Redundant Translation on Parliament Hill

Did you hear an echo? I know I did. Let me explain.

I'm a Proud Canadian. I'm also French-Canadian. I am also Bilingual; fluent in both English and French.

I watched the Canada Day celebrations on CBC, because I couldn't be there personally. I felt a great job was done, with a good selection of musicians, but overall, I felt one thing stood out like a sore thumb.

As Prime Minister Harper spoke, first in French, then in English, what I'm interpreting as eager translators started translating Harper's words of French into English. Seconds later, the same English words followed from his own lips. I found this silly. No, actually, I felt it more as an affront.

We're a Bi-lingual country, are we not? Then we perhaps should start acting like one. Canada Day isn't just about celebrating our beautiful country. It's about celebrating our diversity and our multiculturism. It's about celebrating what we're proud in, including the fact that we're officially a bilingual country.

Canada Day of all things should show all this. Speaking frankly as a French-Canadian, having the translations spoken over the French words was almost to the effect of shushing one of our official languages. Why? Both languages should have a chance to be spoken on their own merit, without interruption. I shouldn't have to switch to RDI, CBC's French counterpart, just to hear the French version of the words. I should be able to hear every word as it was meant to be heard, no matter which channel I'm listening to. It just sounds backwards otherwise. Even people who understand only one of the official languages often like to hear the other.

So, Canada, let's be bilingual, for real now.