Dear Editor,
From an angry unilingual Canadian re. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's visit to Embrun's Franco banquet last week.
Ignatieff proclaimed only bilingual people are Canadians, when he said the ability to speak both official languages is the "...essence of being Canadian." So what does that make the 88 percent of people living in Canada who are unilingual? Non-Canadians? A second class? Is this the philosophy of the Liberal Party of Canada?
WHAT AN INSULT!!! 'Iggy' says he is " ... all for it ... ", Official Bilingualism. Of course he is! He couldn't be a member of the Liberal Party if not!!
The cost of Canada's Official Bilingualism from 1969 to 2008, is conservatively estimated at $1.15 TRILLION including government spending and consumer costs. The Federal 40 year costs to March 31, 2008 was $56.226 BILLION, taxpayers' dollars. The Federal cost for one year to March 31, 2008 was $605 MILLION. And Mr. Ignatieff has the gall (Gaul) to suggest official bilingualism is an economic asset?!?!
Census Canada, 2006, reports the percentage of people declaring themselves 'bilingual' is 17.44 percent, compared to 2001's 17.43 percent. When asked 'how bilingual', only 12 percent considered themselves completely bilingual. Over two decades the numbers have changed a mere 0.58 points from 16.86 percent in 1986. That's zero value for our tax dollars!
Ignatieff's assertion that the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was a "tragedy" is rubbish. It was the critical battle between the French and English forces, that ultimately forced France to abandon all French territory East of the Mississippi to England, in return for the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
CANADA IS NOT A BILINGUAL COUNTRY, in spite of whatever language legislation may have been or may be passed. Even Trudeau's Charter allows me to speak and live in any language I wish. It's called FREEDOM OF SPEECH! And no legislation can take that from me!
Call Me Canadian!
John M. Wood
Morinville, AB
