Saint-Jean-Baptiste disappears from Google calendar

After changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Golf d'Amérique on Google Map, the Web giant has now added another layer by removing several cultural events and celebrations from its calendar, including Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and National Patriots' Day.

A quick search reveals that Saint-Jean-Baptiste on June 24 no longer appears on the calendar. The same is true of National Patriots' Day on May 19, which has been replaced by Victoria Day.

In the past week, other celebrations such as Black History Month, Women's History Month, Acadian Day and Gay Pride Month have also disappeared from the Google calendar.

Many see these event deletions as an attempt by U.S. President Donald Trump to “rewrite history”. 

In a New York Time article, journalist Nico Grant, explains, “Last week, Google scrapped its diversity-equity-inclusion hiring goals, claiming that as a subcontractor for the federal government, it had to comply with President Donald Trump's executive orders opposing DEI policies.”

Asked to react on the subject, Société nationale des Québécois coordinator Véronique Poirier said she was outraged by the change. “It's part of the same right-wing Republican movement that wants to give a different name to the Gulf of Mexico and Greenland. We no longer have the right to be different. Diversity no longer exists and everyone has to conform and think in the same way,” she sums up. 

However, she is keen to reassure. “Even if the Fête nationale is no longer on Google's calendar, that won't stop us from continuing to celebrate it. François Legault will want us to continue celebrating them, just like the Fête des patriotes. It's a shame for the Fête des Patriotes, because we've been fighting for years for it to have that name. We were starting to succeed, so it's a shame.” 

Ms. Poirier thinks it's a shame that the U.S. government doesn't recognize diversity and other cultures. “It's sad to see. What's the next thing that loses its name or is erased? Unfortunately, we're not done with this administration. No matter what, we'll never stop celebrating it.”