As to annoncements on board passenger trains, my experience, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, has been that in the Province of Quebec, announcements are made in French first and then in English and in the other provinces English is first and French is second.
Johnny
That's "Poulet Frit a la Kentucky" to Anglophones...
The whole point of the original language law in Quebec was not to enforce "bilingual signage" but to put French first ... if I recall correctly there is no requirement to provide an English equivalent on signage or packaging.
The reason for so much bilingualism is not political, but economic: the same basic reason your new product manuals have many pages or folds and are in many different languages. If you only have one box design for cornflakes, and you are in Battle Creek and want to market in Quebec, you're going to put French on the label everywhere and just let the English speakers ignore it ... and its position. (Note that putting "French first" does not necessarily mean that it goes in "logos" or that it be largest or most prominent in the design...) First thing you know, capitalism and marketing being what they are, everyone is cutting their costs by cross-labeling. (We are starting to see this with Spanish on a considerable range of targeted packaging, even without any 'enabling law')
Canadian government forms, etc. are bilingual because Quebec is part of Canada and uses French. I happen to sympathize with this because Quebec is about the last place in the world that has actual historical French bloodline in it (men in France having been systematically hunted to eliminate some of the 'better' traits, in the various European wars since the late 1600s) and I respect their keeping 'their' heritage alive. If part of the price of that is ignoring some Francophone verbiage on packaging, I don't really mind; if part of the price of that is having to rely on GPS for directions because I can't read street signs ... well, it's better than Boston.
ALL:
The retired GN-BN Chief Train Dispatcher from Minot did not know about the New Westminster office. I will dig deeper.
Ed Burns
By law Canada is bilingual. All signs, forms, etc are bilingual. In BC there probably 2 French speakers but signs are bilingual. Except in Quebec where there are signs and forms in French only. How about some Kentucky Frit Poulet?
I have a partial answer to the above comment. In 1966, the late Richard S. Prosser published "Rails to the North Star" That was the gold standard for Minnesota railroad hiistory in 1966. Many things have changed over the years and someone one or group needs to update that book.
To get back to the CN Sprague Sub that runs along the south shore of Lake of the Woods, Minnesota: "Page 148, the Minnesota and Manitoba Railroad Company built a line in 1900 from state line (Baudette) to state line (above Warroad). Leased to the Canadian Northern Railroad Company on December 31, 1901 (part of the Canadian National System)."
I have e-mailed a retired GN Chief Dispatcher from Minot regarding the New Westminster dispatching office.
wjstix Technically the CP trackage in the US is still operates under the name Soo Line, even though the railroad is the CP.
Technically the CP trackage in the US is still operates under the name Soo Line, even though the railroad is the CP.
The former DM&E and IC&E lines, on paper, are operated by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern.
Jeff
In the GN days, and most of BN, the rules/laws were a bit different than now. Before NAFTA, US railroads couldn't operate in Canada or vice-versa. They would have to incorporate a separate railroad in the other country. So for example the Canadian National mainline going south of Lake of the Woods runs for about 30 miles through northern Minnesota. It was set up as I believe the "Minnesota & Manitoba" (or the other way around) railroad.
I have it on good authority that the St Lawrence Sub (Syracuse to Massena and specifically for this topic, on into Canada) is dispatched by a CSX dispatcher (formerly) located at Selkirk (NY). I believe all of the Selkirk dispatchers have been moved to Jax.
CSX thus dispatches all the way from Massena, NY to Beauharnois, QC. The border crossing is at Ft Covington, NY. CSX built an intermodal yard at Valleyfield, QC.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
As to how to talk in the province (and in the city), I had a brief conversation avec un Quebeçois 21 years ago as i walking back to the Palais Station and missed a turn--even with a map in my hand. When I realized that I had missed a turn, I noted where I was and looked at the map to see what to do. As I was determining how to proceed, a young man came up and offered his aid. "When in Quebec speak comme un Quebeçois would speak;" I made use of my then 40-year-old high school French. He did understand me, and showed on my map how to go.
Miningman Thats Quebec or better still Québec...No "K'.
Thats Quebec or better still Québec...No "K'.
rcdrye Are operations in Quebec in English or French?
Are operations in Quebec in English or French?
Years ago Dan Sabin had an article in Classic Trains about working as a trainmaster on the CP in Quebeck. There were trains that crossed the border that didn't recrew at the border. He wrote about a Quebeck brakeman who insisted on speaking French on the US side. That is until he was reminded that the US side required the use of English and his choice was to be pulled out of service or speak English until back on the Canadian/Canadien side.
NP Eddie Is there a Canadian rule that requires US railroads operating in Canada to be dispatched from Canada? Now we get into another aspect of the above, can a Canadian citizen work from, let say, Fort Worth?
My understanding is that Railroads operating in Canada must use the CROR Rule book but the Dispatchers can be in the USA, provided they are quailified in CROR. When Iron Roads controlled ex CP Atlantic Division and Bangor & Aroostook, All dispatchers for Canadian & US operations were located in Northern Maine Jct. but used CROR rule book.
Bltacd:
Where does the CSX dispatche their Canadian lines from? Can you help with my question?
Getting temporary residency and getting credentials for 'right to work in the United States' are very different things now.
None of the three types of work visas offered under NAFTA appear to apply to railroad dispatching. They all require a valid job offer from a United States company or the understanding that a Canadian company will provide management or executive status at an American subsidiary. Various terms and conditions apply (for example an H1B allows you to file for permanent residency, but an L1 automatically terminates if you try).
I can't answer the first part.. I don't know. But a Canadian citizen can work in the US just as an American citizen can work in Canada, provided the individual meets certain criteria. The two main qualifiers are 1) no criminal record 2) financial.. i.e. minimum net worth. Not sure what that minimum is now.. used to be 150K I think but that was over 20 years ago. Likely higher now.
This question is about US railroads operating in Canada. The GN-BN-BNSF have a dispatching office in New Westminster, BC. Those dispatchers are Canadian citizens and dispatch from White Rock, BC (the border) to Vancouver, BC. The GN-BN-BNSF crews are governed by the Canadian Rail Operating Rules when operating in Canada. Is there a Canadian rule that requires US railroads operating in Canada to be dispatched from Canada? Now we get into another aspect of the above, can a Canadian citizen work from, let say, Fort Worth?
Happily retired NP-BN, Etc for 14 years.
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