The phrase from last night’s Canadian leadership debate (for those of you who aren’t Canadian, there’s a national election going on) is the one uttered by incumbent, Prime Minister, and dickish control freak Stephen Harper during the part about immigrants and refugees. It’s at the 20-second mark in the video below:
“Old Stock Canadians.” It’s got the same dog-whistle tone as the Quebec phrases pure laine, which translates literally as “pure wool”, and is better translated as “dyed in the wool”, and de souche, a 19th-century term invented by anti-Semites in France which oddly enough, translates as…old stock.
“Old Stock Canadian” is an especially interesting turn of phrase since Harper’s Conservative Party, who have been facing a steeper uphill campaign than they’d expected, recently hired pricey Australian campaign strategist Lynton Crosby, who’s known for using xenophobia in his election-winning playbook.
If you’re still not sure of what “Old Stock Canadian” means, you’re in luck. Rachel Décoste came up with a handy chart, and I’ve spruced up its typography and wording:
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Or, it means Canadians who drink Old Stock, like the old farmers across the prairies. Sorta a deeper riff on the Tim Hortons Canadians to which the PM has referred to in the past.
Great, observant puece. Just one small thing. "Dyed in the wool" means "staunch", whereas pure Paine/pure wool means unadulterated, as in pure blood. As in a really creepy racist thing to say. So exactly like "old stock."
Shades of Jacques Parizeau of Quebec and his statement about "pure laine".
Racism is ignorance. :-(
My father first used the term "old stock."
So, now we are stock? As in "Cattle"?
Great work!
Disgraceful reference - We're all new stock - our families whether it was last year or three hundred years ago came from somewhere else.
I think OLD STOCK means old white guys, stuck!!
Harper also means "old gate". The rich in Calgary who made it when times were good and deals were done. "Red neck Calgary". And theses are the people in Calgary who are going to vote for him despite knowing he has been exposed, is dishonest, tainted and a long history of fraud. What does that say about them?
I am a Canadian, proud of our diversity, our acceptance and our humanity. Stock is about cattle and not me. I have a family who came here 200 years ago for the same values and cherish those who venture here as a new beging.