As an American expat who has lived in Quebec for 51 years (yes, fifty-one), I'm so happy to be here. And I'd write some of this en français but my spell check went crazy when I tried. We are absolutely stronger together. (Do you hear that, Alberta?)
F**k that 51st state nonsense. This country has so little in common with the USA and I celebrate that. We should all celebrate that. How can such an enormous country (more vast that the USA) ever be a fricking state? Utter tripe! Thank you for what you wrote. Un gros merci pour le temps que vous avez pris pour l'écrire.
Your words inspire and reassure me. My vision of Canada embraces Quebec wholeheartedly. I value the complexity of our history, the richness of our cultures. I have always believed the dance we do to evolve as a nation has made us a better people, more tolerant, more pragmatic, more open. We are truly stronger together.
Vive le Canada from the other coast. Apologetically monolingual as my high school French was abysmal.. or the lack of scholarship is all mine, but I am old enough to parallel your time frame and remember being riveted to CBC hearing the arguments for separation with immense sadness. Now, I have a son living in Quebec!
There is an old folk tale told of a poor man whose sons were sent out to scrounge for faggots.... hold on... this definition refers to any branches and bits for fuel. The sons returned squabbling. He handed each son one branch and told them to break it which they easily did. Then he handed them a bundle of faggots and told them to break the bunch. They could not. He ended with "Together you are stronger." Each of us, as Canadians, are like branches from trees of all nations. Together we are Canada. Vive le Canada, indeed.
Fantastic Jules, I strongly agree with you. Je n'étais pas née en 67 (76 ;) mais j'étais assez vieille pour voter au référendum de 1995 et bien que francophone voulant protéger ma langue et ma culture j'aime trop notre pays pour le séparer en deux !
Thoughtful tolerant people of vision like you Jules, make this country better. My French Canadian mother would have been such a fan of yours. She knew profoundly how we are better and stronger (despite our differences), together. Merci bien!
Merci Jules pour ce texte qui illustre bien mes perceptions et l'évolution de mes convictions concernant mon appartenance canadienne. In the last few months, under the American threat of annexation and tariffs, I became more and more aware of the importance of a strong and united Canada. However it also made me aware of how much we don't know ourselves as Canadians. I make my own mea culpa. What do I really know about the Maritimes? The provinces west of Ontario? Not much, not enough, I'm afraid! I have some homework to do.
As an American expat who has lived in Quebec for 51 years (yes, fifty-one), I'm so happy to be here. And I'd write some of this en français but my spell check went crazy when I tried. We are absolutely stronger together. (Do you hear that, Alberta?)
F**k that 51st state nonsense. This country has so little in common with the USA and I celebrate that. We should all celebrate that. How can such an enormous country (more vast that the USA) ever be a fricking state? Utter tripe! Thank you for what you wrote. Un gros merci pour le temps que vous avez pris pour l'écrire.
Your words inspire and reassure me. My vision of Canada embraces Quebec wholeheartedly. I value the complexity of our history, the richness of our cultures. I have always believed the dance we do to evolve as a nation has made us a better people, more tolerant, more pragmatic, more open. We are truly stronger together.
Vive le Canada from the other coast. Apologetically monolingual as my high school French was abysmal.. or the lack of scholarship is all mine, but I am old enough to parallel your time frame and remember being riveted to CBC hearing the arguments for separation with immense sadness. Now, I have a son living in Quebec!
There is an old folk tale told of a poor man whose sons were sent out to scrounge for faggots.... hold on... this definition refers to any branches and bits for fuel. The sons returned squabbling. He handed each son one branch and told them to break it which they easily did. Then he handed them a bundle of faggots and told them to break the bunch. They could not. He ended with "Together you are stronger." Each of us, as Canadians, are like branches from trees of all nations. Together we are Canada. Vive le Canada, indeed.
Fantastic Jules, I strongly agree with you. Je n'étais pas née en 67 (76 ;) mais j'étais assez vieille pour voter au référendum de 1995 et bien que francophone voulant protéger ma langue et ma culture j'aime trop notre pays pour le séparer en deux !
❤️🔥🇨🇦💪
This is as strong an argument for Canadian unity as any I have read in this space. Thank you, Jules.
Thoughtful tolerant people of vision like you Jules, make this country better. My French Canadian mother would have been such a fan of yours. She knew profoundly how we are better and stronger (despite our differences), together. Merci bien!
WELL WRITTEN AND WELL THOUGHT-OUT
Excellentes observations, Jules. Merci d'avoir partagé ta perspective importante. A united Canada is definitely stronger.
Exactement.
Merci Jules pour ce texte qui illustre bien mes perceptions et l'évolution de mes convictions concernant mon appartenance canadienne. In the last few months, under the American threat of annexation and tariffs, I became more and more aware of the importance of a strong and united Canada. However it also made me aware of how much we don't know ourselves as Canadians. I make my own mea culpa. What do I really know about the Maritimes? The provinces west of Ontario? Not much, not enough, I'm afraid! I have some homework to do.
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