Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Chris Selley: School shootings transcend Quebec's language politics, Mr. Blanchet

Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet decided to wrestle Tumbler Ridge into a point about French vs. English

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Some Canadians seem to have genuinely appreciated the speech by Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet in the House of Commons in memory of the mass-shooting victims in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. and in support of their families.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

Chris Selley: School shootings transcend Quebec's language politics, Mr. Blanchet Back to video

The statement itself was perfectly apropos, don’t get me wrong: expressing the same shock, horror and sadness that we all feel. And it’s important that politicians say such things. Living next door to the United States, as thoroughly marinated in American news as we are, it’s too easy to become inured to mass shootings — to accept them as something that just happens and will always happen.

That’s far less true here than in the U.S. For starters, we just don’t have as many guns per capita. Therefore we don’t have as many guns to keep away from unstable people like the Tumbler Ridge murderer clearly was. Your average Canadian gun owner is much more safety-minded than your average American gun owner, and only in part because far fewer Canadians are gun owners. Any school shooting is a kick in society’s collective nuts, but they’re much less inevitable here than they are south of the border,

This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

Alas, Blanchet is also an oaf of the highest order. So he decided to wrestle Tumbler Ridge into a point about language politics, making a big show about addressing the House of Commons on the topic — gasp! — in English.

“I hope you will allow me to make an exception (from usual practice) today, so that I can speak directly to the families and people in B.C. who have not all had a chance to learn French,” he began his remarks.

I guess it’s my job, as a newspaper columnist, to explain why I think that’s myopic almost beyond belief — appalling, reprehensible, greasy, gross. But I almost feel like it’s not worth trying, because I’m not sure what I could say to convince anyone who doesn’t already see it that way, which apparently quite a few of us do not. Only in the grips of Quebec’s “Louisianisation” fever dream could anyone see that as a decent thing to say in the circumstances.

Blanchet speaks English very well, as almost all Quebec elites do — including, or maybe especially, the ones who oppose other people’s kids learning English. And no one would have objected had he expressed his no-doubt genuine sympathies in French. (I very much doubt anyone in Tumbler Ridge was seeking real-time solace from the CPAC parliamentary channel at the time of Blanchet’s and his fellow MPs’ speeches.)

Chris Selley: So long to the Islamophobia and antisemitism czars

Chris Selley: Indigenous crime victims get 'less justice' by government design

Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});

In much, much different circumstances, handled with a deftness Blanchet couldn’t muster to save his life, he might even have had a good point on his hands: Your average British Columbian student doesn’t have a reasonable opportunity to learn French in this pretend-bilingual country. One of my favourite “official bilingualism” statistics comes from a 2017 Senate report, which found nearly 80 per cent of French teachers in B.C. “felt uncomfortable speaking French.” Hopeless.

Bilingualism is purely a luxury item in most places in this country outside of Montreal, anglophone areas of Quebec like the Eastern Townships, New Brunswick, Northern Ontario and a few other francophone exclaves, and it’s defended most vigorously by people who grew up in luxury.

Canada-Sweden Olympic curling match erupts after cheating allegation as profanities fly Olympics

Canada-Sweden Olympic curling match erupts after cheating allegation as profanities fly

Father of Tumbler Ridge shooter releases statement, addresses 'unforgivable act of violence' Canada

Father of Tumbler Ridge shooter releases statement, addresses 'unforgivable act of violence'

Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});

NP View: Tumbler Ridge murderer was given a pass again and again NP Comment

NP View: Tumbler Ridge murderer was given a pass again and again

Canada's Josh Morrissey won't play against Switzerland due to suspected injury Sports

Canada's Josh Morrissey won't play against Switzerland due to suspected injury

What we have learned about the warning signs of Tumbler Ridge mass shooter Canada

What we have learned about the warning signs of Tumbler Ridge mass shooter

I don’t want to do what I’m accusing Blanchet of doing, i.e., make a political point off the back of a tragedy. He certainly didn’t have to travel to Tumbler Ridge with the other party leaders to pay his respects. I’m very glad he did that. But seeing people appreciate him speaking English in the House of Commons sticks resolutely in my craw.

So perhaps I’ll outsource the criticism. On Thursday in Quebec City, Paul John Murdoch, grand chief of the Cree Nation, very politely tore a strip off modern Quebec nationalism as practiced by most politicians (as opposed to real people, I mean).

Only in the grips of Quebec’s ‘Louisianisation’ fever dream could anyone see that as a decent thing to say

Only in the grips of Quebec’s ‘Louisianisation’ fever dream could anyone see that as a decent thing to say

To Murdoch’s eye, the Coalition Avenir Québec’s proposed provincial constitution, which no voter has had any chance to weigh in on, or even any advance notice it was coming (and was condemned by Amnesty International as “jeopardizing the rights” of minorities and Indigenous people) does not bespeak a proud people asserting their God-given freedoms.

“When I read it, the law is not written by a proud and confident people,” Murdoch told a National Assembly committee. “It’s written by a people that is worried, insecure, isolated — completely the opposite.”

That’s exactly what modern nationalism is in Quebec — again, I stress, as practised by politicians rather than by real people. It’s a zero-sum game. Fearful. Uptight. Dare I say it, xenophobic. In this mindset, every young francophone who learns to speak English will forget how to speak French. Every bilingual community newsletter beckons young francophones toward perdition. Under Ottawa’s watch, these wayward young patriots would probably spit on Champlain’s grave, if only anyone could find it.

We’re all Canadians. We will always be Canadians: Quebec’s not separating any more than Alberta is. We should reject this Balkanized political misapprehension of our country on principle, with extreme prejudice.

National Post cselley@postmedia.com

Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

How much vitamin D do Canadians really need? A nutritionist explains Miranda Popen, hormone nutritionist, answers common vitamin D questions 3 hours ago Wellness

How much vitamin D do Canadians really need? A nutritionist explains

Miranda Popen, hormone nutritionist, answers common vitamin D questions

These are the 3 best beauty products we tried this week Beauty Buzz: The 3 best beauty products we tried this week from Benefit, Sephora and Burberry 5 hours ago Fashion & Beauty

These are the 3 best beauty products we tried this week

Beauty Buzz: The 3 best beauty products we tried this week from Benefit, Sephora and Burberry

The ultimate guide to men's boxers Our favourite options out there, from affordable to fancy 6 hours ago Fashion

The ultimate guide to men's boxers

Our favourite options out there, from affordable to fancy

Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.document.addEventListener(`DOMContentLoaded`,function(){let template=document.getElementById(`oop-ad-template`);if(template&&!template.dataset.adInjected){let clone=template.content.cloneNode(!0);template.replaceWith(clone),template.parentElement&&(template.parentElement.dataset.adInjected=`true`)}});

I tried a budget-friendly kitchen design hack guaranteed to last a lifetime — here’s how it went Affordable luxury from a Canadian brand 1 day ago Buy Canadian

I tried a budget-friendly kitchen design hack guaranteed to last a lifetime — here’s how it went

Affordable luxury from a Canadian brand

These Canadian hotels were just listed among the best in the world for 2026 Forbes Travel Guide recognizes 28 hotels across the country in this year's Star Awards 1 day ago Travel

These Canadian hotels were just listed among the best in the world for 2026

Forbes Travel Guide recognizes 28 hotels across the country in this year's Star Awards

© National Post