1 week Ago By Montreal Gazette
Article content Re: “I love Quebec, but life here can be exhausting” (Toula Drimonis, Sept. 6) For those who feel that living in Quebec can be exhausting under the CAQ’s language policies, I offer a few solutions: No place is perfect. If you’re thinking of moving to Toronto, check out the traffic and the rents.
As an anglophone, I still feel Montreal is the best place to live. Sitting in a graduate class at Concordia last week, I overheard several remarks by international students. They no longer feel welcome in Montreal.
Yet they add vibrancy, intellectual fibre, and money to the economy. The CAQ’s politics are divisive. I have news for Premier François Legault and his team: I hear more French than English spoken in the hallways of Concordia.
I also use both languages when I am there, proudly. Victoria Jonas, Beaconsfield Re: “The Beatles rocked Montreal 60 years ago, and we loved them, yeah, yeah, yeah” (Opinion, Sept. 6) Just like writer Bill Templeman, I was fortunate to be hired as an usher at the Montreal Forum for the two concerts presented by the Beatles on Sept.
8, 1964 and share many of the same fond memories of that wonderful day now 60 years in the rear-view mirror. A few moments I recall clearly: The MCs — local radio personalities — splendidly rose to the occasion, eloquently introducing the Fab Four in both official languages. My particular assignment was in the “nosebleed” section, just under the rafters, and at least from there the acoustics just couldn’t cope with the constant screaming of a crowd of mostly teens caught up in the throes of Beatlemania.
As a result, very little of the music the Beatles played could actually be heard. I was astonished by the number of young people who offered me cash if I would only arrange a personal meeting backstage with one of the Beatles — as if! Finally, at the news conference between shows, it became evident that none of the Fab Four seemed to know exactly where they were — probably because Montreal was just another Hello, Goodbye whistlestop for them on an arduous tour through North America. For me, and I’m sure for the 20,000 fans who attended, it was A Day in the Life to be treasured forever.
Eric Bender, Kirkland Re: “Bishop’s blames Quebec government for expected 10% drop in out-of-province enrolment” (The Gazette, Sept. 4) Bishop’s University principal Sébastien Lebel-Grenier says decreased enrolment and interest in the school from out-of-province students is a result of comments made by the CAQ government, and that the announcement of the tuition hike “generated a lot of visibility internationally and it contributed to a more negative image of Quebec.” Sadly, the CAQ administration probably doesn’t care.
It seems anything goes when it comes to this government limiting English. Gerry Raven, Hampstead Re: “ Amid funding cuts, McGill says $870M New Vic expansion continues ‘for now’ ” (The Gazette, Aug. 28) McGill’s $870-million expansion should be a cause for celebration, signalling growth, innovation and a stronger economy for Quebec.
This expansion is not just about McGill; it’s about investing in a brighter future for all Quebecers. Instead, under the CAQ government’s watch, it feels like a battleground for linguistic and cultural discrimination. This government’s policies continue to marginalize anglophone institutions, ignoring that they play a crucial, contributory role in Quebec’s economic and educational landscape.
By alienating these institutions and their communities, the CAQ government is not just targeting English-speakers — it is undermining the very fabric that makes Quebec dynamic and prosperous. If the CAQ is serious about Quebec’s future, it should recognize that diversity and inclusion are strengths, not threats. It’s time to put an end to the divisive and discriminatory policies that damage our economy and social fabric, as this short-sightedness does nothing but harm our province’s future.
We need a government that values all its citizens, recognizes the contributions of all communities and invests in a united Quebec. Lindi Ross, Carignan Re: “ Montreal to invest $27 million to revamp Jeanne-Mance Park by 2026 ” (The Gazette, Sept. 2) I’m not a fan of Mayor Valérie Plante or her administration, but I don’t understand negative comments about the Jeanne-Mance Park project.
Everything they are planning will directly benefit tens of thousands of citizens without taking anything away from others. Sometimes we just have to appreciate when sensible things are done with our tax dollars. Gary Bernstein, C.
D.N.—N.
D.G. Re: “ Nothing beats coming home to Montreal ” (Toula Drimonis, Aug.
30) Toula Drimonis’s insightful column about the wonderful feeling of returning home after her travels reminded me of this excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s poem Little Gidding: “And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.
” It’s true that we may face many challenges in our beloved city, but Montreal is still the place we are ever so grateful to return to after our journeys. Vivianne M. Silver, Côte-St-Luc.
