Young anglophones in Quebec want out of the province, according to a new poll conducted by Leger for Journal de Montreal.
60 per cent of respondents stated they’ve thought about leaving the province.
The reason?
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Out of those polled, nearly half of young anglophones feel like relationships with francophones are tense.
And there isn’t much optimism for the future — one out of three respondents believe those relationships will deteriorate.
Other findings include the fact anglophones would like to see more bilingual signage and to be greeted in both languages.
They also believe the province’s French language bill, Bill 101, should be softened.
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According to the Journal de Montreal, the poll was ordered in light of the “Bonjour, Hi” debate and comments made by an Adidas manager on French language this fall.
Last November, Quebec’s legislature passed a motion calling on store clerks to stick with a simple “bonjour” when greeting customers instead of the hybrid “bonjour, hi” often heard in Montreal.
The issue touched off a heated debate in the National Assembly, triggered by census numbers suggesting a slight drop in the use of French in the workplace.
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A few days before that, a manager for Adidas told a crowd he would say a few words in French to “accommodate” francophone media before switching back to English.
It prompted outrage, with several Quebec personalities vowing to boycott the activewear company.
— With files from the Canadian Press