More than 60 people showed up to take part in a respectful, and orderly discussion about bilingualism, and duality at Oulton College last night.
Provincial NDP Leader Dominic Cardy and Sociologist Mathieu Wade led the discussion, both bringing their separate viewpoints to the subject.
Cardy and Wade both say Anglophones and Francophone need to communicate more effectively and rationally to make a greater effort to understand each other’s history and the importance they both serve in the province.
Cardy says, “We have to, on the Anglophone side, strengthen our own civil society. We look at the Acadian Community and see hundreds of civil society organizations, very strong, organized and dynamic, and we don’t have that in the same way, in many cases, on the Anglophone side.”
He says both groups need to be proud of their heritage, and how they have shaped New Brunswick, but they also must work together to provide a positive future for the next generation.
Both Cardy and Wade feel more public dialogues need to continue to help Francophone and Anglophones come together and realize they have more in common than they might think.
