It has been 242 years since “New France” ceased to exist. Do you French Canadians retain warm feelings for the “Mother Country”? Are you still smarting from your loss?
A few years ago, i read a story by a French-Canadian journalist, who related how as a child in (catholic primary school), was taught by the nuns of a catholic religious order. He was taught history, with a map of canada showing “New France”-as it existed beofre the defeat by the British!
So, do you folks long to return to the fold of “La Belle France”-would you welcome reunion with France?
And, do you buy French products? Do you drive Renaults and Peugeots?
Why is that weird, in a history class? Canadian history, as taught in French-language school definitely takes a French perspective. I did most of my education in French, but taking a history class later on in an English school was enlightening: battles that I though “we” had lost turned out to be victories, and vice-versa.
I don’t think any relevant portion of the population supports this position. Historically, French Canadians felt abandoned by France. Again, in history classes, the fact that France spent more money supporting American independence than defending New France is usually brought up. I don’t think there’s any particular sentimentalism toward the old days beyond historical novels, movies and t.v. series.
French cars aren’t available in Canada since Renault awfully fumbled its North American expansion. However, I do drive a Peugeot, but I’m not quite sure it has anything to do with my cultural roots. Or maybe it does.
As far as French products in general, I would say that the most significant category is cultural goods. French Canadians read French books, magazines, watch French movies and sometimes even French t.v. on TV5. This means that French Canadians tend to be much, much more aware of and often sympathetic to French perspectives. This is a generalization, though. There are plenty of French Canadian who are culturally much more Canadian or even American-leaning.
More than history, though, language is the bonding factor. Americans, Brits, Canadians and Australians share a lot culturally just by virtue of being able to communicate. The same holds for French-speaking countries.
245 years (Treaty of Paris, 1763) There are much fewer cultural links between Canada and France than you may think. While francophones in Canada may possibly be slightly more “European” in worldview than other Canadians or Americans, our culture is basically in large part American.
You can find a few Quebec intellectuals who seem fascinated by France, but that’s pretty much a minority viewpoint. We may be somewhat more sympathetic to the French than other Canadians and Americans, though: while they are the “Damned French” (maudits Français) to us, jokes like the “Cheese-eating surrender monkeys” one get no traction here, even though we still understand them.
Do you remember the name of the journalist? This said, I don’t see what’s unusual about this. Every Canadian history book should contain maps of Canada as it existed at different times, and the French colonial period is an important part of Canada’s history.
:eek:
In other words, no, not at all. Anyway, I don’t consider France to be my “Mother Country”: my nation was born here, in North America.
Well, my parents used to have a Renault 5, and I think they liked it very much despite the fact that the heating system was awful, but you won’t find French cars here anymore. I didn’t check the statistics but I think Japanese cars are quite popular around here. Other French products? Well, as jovan said we have access to some French cultural products. French movies are rather popular, along with Canadian and American movies.
Heh, I’d be curious to see how English Canadians view the history of their country (it probably depends on where they live though). Actually I’d really like to know how they view Canada in general, and I’m even thinking about starting a thread about the subject.
Historically, maybe, but I don’t think this very sentiment is common today. And while I’ve certainly heard about the American Revolution and the French support to the cause in history class, I don’t think my teachers insisted that France fought harder for this than for New France. It’s quite clear that France didn’t really need New France anymore in 1763.
Are French cars readily accessible and popular in Japan? (Now that would be interesting.)
It’s not really the same thing, but I spotted plenty of European cars that aren’t available in the US–Citroen and I think Renault and Peugeot–in Israel. They certainly fit the size of the roads a lot better than American cars (although the smaller Fords are popular enough), and I would imagine the same would hold true in Japan.
I didn’t mean to imply that people still hold a grudge but rather that at the time there was a sentiment of having been abandoned that this contributed to French Canadians rapidly cutting ties with their French identity. That and being virtually and practically isolated for over 100 years.
Readily accessible? Yes. Popular? From what I’ve read Peugeot sells about 10,000 cars a year in Japan. European cars are sort of a status symbol and French cars are some of the more affordable ones. I’m pretty satisfied with mine.
We’re about as nostalgic for Mother France as Americans/English-Canadians/Australians are nostalgic for Mother England… which is to say, not one bit.
Over the last few hundred years, we’ve developed our own traditions, folklore, dialects, and history - most of which are more in line with the overall Canadian experience, rather than our historic French roots. I’m more likely to find a connection with someone from Winnipeg than I am to find one with someone from Paris. Hell, Quebeckers don’t even swear the same way the French do. 
M.M. - Demi-acadienne, tabarnac!
[QUOTE=Mahna Mahna]
We’re about as nostalgic for Mother France as Americans/English-Canadians/Australians are nostalgic for Mother England… which is to say, not one bit.
[QUOTE]
I wonder if it might be even less than many English-Canadians, for in the last century there was a lot of of immigation from England.
I noticed that Ralph posted his OP in English, and that he’s posting from Boston, site of the Origins of the American Revolution.
Should I draw the obvious conclusion?
Naah, too snarky.
But think about it, Ralph – that’s just what your OP did.
But this is an English-language board: one of the rules here is that you post in English.
I’ve got French friends from both France and Quebec. There is no love lost between them. The former see the latter as a novelty (and can’t understand their accents), the latter see the former as quite snobby. All in a friendly way, of course.
Can’t say that I miss the “mother country”, since I’ve never lived there. I am currently missing my “mother country” of Canada, though, and especially my hometown of Montreal.
As Mahna Mahna mentioned, we French-Canadians don’t necessarily feel much connection with France besides the language, and even then, it’s still not the same. The expressions and pronunciations are different - it’s like American English and British English.
French Canadians have their own culture, and frankly I like it better than the real French stuff most of the time. Except for the cheese… But really, I don’t like French movies and French music very much, and I’d much rather catch a Quebecois sitcom and read the Journal de Montreal and bitch about how the Canadiens have been playing.
Quote:
A few years ago, i read a story by a French-Canadian journalist, who related how as a child in (catholic primary school), was taught by the nuns of a catholic religious order. He was taught history, with a map of canada showing “New France”-as it existed beofre the defeat by the British!
Do you remember the name of the journalist? This said, I don’t see what’s unusual about this. Every Canadian history book should contain maps of Canada as it existed at different times, and the French colonial period is an important part of Canada’s history.
As I recall, the writer said that the teacher acted as if “NEW FRANCE” still existed. Obviously, the government of King Louis XVI didn’t do much to hang on to New France-from the accounts i read, the general charged with the defense (montcalm0 was hamstrung by shortages of weapons, supplies and troops. Hence the “abandonment” by France.
C’est la vie!
I know French Canadians who have refused to speak French in France because they didn’t want to get mocked for their accent.
The leader of the opposition in Quebec, Mario Dumont, had a bitchfest last year because he went to see a movie (Shrek 3, IIRC) and it had been dubbed in France.
How come you quebeckers screwed up your cooking? i mean, french cuisine is great! And you guys have “poutine”?? How do you account for your cajun cousins learning to cook so well? (Gumbo and muffaletas have poutine beat by a mile)!
Excuse me?
Screwed up?
I’m having a party, and serving tourtière and tarte au sucre and you’re not invited! 
As for French cuisine being great… once you get more complicated than pâté and brie on a baguette, I think it’s all crap anyway. Except the pastries… the French kick pastry’s ass.
As a non-com bystander, I’ll chip in that while gumbo is good, poutine rocks. Especially after coming in off the ski slopes into a nice warm chalet. Aww yeah. Or rather I should say, Ahhh, ouais!
I had it once with merguez sausage (a spicy kind of Moroccan sausage made with ground lamb) on top. With an ice cold Labatt to wash it down. Potatoes friend in fat, with fatty cheese curds added and fatty fat gravy added on top, with fried sausage, and beer… Not exactly heart healthy, but man was it good.
My dear Sir! If all you have to judge Quebecoise cuisine by is Poutine, you have done yourself a grave disservice. One of the legacies of French culture in Canada is a love of cooking, and Quebecois restaurants range from the really basic - Ashton’s (whence poutine, Montreal-style smoked meat) to the exquisite!
I remember our vacation in 2000, when we went around the Saguenay Fiord, across the St. Lawrence and around Gaspe, traveling no further than 100km a day. Towns of less than 1000 inhabitants would still have 2 or 3 restaurants worth writing home about, and large cultural centres like Montreal or Quebec were inexhaustible. Yes, you can eat crap in Quebec, but only if you're hell bent on eating in nothing but chain-based truck stops. Please, come see for yourself... You show me your best Cajun restaurants, I'll show you some of Quebec's best, we'll both be happier for it.
Best wishes,
Doug
You are sooo in the dog house for that comment. Quebec cuisine is also great.
There is some seriously good Québec-made cheese out there! Even at our local Provigo and Metro, I’d say the large majority of the cheese selection is Québec-made! My father-in-law is constantly going on-and-on about how French cheesemakers are losing money in Québec because local cheeses are outselling them (I have no idea where he gets this fact from, but he says it every time we have a good local cheese!)
Those little islandsare part of France! Are they worth visiting?