Whether it’s centre, labour, coulour, theatre or metre, Canadian language is being threatened by globalism. The exchange of ideas and knowledge is an incredible commodity but is it necessary to lose our identity in that exchange? Are our “ou’s” and “re’s” as important as maple leaves, beavers and beer or should we buckle and spell these words like an American simply because it’s already built into computer dictionaries?
It’s a slippery slope. On the one hand, those non-Canadian or indifferent-Canadian businesses that place no importance on this issue single themselves out. On the other hand, many people, especially new-Canadians and Young-Canadians might learn incorrect spellings. Enforcement, like in Quebec, could be perceived as making a mountain out of a molehill or it could simply represent a people’s feeling that their identity is in jeopardy. While wanting to be open to development, Quebec simply asks that developers respect the culture and it’s people, a small price to pay for the many international businesses who wish to capitalize on a hungry market.
Case in point is Starbucks Coffee Co. who adapts all of their advertising to include Canadian spelling. Also, the mandatory bilingualism on packaging represents this same issue. Viva Capitaine Crounche!
I only voted yes because I think anything that separates us from the Americans is a good thing. I DON’T think that such things should be “enforced”. That’s going the way of the “language police” in Quebec, which is a pathetic attempt to prop up a culture.