Nouvelles
Telegraph Journal
p. A4, jeudi, 15 janvier 2009
Bilingualism means respect
A petition lobbying for bilingual signs at stores in
In an officially bilingual province and a city that is 80 per cent francophone, a municipal bylaw should not be needed to convince businesses to advertise in English and French. It's just good sense - a matter of appealing to as many customers as possible through clear communication and respect.
The movement to create a municipal bylaw is a symptom of how much the language issue has been polarized by recent government policies, chiefly the minister of health's decision to split the province into two health districts. Rather than working together to build a bilingual society, communities are beginning to fragment along linguistic lines, reverting to legal action when what is required is respect, communication and consensus-building.
This point must not be lost on the Liberal cabinet.
The provincial government made a transparent and binding commitment to respect two languages because New Brunswickers wanted to do so. Today, government must act in ways that demonstrate the commitment to bilingualism is still strong. Dividing the health care system into linguistic camps is a step backward. So is treating the matter cavalierly, like an exchange of legal briefs, when francophones express concern that they may lose their most basic rights.
We believe such fears are unfounded. Bilingualism is not a matter of political authority or legal technicalities, but a matter of respect, and New Brunswickers do respect one another. As long as New Brunswickers keep talking respectfully, issues that range from access to health care to commercial signage can be resolved amiably, in the best interest of the community.
The Official Languages Act is a statement of community values - values which thousands of New Brunswickers express in their daily lives. Let's approach it as an invitation to civil conversation.