Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer
Your media posts all see to relate to municipal signage requirements, not municipal official bilingualism. They are two different things. As Acajack noted earlier, most municipal signage in Ottawa (as well as provincial and federal) is already bilingual.
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Media stories covering signage were used as an example of bilingualism on the municipal level affecting private businesses. In Dieppe's case, requiring signage to be
French first. How would this work in Ottawa when you have Franco-areas like Vanier/Orleans and Anglo-areas like Kanata and Barrhaven, and would any preference be given one way or the other? In the case of Dieppe it shows how a municipality enforcing its own bilingualism requirements can turn into a runaway train and turn away businesses. Pattison advertising, as one example, pulled out of Dieppe entirely because the city consistently fined and pestered them over their advertising boards not being bilingual
enough(see: French). It's a touchy subject for every New Brunswicker because bilingualism and its administration has effectively segregated the province into two halves, and until something is done to remediate and solve a lot of the current issues it will be a touchy subject for the long-term future as well.
I guess what i'm trying to say is that Canada's supposed shining beacon of bilingualism policy (New Brunswick) hasn't actually fared all that well.
As was posted, Ottawa already provides perfectly suitable bilingual services at its offices on the municipal level.