tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post2719684130559677299..comments2024-03-03T17:01:57.876-05:00Comments on Montreal Simon: The Quebec Nation and the Two CanoesSimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-35373007310364448272008-10-28T21:38:00.000-04:002008-10-28T21:38:00.000-04:00Hi enkidu's palace !!! Well thanks again. And yeah...Hi enkidu's palace !!! Well thanks again. And yeah there are narrowminded people everywhere. But I just find that Quebecers are in general more tolerant than others. I'm also aware of the Quebec City situation...and their rivalry with "la metropole" or Montreal :)<BR/>I blame it on all those crazy radio show hosts and all those civil servants.<BR/>But don't worry you should see the Scottish village I came from...so I won't hold it against you... :)Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-49196668326441644422008-10-28T00:38:00.000-04:002008-10-28T00:38:00.000-04:00Well your post was really great. La métaphore des...Well your post was really great. La métaphore des canots était particulièrement pertinente et poétique (my english is sketchy at this time of night).<BR/><BR/>I do hope there are many of us around, But I have to say, there is bigotry and narrow-mindedness around in the Belle Province. I know : although I live in Montréal, I'm from Quebec City, where they voted in about ten conservative MPs... I kinda feel ashamed. :(Martin Gamachehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12006353945641466582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-87938030513367111302008-10-27T22:37:00.000-04:002008-10-27T22:37:00.000-04:00Hi Enkidu's palace...thanks I'm glad you liked it....Hi Enkidu's palace...thanks I'm glad you liked it.I wish I could have made it better but I was sooooo tired. :)<BR/>And I agree with you 100 percent...Franch and English Canadians can be prisoners of the past. I think that Quebec maybe because of the Quiet Revolution has been more successful at moving on from the past. I find it a more confident place happy in it's own skin as we say. I also think that Quebecers recovered more quickly from the last referendum. While English Canadians sank into despair, and lost their confidence.<BR/>That's why it's important to build bridges, plan big shared projects that can excite both French and English Canadians, and never forget to point out how great we are TOGETHER...<BR/>It's quite a job especially since I don't really fit into either group. But I love them BOTH so I'm up to it !!! :)Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-7602925650651281492008-10-27T22:28:00.000-04:002008-10-27T22:28:00.000-04:00Hi Mark !!! OK so NOW I know who to blame !!! :)As...Hi Mark !!! OK so NOW I know who to blame !!! :)<BR/>As I mentioned to Beijing York I only caught the end of it's long act. But it was a great place to go late at night. For one thing it was big, so you didn't have to eat elbow to elbow as you do at Schwartz's. Secondly it was a bright yellow colour with fabulous coloured drawings behind the counter...so when you were a little high...ahem...it was quite the experience. And then there were the old gay waiters who were right out of a Damon Runyon novel, who didn't take any nonsense but spoiled us gay kids rotten.<BR/>Oh yeah...I forgot...they also had a fabulous Wall of Fame with pictures of all these singers and performers from a long lost era.<BR/>I wish it could have been saved, but with all the clubs moving to the east end of town I guess it was doomed. Dommage...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-65899488435936178412008-10-27T22:18:00.000-04:002008-10-27T22:18:00.000-04:00Hi Beijing York !! I'm glad you liked it.When my f...Hi Beijing York !! I'm glad you liked it.When my friends in Toronto visit Montreal they go wild. But when I'm there it makes me DREAMY. <BR/>As for Ben's it's been ding for years but it's still sad to see it go. Just like it would be very very sad to see Quebec leave Canada, because some narrowminded people don't know what they are talking about. Or what kind of hole it would leave in our collective soul...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-82745909031480926592008-10-27T10:55:00.000-04:002008-10-27T10:55:00.000-04:00Hi SimonThe thing is, we (french and english canad...Hi Simon<BR/><BR/>The thing is, we (french and english canadians) are often prisoners of the past. For me, a country is as much about where we want to go as where we came from.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for this moving post.Martin Gamachehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12006353945641466582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-50832162447171364532008-10-27T08:24:00.000-04:002008-10-27T08:24:00.000-04:00The week I moved to Montreal was the same week tha...The week I moved to Montreal was the same week that all the Bens workers went on Strike. The place closed, and now it's being torn down.<BR/><BR/>Did I miss out or what?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-52128165335262344952008-10-26T22:21:00.000-04:002008-10-26T22:21:00.000-04:00Lovely post Simon. Makes one appreciate why we got...Lovely post Simon. Makes one appreciate why we got so emotionally involved in this last election. It was important and political influence on our country remains important.<BR/><BR/>As for Ben's, well that is disappointing. I do remember wild weekend getaways to Montreal in my youth. They included munching on smoked meat and strawberry cheesecake at Ben's.Beijing Yorkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05579118045254845839noreply@blogger.com