up with a crude caricature that nobody speaks. I’ve heard very few decent imitations of Newfoundlandlers. Edited December 22, 2025 by SpankyMcFarland Quote ‘How small we make our worlds. Gather them in, tighten them up into little castles of fear.’
SpankyMcFarland Posted December 22, 2025 Report Posted December 22, 2025 (edited) I wish Charest had made it to the top job. He was the sort of guy you could send anywhere and you know he’d do well. Great temperament too. Mr. Canada. Edited December 22, 2025 by SpankyMcFarland 1 Quote ‘How small we make our worlds. Gather them in, tighten them up into little castles of fear.’
August1991 Posted December 26, 2025 Author Report Posted December 26, 2025 On 12/21/2025 at 9:38 PM, SpankyMcFarland said: Nobody but an academic or some similarly obsessed soul masters all the dialects of a widely spoken language. Newfoundland English is like the Irish variety - most outsiders go for a blend of the more commonly spoken variants and end up with a crude caricature that nobody speaks. I’ve heard very few decent imitations of Newfoundlandlers. Trust me. The island of Newfoundland was dear to the heart of Pierre Trudeau. Most people in Newfoundland have two origins -the family name tells the tale: England (before 1800) and Ireland (after 1800). Yet, this island of Catholics and Protestants get along. Quote
August1991 Posted January 17 Author Report Posted January 17 On 10/18/2025 at 11:29 PM, SpankyMcFarland said: I’d say both Duceppe and Bouchard could easily have honed their accents in English if it had suited their purposes. They were so fluent as to be entirely comfortable in the English language election debates and lob a few zingers too. Blanchet isn’t quite at that level but he’s good enough. Gilles Duceppe was the son of a famous actor. I never met him. I met Lucien Bouchard once in person, the 1990s. He was driving a Saab, between Ottawa and Montreal. I recall thinking what a life. Both were born in the 1940s. Quote
SkyHigh Posted January 17 Report Posted January 17 Chrétien was completely bilingual. The whole "little guy from Shawinigan" was an act. In private that thick French accent disappeared almost entirely. Quote
August1991 Posted January 20 Author Report Posted January 20 On 1/17/2026 at 1:01 AM, SkyHigh said: Chrétien was completely bilingual. The whole "little guy from Shawinigan" was an act. In private that thick French accent disappeared almost entirely. Disagree entirely. 1. The accent was genuine. 2. Like Trump, he was a populist. 3. Bouchard was born in 1938. Chretien in 1934. They are the last remnants of a classical education. 1 Quote
Michael Hardner Posted January 20 Report Posted January 20 On 1/17/2026 at 1:01 AM, SkyHigh said: Chrétien was completely bilingual. The whole "little guy from Shawinigan" was an act. In private that thick French accent disappeared almost entirely. John Crosby may be who you are thinking of. Quote Looks like someone has a new patronizing catch phrase ! Michael Hardner
SkyHigh Posted January 21 Report Posted January 21 21 hours ago, August1991 said: Disagree entirely. 1. The accent was genuine. 2. Like Trump, he was a populist. 3. Bouchard was born in 1938. Chretien in 1934. They are the last remnants of a classical education. Good for you 1. I said almost entirely, of course he had an accent 2. Is English is better than Trump. 3. I was born in 1980, what's your point? I assume you met the man yourself et bien sûr vous êtes complètement bilingue, right? Or are you just talking out your ass? 9 hours ago, Michael Hardner said: John Crosby may be who you are thinking of. I was always more partial to Neil Young myself Quote
August1991 Posted January 24 Author Report Posted January 24 On 1/20/2026 at 7:10 PM, SkyHigh said: Good for you 1. I said almost entirely, of course he had an accent 2. Is English is better than Trump. 3. I was born in 1980, what's your point? I assume you met the man yourself et bien sûr vous êtes complètement bilingue, right? Or are you just talking out your ass? I was always more partial to Neil Young myself Crosbie. Charest. We are talking about Quebec/Nfld relations. Quote
SpankyMcFarland Posted January 24 Report Posted January 24 (edited) I liked Duceppe. Lots of fun. Too nice to be separatist. I don’t know what evil chance brought him down that road. Edited January 24 by SpankyMcFarland Quote ‘How small we make our worlds. Gather them in, tighten them up into little castles of fear.’
SkyHigh Posted January 25 Report Posted January 25 19 hours ago, August1991 said: Crosbie. Charest. We are talking about Quebec/Nfld relations. You were speaking of the bilingualism of certain Quebec politicians. I added one that I have spoken with personally, on more than one occasion. You then told me i was wrong and i asked what you based that opinion on, you provided zero justification and simply changed the topic. Facts don't care about feelings so either support your assertions with evidence, maybe just don't respond. This is not the first time you do this. Quote
SkyHigh Posted January 25 Report Posted January 25 10 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said: I liked Duceppe. Lots of fun. Too nice to be separatist. I don’t know what evil chance brought him down that road. As a politician I hated him (I lived in his riding for years) but I've had the opportunity to speak with him in person (after he left the bloc) and as a man he couldn't be more personable or charming Quote
eyeball Posted January 27 Report Posted January 27 On 12/25/2025 at 5:14 PM, August1991 said: Yet, this island of Catholics and Protestants get along. Because they're islanders. On 1/24/2026 at 7:27 PM, SkyHigh said: Facts don't care about feelings Would Canada be Canada if language or accent was the last thing on the vast majority of Canadians minds? Quote I said now watch what you say they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, oh fanatical criminal
August1991 Posted January 27 Author Report Posted January 27 On 1/24/2026 at 10:35 PM, SkyHigh said: As a politician I hated him (I lived in his riding for years) but I've had the opportunity to speak with him in person (after he left the bloc) and as a man he couldn't be more personable or charming I never met Gilles Duceppe in person. Modern life: posts about how we met famous people. Quote
August1991 Posted March 2 Author Report Posted March 2 On 1/26/2026 at 10:06 PM, August1991 said: I never met Gilles Duceppe in person. Modern life: posts about how we met famous people. I remember seeing Lucien Bouchard drinking coffee on the road between Ottawa-Montreal. Heck, I remember sitting watching Ed Broadbent berate an African dictator for an hour - because Mulroney's staff asked me too. Quote
August1991 Posted March 2 Author Report Posted March 2 I met Yasser Arafat. (As an ordinary Canadian, he struck me as very tired.) Pierre Trudeau? Short. 5'8 Prince Charles? Long nose. George Bush Snr? I was amazed at his secret service protection. 1 Quote
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