Mandarin-only condo meetings provoke human rights complaint - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

taco.vidal · 12-23-2015, 10:15 AM

Quote:

A group of English-speaking condo owners in Richmond say they’ve been squeezed out by other owners who insist all meetings be conducted only in Mandarin.

The dispute is being taken to the B.C. Human Rights Council, with the English owners saying they’re victims of race-based voting manipulation.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blo...gs-in-mandarin

CroFlames · 12-23-2015, 10:51 AM

Yeah I mean the meetings SHOULD obviously be in English.

But the fact of the matter is that Richmond is heavily populated with native Chinese speakers. It kinda makes sense for them to have their meetings in the 1st language of 99% of the attendees.

Maybe Canada should be instituting stricter language proficiency tests for new arrivals.

OMG!WTF! · 12-23-2015, 11:08 AM

I'd rather try to figure out Mandarin than listen to the typical condo board idiot. However, if these people are also idiots, you've got no choice but to move. I'd give it one set of minutes to decide.

blankall · 12-23-2015, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Yeah I mean the meetings SHOULD obviously be in English.

But the fact of the matter is that Richmond is heavily populated with native Chinese speakers. It kinda makes sense for them to have their meetings in the 1st language of 99% of the attendees.

Maybe Canada should be instituting stricter language proficiency tests for new arrivals.

The official languages of Canada are English/French. The laws are written in English/French.

It makes sense for someone who does not speak English to hire an interpreter. It doesn't matter if the area is heavily populated with Mandarin speakers. This is a valid human rights complaint.

CaptainCrunch · 12-23-2015, 11:10 AM

Speak American

blankall · 12-23-2015, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I'd rather try to figure out Mandarin than listen to the typical condo board idiot. However, if these people are also idiots, you've got no choice but to move. I'd give it one set of minutes to decide.

Being on a board means you are an owner. Moving isn't always so easy when it involves selling your residence and buying a new one, particularly in Vancouver. Transfer fees/taxes and real estate agent fees will probably ding you for $20,000-40,000.

FlamesAddiction · 12-23-2015, 11:14 AM

I remember when I lived in Vancouver, I interviewed for a job at a company that was owned by Koreans and had mostly Korean people working there. One of the interview questions was whether or not I spoke Korean and they mentioned that some of the people that worked there only spoke Korean, so it is an asset. It wasn't a company that did overseas business or anything either. Maybe there was a complaint that could have been filed, I don't know.

In Canada, it shouldn't be a disadvantage for anyone who speaks the official languages.

Ashartus · 12-23-2015, 11:30 AM

Some of the other stuff in the article sounds like fishy stuff going on - a single owner getting enough proxy votes to replace the entire board then immediately dumping the management company. I'd be pretty concerned as an owner if that sort of stuff was happening and I couldn't even understand the discussions at the board meeting since they were now all in Mandarin.

PepsiFree · 12-23-2015, 11:31 AM

Pass.

Discrimination isn't as sexy when it's against English speaking Canadians.

Ozy_Flame · 12-23-2015, 11:51 AM

In the interest of fairness, you would typically have to have it in the language that most people can understand - do the majority of condo board members not understand English? Also, getting assigned "observer" status is patronizing. It's like them making decisions and you get no say until afterwards. At minimum there should be an English translator for everything said in the meeting, and a second to double check the authenticity of the translation. I think he has every right to make a complaint, and I would also try and get on the condo board and ensure all future meetings have English translation and English meeting minutes.

Erick Estrada · 12-23-2015, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I'd rather try to figure out Mandarin than listen to the typical condo board idiot. However, if these people are also idiots, you've got no choice but to move. I'd give it one set of minutes to decide.

I would rather listen to the condo board idiot for an hour. Mandarin is one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn. Typically 2200 class hours on average are required to speak and read proficiently.

OMG!WTF! · 12-23-2015, 12:14 PM

I'm just willing to try to understand anyone with something interesting or intelligent to say. If it's a well run board I'd be happy to make an effort as I'm sure they would. If not, 40k to move would be a bargain.

Street Pharmacist · 12-23-2015, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I remember when I lived in Vancouver, I interviewed for a job at a company that was owned by Koreans and had mostly Korean people working there. One of the interview questions was whether or not I spoke Korean and they mentioned that some of the people that worked there only spoke Korean, so it is an asset. It wasn't a company that did overseas business or anything either. Maybe there was a complaint that could have been filed, I don't know.

In Canada, it shouldn't be a disadvantage for anyone who speaks the official languages.

If I have a pharmacy in a heavily Punjabi area, shouldn't I be allowed to try to find a pharmacist who speaks Punjabi?

codynw · 12-23-2015, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

If I have a pharmacy in a heavily Punjabi area, shouldn't I be allowed to try to find a pharmacist who speaks Punjabi?

Sure, but since this is Canada your pharmacist should probably be able to speak English and/or French too. That would probably be helpful.

Reaper · 12-23-2015, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

If I have a pharmacy in a heavily Punjabi area, shouldn't I be allowed to try to find a pharmacist who speaks Punjabi?

As long as it is clearly stated in the job description as a required proficiency for the position I see no problem with it. The amount of English required for communication with you, the boss, is up to you. It's not illegal to hire non-English speaking people but in that customer service role it might be difficult due to cost to have another employee that that can cover the Punjabi speaking employee's duties when English is the only means of verbal communication.

Street Pharmacist · 12-23-2015, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codynw

Sure, but since this is Canada your pharmacist should probably be able to speak English and/or French too. That would probably be helpful.

Yes, but that wasn't the point. Ability to speak another language should always be allowed to be an asset.

robaur · 12-23-2015, 12:43 PM

As an employer, you can realistically hire whoever you want.

If you only wanted to hire hot girls with blonde hair, blue eyes, and physically easy on the eyes then you could very well do that.

It's not discrimination unless it's blatantly obvious what you are doing. Atleast that's how I understand it.

Ozy_Flame · 12-23-2015, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper

As long as it is clearly stated in the job description as a required proficiency for the position I see no problem with it. The amount of English required for communication with you, the boss, is up to you. It's not illegal to hire non-English speaking people but in that customer service role it might be difficult due to cost to have another employee that that can cover the Punjabi speaking employee's duties when English is the only means of verbal communication.

I would think having some proficiency in English would be necessary. If you're running a business, you're dealing with vendors, suppliers, the City, the CRA, the police, business neighbours, advertisers, etc . . . . Most business owners have a proficiency in it though.

Would I go to a pharmacy in Canada where no one, not even the owner or manager speak or understand a lick of English? Probably not. Well maybe Quebec, but that's to be expected. However, if the pharmacy's products have labeling and instructions in English, you can damn well bet I expect them to understand the contents of the products they're selling.

northcrunk · 12-23-2015, 12:51 PM

They do they same thing in Markham. When we were visiting for a friends wedding the hotel we were staying at had bus loads of Chinese 'tourists' there is bundles of cash ($20,000) to make down payments on condos. They are slowly turning Markham into an ethnic enclave with Chinese schools and chinese signs on Starbucks. Same with Richmond.

FlamesAddiction · 12-23-2015, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

If I have a pharmacy in a heavily Punjabi area, shouldn't I be allowed to try to find a pharmacist who speaks Punjabi?

It wasn't the type of job that required interacting with the general public. Korean was the work place language because that is where they imported their laborers from.

It just seemed weird to me that you can keep a work place ethnically homogenous by instituting internal language requirements in a language that most Canadian can't speak.