Canada and the French/English Relationship

             In this paper, I will be trying to determine whether the Official Languages Act (OLA) is an adequate reflection of the French/English relations in Canada. By examining what the purpose of the Act is and also by examining the relationship of French and English in Canada, I will try to conclude whether or not the Act has had a positive or negative effect on the country since it was passed. Therefore the purpose of my paper will be to present the purpose of the Official Languages Act, and its effect on Canada, provide a brief, yet precise accounting of the relationship between the two official languages of our country, and determine the position of the OLA as it relates to the French/English relationship in Canada.
             Canada and the French/English Relationship
             The confrontation between French and English has been evident since the beginning of our country. Ever since the conquest of the British over the French, the French have been seen as the minority in this province. With such acts as the Quebec Act of 1774 and the Constitutional Act of 1791, it was apparent that the English were the dominant culture in this province. Again with the now famous Lord Durham Report, in which he recommended the assimilation of the French peoples, we have seen a very tense situation in Quebec. During the following 150 years since the conquest, there has been a steady dispute of language in our country. Language disputes are not new to Quebec, yet it is not until recently that they have become a focus in the minds of citizens, as French Canadians feel that they are in danger of losing their culture.
             According to Sheila Mcleod Arnopoulos, (author of The English Fact in Quebec, 1984)"Ever since 1967, language conflict has been at the forefront of Quebec politics." In the past, the main differences between the French and the English were social and economic rather than linguistic. English and French coexisted on the same territory, but it was only
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Canada and the French/English Relationship. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 04:05, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/29805.html