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Post by lemonadeshade on Apr 11, 2018 21:27:55 GMT -6
Re-read this today because it just made me so happy. These photos are gorgeous of all provinces! Can I ask about the animosity between Alberta and the eastern part of Canada? I’m gathering liberal values versus conservative historical disagreements but things are changing in Alberta? I saw it from both sides and am genuinely curious as I have no knowledge of Canadian history. Tlex and I can’t find the poster from Alberta that said she knows people that dislike the east. . Are people in Montreal or Quebec City anti non French speaking people? I’ve read they are not pleasant with English speakers. It’s affected my decision to look into a trip there, but that’s the internet. Persuade me otherwise! ETA - leatherpants cdnfroggy
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Post by wineandcake on Apr 11, 2018 21:37:35 GMT -6
kittyriot is that beach Erieau? If it is I feel like we may have grown up semi near each other.
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leatherpants
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Post by leatherpants on Apr 11, 2018 22:26:42 GMT -6
Re-read this today because it just made me so happy. These photos are gorgeous of all provinces! Can I ask about the animosity between Alberta and the eastern part of Canada? I’m gathering liberal values versus conservative historical disagreements but things are changing in Alberta? I saw it from both sides and am genuinely curious as I have no knowledge of Canadian history. Tlex and I can’t find the poster from Alberta that said she knows people that dislike the east. . Are people in Montreal or Quebec City anti non French speaking people? I’ve read they are not pleasant with English speakers. It’s affected my decision to look into a trip there, but that’s the internet. Persuade me otherwise! ETA - leatherpants cdnfroggyHmm. I’m not very well versed in it at all but it’s not just Alberta and it’s not as simple as liberal vs conservative. It’s more West vs East and competing interests and wanting to be valued and prioritized. Lots of it has to do with money and resources, population and representation. If I were to generalize what I think the West’s position would be, it’s that the government doesn’t really value or take notice of the west except for its money and resources. Like, the way elections work - by the time the polls even close here for federal elections, results have already been determined because of the population clusters in the east and particularly Ontario and Quebec. Which leads to a feeling of - so you gladly take our resources but we don’t get to pick our representation and we have limited power to protect our interests. You just want us for our body, feeling used type sentiment. *I’m not saying I agree, I’m simply putting forth my interpretation of the West’s side. Also the fact that Toronto acts like it’s all of Canada 😛 This is a whole lot more nuanced and deeper than that but that’s always been my understanding of this perspective. Someone else will Have to do the East’s side. And as for the Quebec French/English thing hoo boy. Someone else can take a stab at that too. In my experiences of going to Quebec and having a father who grew up in Quebec, it would not be an issue that would prevent me from traveling there even though I speak very little French. Rude people are everywhere for different reasons. I would not make that generalization. And while animosity has died down in the last decade or so, I still remember the referendum and how close it was and how tense.
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leatherpants
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Post by leatherpants on Apr 11, 2018 22:27:09 GMT -6
I have a friend who lives in Goderich and it looks beautiful. One day I’ll get there.
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Post by lemonadeshade on Apr 11, 2018 22:42:31 GMT -6
leatherpants thank you - that was informative but I’ will also enjoy listening to the other side. I’m genuinely curious about this I know the French Canadian thing is probably overplayed. That’s why I’m asking! I’ll also happily learn some French before going 😊
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regal
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Post by regal on Apr 11, 2018 23:04:28 GMT -6
Montreal is very bilingual. There is an English university there and a large English population, although there was an exodus during the separtist years. Quebec City is filled with tourists, make an effort to at least say "bonjour" and "merci" but don't worry too much. It's such a beautiful city.
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Post by wineandcake on Apr 11, 2018 23:12:35 GMT -6
We went to Montreal last year and had no problems. H doesn't speak a word of French and he was fine. I'm fluent, but it's very obvious when I speak that it's not my first language so I try not to speak if often. When I went as a teenager with my parents who speak no French at all we were fine as well. I find that because it's such a touristy town they expect a lot of people to speak English and not French.
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Post by kittyriot on Apr 12, 2018 4:18:50 GMT -6
wineandcake, you are correct! Have you been there recently? Erieau has become CK’s hotspot. Great art festival in the summer, kite surfing lessons, new brewery.
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Post by misskilljoy on Apr 12, 2018 4:59:44 GMT -6
lemonadeshadeMontreal is highly diverse and much of the population speaks English. There is a growing population of anglophones there. It's becoming much easier to find a job there if you don't speak French, and travelling there as a non-French-speaker is no issue at all. As an anglophone who speaks fluent French, I find Montréal and Gatineau to be... unwelcoming to me if I speak French. They don't care if I speak English. The further north you go, such as Quebec City, the less English there is. It's harder to be a tourist in Québec City without any French, but not impossible - you'll just run into some people who don't speak much or any English. The French they speak in Québec City is also different from the French in southern Quebec - a little slower, less nasal, less mixed with random English and invented words, so easier for second language speakers to understand. People in Québec City are very welcoming of visitors speaking in French even if it's their second language.
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Post by coffeeandwhine on Apr 12, 2018 5:08:05 GMT -6
Aww man, I feel like I should WK Moncton but I’m coming up with nothing. At least we just got Bubble Tea? Another Moncton person? Did you grow up there? What did your high school most resemble: minimun security prison, scientic facility or castle/dungeon? I am now wondering if I know people. lol, none of the above? I grew up outside the greater of Greater Moncton (think west of the river). Left the day I wrote my last exam in grade 12 and have lived all over the country since.
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Post by wineandcake on Apr 12, 2018 5:09:08 GMT -6
wineandcake, you are correct! Have you been there recently? Erieau has become CK’s hotspot. Great art festival in the summer, kite surfing lessons, new brewery. I haven't, but we plan to go this summer so the kids can do some fishing with my cousin and H can try the beer. I'm going in the next couple weeks to grab a package and Mikes Place since that was our go to place growing up. I'm excited for the boys and H to go and experience my home town for the first time.
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Post by misskilljoy on Apr 12, 2018 5:10:09 GMT -6
lemonadeshadeIf you're looking into a trip and have to decide between Montreal and Quebec City, I will always recommend Québec City even if you don't speak a word of French. It's a gorgeous city with a rich history. Montreal is nice but I find it's a very typical "big city" experience outside of Vieux Montréal, personally. Québec City has heaps of charm and lots of things to see and do, especially if you're willing to go outside the city à bit. À short trip outside the city, you can find Wendake (historical Huron-Wendat community, actually still within Quebec City but self-governing), Montmorency Falls, the bird sanctuary... I really love Québec City.
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Post by kittyriot on Apr 12, 2018 6:11:33 GMT -6
wineandcake, you are correct! Have you been there recently? Erieau has become CK’s hotspot. Great art festival in the summer, kite surfing lessons, new brewery. I haven't, but we plan to go this summer so the kids can do some fishing with my cousin and H can try the beer. I'm going in the next couple weeks to grab a package and Mikes Place since that was our go to place growing up. I'm excited for the boys and H to go and experience my home town for the first time. It’s getting better here everyday! I’m old now so I have acquired a deep appreciation for being able to get to work in ten minutes flat. We have some great restaurant these day, the best Indian I’ve ever eaten, and a stand alone Starbucks is finally being built! Mike’s wings are the best ever, I have dreams about them.
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Post by cdnfroggy on Apr 12, 2018 8:28:42 GMT -6
lemonadeshade, leatherpants explained it pretty well for the West vs. East issue. There's also this whole equalization payments issue (so the more rich provinces - Alberta, Saskatchewan predominantly) send money to the eastern provinces to help equalize the federal money each get, which a lot of people are getting more upset about because Quebec has things like fully subsidized daycare and we do not. It creates a lot of animosity because the eastern provinces (mostly Ontario and Quebec) show very little regard for the west, when we are a very large part of the reason they do well. Super basic breakdown is they get to decide who runs the country and we just pay for a lot of it. <-- not necessarily how I see it, but it is how many do see it. As for the french thing...in high school I was never a fan of Quebec or a lot of the people I met from there. I grew up speaking french, went to a fully french school and got told to not try to speak any french when I went to Quebec and to Montreal, that it was cute that I tried to learn it, but it clearly wasn't working. So, needless to say, it left a bad taste in my mouth. And at the times I went, my french was just as good as my english.
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piratecat
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Post by piratecat on Apr 12, 2018 8:34:38 GMT -6
lemonadeshade If you're looking into a trip and have to decide between Montreal and Quebec City, I will always recommend Québec City even if you don't speak a word of French. It's a gorgeous city with a rich history. Montreal is nice but I find it's a very typical "big city" experience outside of Vieux Montréal, personally. Québec City has heaps of charm and lots of things to see and do, especially if you're willing to go outside the city à bit. À short trip outside the city, you can find Wendake (historical Huron-Wendat community, actually still within Quebec City but self-governing), Montmorency Falls, the bird sanctuary... I really love Québec City. I'm amused by the random à's thrown in there for extra French effect. This is really helpful though because Montreal and Quebec City have been on my list forever. I don't speak any French though and I have some anxiety over not knowing the native language. H took some French in HS so maybe that'll be enough to get us by.
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Post by misskilljoy on Apr 12, 2018 8:38:38 GMT -6
lemonadeshade If you're looking into a trip and have to decide between Montreal and Quebec City, I will always recommend Québec City even if you don't speak a word of French. It's a gorgeous city with a rich history. Montreal is nice but I find it's a very typical "big city" experience outside of Vieux Montréal, personally. Québec City has heaps of charm and lots of things to see and do, especially if you're willing to go outside the city à bit. À short trip outside the city, you can find Wendake (historical Huron-Wendat community, actually still within Quebec City but self-governing), Montmorency Falls, the bird sanctuary... I really love Québec City. I'm amused by the random à's thrown in there for extra French effect. This is really helpful though because Montreal and Quebec City have been on my list forever. I don't speak any French though and I have some anxiety over not knowing the native language. H took some French in HS so maybe that'll be enough to get us by. Hahaha, I work in French so my phone gets very confused due to all the switching. 😂 I don't bother correcting it because I'm lazy.
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Ls2012
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Post by Ls2012 on Apr 12, 2018 9:06:12 GMT -6
I just want to thank you all for my next 5+ years of vacation plans.
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Post by saltypearl on Apr 12, 2018 9:17:23 GMT -6
Oh. And bagged milk. I don't know if the west has it? But here in the maritimes, it's very much a thing. Plus, it seems to be about $0.25 cheaper to buy 4L of bagged milk than it is to buy a 4L jug. At least in my city. It's weird. Not out west that I've seen. We used to, it stopped circa 2005 maybe
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Post by saltypearl on Apr 12, 2018 9:26:22 GMT -6
I'll add to the Alberta vs the East discussion that there was a Liberal (I use big L here as one party is name the Liberal Party) government in the early 80s that passed legislation that essentially shut down the economy for energy in the west. A lot of people walked away from their homes as interest rates shot up (even as high as 28% on mortgages), houses literally sat empty and folks just disappeared. It took a very long time for the economy here to recover and older folks (our parents age) are still very bitter about it. Add that to the transfer payment situation and the awkwardly balanced representation and people tend to vote "Progressive Conservative" even if their values are "small l liberal"
I would not classify Calgary as the "Texas" of Canada beyond the oil and cattle industry. I find the people to be much more diverse, open minded and not so biblical as was suggested by an earlier poster.
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swim
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Post by swim on Apr 12, 2018 9:34:05 GMT -6
There seems to be a English vs. French divide where I live (New Brunswick). It's the only official bilingual province. My city seems really bad for it, because I'd apply for jobs I was very qualified for, but they were only looking for bilingual or francophone candidates. Like even a swim suit shop in our mall. I work in retail, and I've had many people actually turn up their nose at me and refuse my help just because I don't know French. I know some words, and enough to help people find what they are looking for, but not enough to carry on a conversation, unfortunately. But I know the Francophones don't have it easy either. On one local group, a girl was asking if she should report a lady for only greeting her in French at the city hospital, when I guess they are supposed to greet people in both languages. Like really?
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Post by CestLaVie on Apr 12, 2018 9:37:04 GMT -6
swim I used to work at a National Park and we had to "hello bonjour" everyone. It's a good thought until someone starts hurtling french at you 90 miles an hour and you're left staring at them like an idiot lol. We had to memorize a phrase that was somewhat like "just a sec going to grab a french person" for such occasions.
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Post by catladymeow on Apr 12, 2018 9:49:20 GMT -6
swim I don't usually post in GD but hello fellow NBer! I just moved to Saint John from Toronto last year. I have to say that the animosity between Anglophones and Francophones in this province wasn't something I was expecting but it's very much real.
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vino
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Post by vino on Apr 12, 2018 10:00:36 GMT -6
swim You post is exactly why we're trying to avoid a posting, MH is military, to Gagetown. I wouldn't be able to find a job and the animosity between Anglophones and Francophones is not something I'd want to be a part of. We've already decided that if he gets posted there, he's going alone.
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emma
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Post by emma on Apr 12, 2018 10:07:34 GMT -6
There seems to be a English vs. French divide where I live (New Brunswick). It's the only official bilingual province. My city seems really bad for it, because I'd apply for jobs I was very qualified for, but they were only looking for bilingual or francophone candidates. Like even a swim suit shop in our mall. I work in retail, and I've had many people actually turn up their nose at me and refuse my help just because I don't know French. I know some words, and enough to help people find what they are looking for, but not enough to carry on a conversation, unfortunately. But I know the Francophones don't have it easy either. On one local group, a girl was asking if she should report a lady for only greeting her in French at the city hospital, when I guess they are supposed to greet people in both languages. Like really? I was in Fredericton so not nearly as split as Moncton but there was definitely a strained relationship between english and french speakers. I had a colleague who was completely ignored and skipped over at the counter at a Tims in Edmonston because they were speaking english!I kind of wish the province would drop the official bilingualism because costing them a fortune to keep up
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Post by sparky85 on Apr 12, 2018 10:16:18 GMT -6
I'm not normally a GD poster, but I'm loving this thread. Hi from Nova Scotia!
One other thing to consider in the east / west issue, is that there are 4 more provinces east of Quebec. A lot of people travel from the Atlantic provinces to northern Alberta to work, and leave their families on the east coast. This has created a bit of a mini east coast up there, but it is a fly in economy. Typically it is 2 weeks of work or more, with 1 or 2 weeks home.
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emma
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Post by emma on Apr 12, 2018 10:20:15 GMT -6
swim You post is exactly why we're trying to avoid a posting, MH is military, to Gagetown. I wouldn't be able to find a job and the animosity between Anglophones and Francophones is not something I'd want to be a part of. We've already decided that if he gets posted there, he's going alone. what do you do for work? I speak almost no french and managed to find a job just fine in Fredericton, it's majority English speaking in private sector, only government public facing jobs require French, even the shopping mall is almost all English speaking. Don't write off going to Gagetown, but if you do go don't live in Oromocto, go to Fredericton. It's a beautiful little city with a lot going for it. I was very happy there for 7 years, the only reason we moved was lack of job opportunities in MH field
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Tlex
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Post by Tlex on Apr 12, 2018 10:25:31 GMT -6
I'll add to the Alberta vs the East discussion that there was a Liberal (I use big L here as one party is name the Liberal Party) government in the early 80s that passed legislation that essentially shut down the economy for energy in the west. A lot of people walked away from their homes as interest rates shot up (even as high as 28% on mortgages), houses literally sat empty and folks just disappeared. It took a very long time for the economy here to recover and older folks (our parents age) are still very bitter about it. Add that to the transfer payment situation and the awkwardly balanced representation and people tend to vote "Progressive Conservative" even if their values are "small l liberal" I would not classify Calgary as the "Texas" of Canada beyond the oil and cattle industry. I find the people to be much more diverse, open minded and not so biblical as was suggested by an earlier poster. I mean...see also Alberta posters on this board who's neighbours fly American confederate flags. Those were huge stereotypes and generalizations for sure though. There's some of everything everywhere.
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Post by cdnfroggy on Apr 12, 2018 10:34:13 GMT -6
And then where I live, most people from down east are surprised at how many people speak french. Feels like we can't win either way.
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danib
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Post by danib on Apr 12, 2018 10:35:07 GMT -6
I'm not normally a GD poster, but I'm loving this thread. Hi from Nova Scotia! One other thing to consider in the east / west issue, is that there are 4 more provinces east of Quebec. A lot of people travel from the Atlantic provinces to northern Alberta to work, and leave their families on the east coast. This has created a bit of a mini east coast up there, but it is a fly in economy. Typically it is 2 weeks of work or more, with 1 or 2 weeks home. And then get told we are "stealing" their jobs. (Not something I'm going to debate as yes or no, just another facet of "the divide")
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Post by sparky85 on Apr 12, 2018 10:36:53 GMT -6
I'm not normally a GD poster, but I'm loving this thread. Hi from Nova Scotia! One other thing to consider in the east / west issue, is that there are 4 more provinces east of Quebec. A lot of people travel from the Atlantic provinces to northern Alberta to work, and leave their families on the east coast. This has created a bit of a mini east coast up there, but it is a fly in economy. Typically it is 2 weeks of work or more, with 1 or 2 weeks home. And then get told we are "stealing" their jobs. (Not something I'm going to debate as yes or no, just another facet of "the divide") Exactly! And then when you say you're going east, they ask where in Ontario you're going.
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