AME Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 B.C. city asked to require English on shop signs Last Updated Thu, 09 Dec 2004 11:55:30 EST RICHMOND, B.C. - A council committee in Richmond, B.C., wants shops and other businesses to be required to display English on their signs as well as Chinese. The committee was set up to look into "intercultural issues" in a community where 40 per cent of residents claim Chinese heritage and many other ethnic cultures are represented. It recommended the city bring in a new sign bylaw, on the theory that everyone in Richmond would feel more "included" if they could read the signs around them. Many shop signs feature only Chinese characters at the moment. "Our whole entire purpose is to make people in Richmond feel included, and it doesn't matter what ethnic background we have," said Shashi Assanand, who chairs the Richmond intercultural advisory committee. "If there are people who can't read Chinese, we definitely would need to have English." Danny Leung is the senior manager at the new Chinese-themed Aberdeen Mall, where the signs are in both Chinese and English. He supports the proposed English-language sign bylaw, and goes further by suggesting that it restrict the size of Chinese characters on signs, especially in the city's centre. "I think the signage is a little bit overkill, in terms of the Chinese characters," Leung said. "I think it should be neutralized a little bit, and make it more tourist friendly." A spokesperson for Richmond's planning department said a bylaw requiring English on signs would likely be a last resort, and passed only after much discussion. INDEPTH: Language in Quebec The move is an interesting reversal of Canada's most famous sign law controversy. In Quebec, the use of English is forbidden or limited on external business and store signs above a certain size as the provincial government strives to promote French as the primary language of work and retail life. English or French I still think it's wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JakeYYZ Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 A Quebequois walks into a doctor's office with a frog sitting on his head. The doctor says "what can I do for you?" The frog replies "I want this parasitic growth removed from my ass." Thank you thank you, I'll be here all week, try the salmon mousse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumbi Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 A Quebequois walks into a doctor's office with a frog sitting on his head. The doctor says "what can I do for you?" The frog replies "I want this parasitic growth removed from my ass." Thank you thank you, I'll be here all week, try the salmon mousse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JakeYYZ Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Gumbi, this should cheer you up. The CBC and Radio-Canada are taking an $11.3-million leap of faith: They have jointly created a new mini-series they believe just might help English Canadians learn to love — or at least respect and appreciate — the man who introduced the words "separatist" and "sovereignist" into the Canadian political vocabulary. The mini-series' one-word title will be instantly recognizable when it airs in the 2005-2006 season, in both official languages: Lévesque. "I think English Canada is ready for this now."... http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...id=970599119419 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rattler Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Gumbi, this should cheer you up. The CBC and Radio-Canada are taking an $11.3-million leap of faith: They have jointly created a new mini-series they believe just might help English Canadians learn to love — or at least respect and appreciate — the man who introduced the words "separatist" and "sovereignist" into the Canadian political vocabulary. The mini-series' one-word title will be instantly recognizable when it airs in the 2005-2006 season, in both official languages: Lévesque. "I think English Canada is ready for this now."... http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...id=970599119419 CBC and Radio Canada are not taking any leap of faith, afterall they are not risking their money. Have you forgotten who pays for the CBC??? CBC television has always relied on advertising revenue, and over time, it became an increasingly important way for the corporation to balance its annual budget. Today, advertising represents about 50% of the English network program expenditure, and almost 40% of the French network program expenditure. I believe the rest comes from the Canadian Tax payer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YYC I/C Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Eh Jake, let me guess, you only like things male, straight, white, and English. Maybe you're not a racist, maybe you're not prejudiced, maybe you're not a bigot, or better yet, maybe you're all of the above. Why don't you keep your ignorance on another medium. In case you didn't notice, this is an airline forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JakeYYZ Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I am an ethnic and religious minority in Canada and by birth a member of one of the most despised minorities in human history, and yet I daresay I live a much freer life than you do. I don't get the sh*ts every time I see a creche in front of a public library. We call this perspective and common sense. Why don't you worry about 7/8's of the country being ruled from and for Montreal and stop playing Chicken Little every time someone mentions the word "Race”, “CBC”, or “Quebec”? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I am an ethnic and religious minority in Canada and by birth a member of one of the most despised minorities in human history, and yet I daresay I live a much freer life than you do. ....Oh man...my better judgement would almost certainly tell me not to ask, but at the moment, my better judgement ain't home.... Ok Jake, I'll bite.... what most despised ethnic and religious minority is it that you're a member of? My next question, if I get there.... - and at the moment, I really can't be sure I will, but I might?...- I'll be asking: Why is it that you seem to take pleasure in crossing people's comfort zones? Ahhh screw it, Ok, consider that question asked too Jake... Why? I can see, and empathise with, the distaste for notions of the "politically correct".... and I see more value in discussing what needs to be discussed, rather than hiding it... but when it comes to statements that you know will disturb some... or even that approach, if not completely trash, some people's taboo's, or sensitive areas... you appear to take pleasure in that??? How come? huh? ...seems a tad infantile to me, but I'm certainly willing to admit I might have missed something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Mitch... He goes into the circular file. Up there with DD and Lancaster et al. If nobody acknowledges him.... Will he really exist? Iceman P.S. Besides, with the way that he is posting, and the language that he uses, it will be only a matter of time before hopefully Admin will censure him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I am an ethnic and religious minority in Canada ..... Hmmm, A black gay Eskimo stripper? .... a member of one of the most despised minorities in human history, .... A union leader? . . . . .and yet I daresay I live a much freer life than you do.. . . . Oh, I know: you're one of BC's "Urban farmers"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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