Reading Nikolai Shulga`s fascinating article Mother-tongue: a far-fetched construction or reality? Dealing with the Ukraine got me thinking about mother-tongue issues in Canada where we have two official languages. Is our situation analogous to that in Ukraine? I've concluded that the issue is more a matter of contrast rather than comparison.

In Canada English and French are both embedded in the constitution as Official Languages. Readers should know, however, that Canada has 10 provinces with their powers also embedded in the constitution. It’s generally accepted that while the Federal government can pass laws with respect to Federal matters superior courts, federal government hiring policies, use of official languages generally in federal matters the provinces have all other rights for languages. For example, Quebec has passed laws placing French as superior than English (signs must have French in larger font that English with French on top) thus it seems indisputable that other than for federal institutions, Provinces control language.

Here is what the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, part of the constitution, has to say:

16. (1) English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada. (Emphasis added )

You will note that this, by legal implication, gives the balance of jurisdiction over language to the provinces.

Here’s how languages breakdown in Canada:

Approximately 67% English, 21% French and about 12% others.

French dominates only in one province and scarcely qualifies as a notable minority elsewhere where English dominates. The only substantial French minorities are in the small provinces of New Brunswick with its 32% and Nova Scotia with 17% French Canadians descended not from Quebec but French speaking Acadians who returned after being expelled by the British between 1755-1763.

As Pr. Shulga shows, the raw numbers can badly mislead. Who knows how many French Canadians use French exclusively at home and in social intercourse? In my guess most would in Quebec, some would in Ontario and very few would in other provinces; on the other hand I have no doubt that all in the English column would speak English all the time. Moreover, many French speakers are bilingual and that’s not true for English speakers.

Assessing other minorities is unnecessary to this subject because none have shown any interest in seceding (a preposterous suggestion) or asking their homelands to invade and save them (even more preposterous!)

Pr. Shulga observes that In September 2009 alone mother-tongue provoked vocal public protests from Hungarians in Slovakia, demonstrations outside the Slovak embassy in Budapest and Russian-speakers protests in Latvia over legislation changes in Slovakia and Latvia .

This violence is no doubt because nationalities have found themselves caught behind political boundaries not of their choosing whereas Canadian minorities either chose to live in Canada and live by its laws and customs or in Quebec's case, preceded Confederation in 1867 of which it was a charter member.

To find a analogous situation and the connection is frail let’s compare Ukraine with its 30% Russian population and Canada with 21% French Canadians. In both cases the minorities found themselves in foreign territory, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union shutting Russians inside Ukraine while in 1763 Quebec found itself abandoned by France to become a British colony. But from here one must proceed with caution since unlike trapped Russians, from the outset Quebec has been treated as a special case.

Let s look at the Quebec situation in a nutshell.

In 1774 Quebec was granted protection of its language, legal system, culture and religion in exchange for Quebec not helping the rebellious 13 colonies. Confederation into a new Canada in 1867 was voluntary, supported by and contributed to by Quebec leaders.

There have been language issues which have been dealt with by the Quebec National Assembly to the vast approval of French speaking Quebeckers (note national) and as noted, the federal government must deal with all Canadians in both of the Official Languages.

Apart from language, many Canadians feel that federal government lolly goes more to Quebec than any other province and that Quebec is always handled by the Feds with tenderness. Two examples: Quebec, contrary to the rest of the country, opposed Canada s involvement in World Wars I & II and was unhindered in its two referenda on separation in 1980 and 1995. It s not considered polite, amongst the chattering classes, to talk too much about the mollycoddling of La Belle Province while this sort of sensitivity is not, so I’m informed, the case in the Ukraine and Latvia.

The great distinction between Quebec and Ukraine/Latvia is that Quebec has no linguistic or cultural brethren on its borders but is a French island in the midst of an English speaking ocean. French speakers control the Quebec National Assembly and are fully represented and perhaps more in the federal civil service. It is a custom unto a rule that prime ministers must speak at least passable French. In contrast, while Russians in Latvia and the Ukraine have Russia on their borders to cheer them on and more giving a sense of possible salvation to protests. Minorities like Basques and Quebecois are alone.

Quebec’s only alternative is to make the best of it or separate. Winning a separation vote is a problem because while a large majority of French speakers might vote in favour of secession the non French vote always deprives them of a majority.

I once wrote that ethnicity never dies which means that minority Russians will never assimilate neither will French Quebec - the difference being that Quebec has no contiguous Motherland so must stay and make the best of it (which has been pretty good) or secede; Russian minorities must make the best of it or hope Russia invades a chilling reminder of the Sudetenland and Germany in 1938.

Unhappy choices in an unhappy world.