October 12, 2000

4:45 AM

October Coffee Crisis. Montreal Gazette: "In its communiques, the BAF warned that Second Cup franchises were to be 'in the line of fire' and warned of an escalation of violent acts if Second Cup and other chains insist on keeping their trademark English names." More Trudeau nostalgia?
posted by todd (7 comments total)

Oh, I like Canada so much, but sometimes I want to act all 18th-c imperialist and suggest to the Quebecois that, um, the French lost.

(Incidentally: have you ever heard a Parisien impersonate a Quebecois' French? Quite something.)
posted by holgate at 7:07 AM on October 12, 2000

I encourage everyone to act all "18th-C imperialist"!

Colonize me, baby!
posted by aramaic at 7:39 AM on October 12, 2000

This whole thing is crazy. More than anything, they're protesting against their own PQ gov't - who love the current language laws that of course exempt trademarks. They're not protesting against some Anglo dominators etc. - the business class in Montreal is overwhelmingly French now, which is as it should be (back in the old days the church - more than the Scots/Anglos - kept French Quebeckers down by refusing to educate young people for anything other than the priesthood or the law). The franchise owners are French. There is no issue currently in many if not most workplaces.

It's just BS, really. One "firebombing" was right around the corner from my place but it doesn't worry me in the least.
posted by mikel at 8:19 AM on October 12, 2000

I like a lot of things about Montreal, but language politics is not one of them; the city is a bit surreal in that area.

I will never forget Referendum night in 1995, trying to get back to NDG from my friend's place on the Plateau just after Parizeau's wonderful speech about "money and the ethnic vote." The cab driver, who was from North Africa and a francophone, was scared to death, and told me that Parizeau was encouraging Quebec people to attack non-whites.

Ottawa may be a little dull, but it suites me fine these days.
posted by tranquileye at 8:54 AM on October 12, 2000

holgate: but sometimes I want to act all 18th-c imperialist and suggest to the Quebecois that, um, the French lost

Nothing specifically 18th century about that attitude is there? It's still alive and kicking in the north of Ireland and even occasionally raises its head here in Wales.

We can't all be po-mo ironic about the after effects of imperialism, unfortunately.

(Incidentally: have you ever heard a Londoner impersonate a Welshman's English? Quite something. Offensive, generally.)


posted by ceiriog at 10:49 AM on October 14, 2000

lol ceiriog - it's the "Celtic Royal" hotel, and the employees can't speak Welsh? That's beautiful.
posted by Mars Saxman at 12:08 PM on October 14, 2000

And the manager's an Irishman...

Their webpage describes the place as a typically Celtic hotel. Complementary woad in the bathroom? Mead in the mini-bar?

But we digress...
posted by ceiriog at 1:59 PM on October 14, 2000