Decades ago, in Quebec and most other areas in the world there was a higher, wealthier class while most of the population was much poorer and less educated. It was much easier for the wealthier, better educated to move up, receive a better (expensive) education, get a loan, receive . . .
higher prices for their products, purchase in larger quantities at a lower price, insure their property, etc.
In many parts of Europe and in other countries common people were beginning to work together as a group or co-operative to get more competitive prices for their produce, buy inputs at a lower price, insure their property, borrow money, educate themselves and address or lobby governments.
In Quebec too, the churches, universities and even the Canadian government encouraged people to group together to form local financial institutions like Caisse populaires run by local people catering to local people who may have not met the criteria of chartered banks for getting a loan or mortgage.
Farmers worked together to start local insurance companies who insured buildings for a lower rate than some larger companies. People started medical co-ops to insure members, so that if they got injured or sick and required longer medical attention or hospitalization they didn’t have to mortgage the farm to save a loved one.
Farmers grouped together to form various co-ops that gave them collective buying power to purchase feed, crop inputs, machinery, fertilizer, etc. Farmers also started dairy co-ops to process and market dairy products at competitive prices that left a little profit in the farmer’s pocket.
The Catholic church helped Quebec farmers form the UCC (union Catholic des cultivateurs). This was the first organized group of farmers in Quebec who worked together for the good of all farmers. In the early 1970s the Catholic church removed itself from this farm lobby group which changed it’s name to the UPA (union des producteurs agricoles).
McGill University and the federal government helped the English farmers form Quebec Farm Radio Form which was part of a radio farm education group which stretched across Canada. In 1967 it was changed to the QFA (Quebec Farmers Association) who is now part of the UPA.
Then bill 101 was implemented in Quebec. Bill 101 was introduced to encourage the use of French in Quebec.
Unfortunately for the people of Quebec it also encouraged many large companies in the province to move their head offices out of Quebec where there were less language and other business restrictions for companies, which in many cases worked internationally in more languages than just French. With the exodus of these head offices went the white-collar workers with higher paying jobs which also paid the highest taxes.
Not only did the head offices of insurance companies, banks and companies like Bell Canada leave but also many smaller manufacturers and car, truck, fertilizer, feed, seed, fuel and machine dealers who just moved across the borders to Ontario, N.B., N.Y., or Vermont where they were still close to their Quebec clients, but they no longer employed as many Quebecers.
Many bilingual Quebecers also moved with these companies and dealers because they could work with both French and English wherever they were. Now in 2021 there is a higher percentage of bilingual people in Quebec than in any other province in Canada including New Brunswick which is the only official bilingual province in Canada. Quebec has become a stop-off for French people from all over the world. They are preferred immigrants to Quebec but many only stay in Quebec long enough to become bilingual and the better educated immigrants can then move on to jobs in other Canadian provinces where the wages are higher.
So, why would the Quebec politicians introduce bill 96 which restricts French children from becoming bilingual by limiting access to English CEGEPS? Why would our Quebec politicians introduce bill 96 which restricts smaller Quebec businesses and Quebec based mutual insurance companies from advertising in both English and French, when large multinational companies like Amazon, G.M., Allstate, Hilton Hotels, etc. can easily advertise (TV, radio, social media) and can easily solicit clients in Quebec?
We have been witnessing an endless brain drain of bilingual, highly educated professionals like teachers, professors, health care workers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, police, leave Quebec. So, what part of our French or any other population are our Quebec politicians trying to save?
