Canada is a confederation [1] of provinces that came together [2] in 1867 [3]. At first only four provinces [4], or better said British colonies, joined. With time six others [5] joined the confederation. Implied in the free will joining of the confederation suggest that provinces can also leave the confederation.
In a referendum [6] put to the people of the province of Quebec in 1995, 49.44 percent of the respondents voted "yes" to the question, "Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign, after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership...". There are very few Canadians who do not have a bias in their thinking about this issue. Those reading this textbook from outside Canada, must evaluate everything they learn with special care, for there are very few facts that stand completely true and are not "interpretable". We offer a few comments as the basis for questioning and a few worldwide web links to get one started on with their own interpretation of this complex and often very heated issue.
Maps of languages [7] spoken in Canada make it clear that Quebec is a dominantly francophone (people of French ethnic background) province within a dominantly anglophone (people of English ethnic background) Canada. It was the centre of the French colonial empire in North America until conquered by England in 1759. Much French culture remained [8] after the conquest, despite an influx of anglophone populations and anglophone?owned corporations. However, the people of this culture felt oppressed and sometimes denigrated by the strong new culture surrounding and within. Working quietly at first and then more clamorously, even violently, the Quebecois, in the last half of the Twentieth Century, have asserted their cultural identity.
The French language has always been seen as crucial. Its exclusive use in print is now the normal standard in the province, even for commercial and tourism signage, though some English language media continues. The use of the English language in conversation is in practice limited to certain areas of the province and in necessary dealings with non francophones. If one really wants to understand the Quebecois one will have to read French. Many more francophones read English than vice versa, but few read or listen to or watch the anglophone media (as is true in reverse for the anglophones).
The languages have indeed created major barriers. Under Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the 1970s and 1980s, the bilingualism [9] of Canadians was encouraged and increased, but in some instances it was seen as a threat to a distinct Quebec culture, as was the high proportion of francophones in the Federal government civil service.
Quebec art, song, literature and economic control have also seen tremendous strengthening over the past few decades. The majority of Quebecois feel fully as a national group, and seek relationships on the international stage that befit this stature. Two political parties, the Bloc Quebecois [10] (Federal) and the Parti Quebecois [11] (Provincial), while also playing the normal role of guiding a full range of issues, are actively working to achieve political separation from the Rest of Canada ("ROC"). Most anglophone Canadians find it difficult to perceive what people in Quebec really want and why. Many commentators say that the tension between Quebec and the ROC is an integral part of the Canadian identity, as is, ironically, the perceived need for Canadians to be different from the United States of America.
If Quebec were to secede from Canada, there would surely be "ripple effects". Fringe groups in Alberta and Ontario are already proposing succession of these provinces as well. For example, the Alberta Independence Party [12] feels that their concerns are not being heard by Ottawa. For now, the Alberta Independence Party hopes that the separation of Alberta or the West is never necessary. However, they are not ruling out [13] that option: "Independence does not necessarily mean separate, it means control of our own affairs." Following this idea, is the Western Canada concept [14]. This is the independence for Western Canada, chosen by the people of each of the four Western provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. They advocate equal rights for all, with no special status for any race, or ethnic origin. Would these provinces have the will to remain separate from the United States? Or, even if they wished to join with the U.S.A., would the differences be enough that the Americans would find us unsuitable states? If the ROC remained together, what logistical transportation problems would arise between Atlantic Canada and Central Canada and Western Canada? Even more of an immediate and potentially very nasty issue, would a separate Quebec include all of the present Quebec or merely the Old Quebec and that which was solidly francophone? Indeed, Quebec's largest city, Montreal, is geographically split on the separatist vision (a return to Berlin?).
The issue of separatism in Canada is focussed upon Quebec but it must be set within a context of the "Canadian Archipelago", the country's current multicultural fact: the current renewal of other cultures within a federal model, and the country's identity within North America and the world. It is a complex issue, and reading "the facts" may not reveal the strengths of unwritten feelings behind them.
By understanding Canada's recent history will allow one to better comprehend the separatism issue. In the 1960s and 1970s the provinces began to take important concessions from the federal government. It was also during this time that the position of Quebec within Canada became more prominent. Quebec elected its first separatist provincial government in 1976. Four years later there was a failed separatist referendum [15], and in 1982 Prime Minister Trudeau "brought home" the Constitution from England and passed the Canada Act [16]. Every provincial leader signed the constitution, but the Premier [17] of Quebec. Later in 1987, Prime Minister Brain Mulroney attempted to alleviate some of the tension with a constitutional revision, known as the Meech Lake Accord [18], which introduced the phrase "distinct society" [19] to describe Quebec's status within Canada. However, anglophones and francophones interpreted the meaning in different ways, and the phrase became increasingly divisive. For anglophones "distinct" means "superior", while the francophones see it as "different". The Meech deal collapsed in 1990 when the Newfoundland premier did not sign, nor did the Manitoba premier.
In 1992 the Charlottetown Accord [20] was devised. This Accord included the aboriginal groups, the devolution of federal powers to the provinces, and again the phrase "distinct society" for Quebec. The Accord was put before the country in a referendum and failed . As aforementioned, the 1995 referendum [21] did little to settle the issue, due to the narrow victory. In 1999 Prime Minister Jean Chretien introduced the Clarity Act that set out the principles and procedures for determining a clear question in a referendum, and what would be needed for a majority for a province to separate. However, only one federal party backed the Act, and the Bloc Quebecois vowed to fight the plan. The Sovereignty question [22] still remains unsettled. This site and the subsequent one are parts of a special report [23] by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's official radio and television authority. The second site [24] presents a number of video documentaries on the birth of Canada, and how English Canada's history differs from Quebec's on the formation of Canada. As these two items come from the anglophone arm of the CBC, we add here the message of the Bloc Quebecois, the strong Quebec separatist party in the current federal parliament.
The Bloc Quebecois, the federal separatist party, propose a new economic and monetary union with Canada. They seek to end the constitutional deadlock that has "prevented Canada's two founding peoples from moving forward". They desire to control their own future through the creation of their own country. For the Bloc Quebecois sovereignty is an opportunity to promote their culture and language. The sovereignty movement is "forward looking, respectful of others, tolerant and peaceful". According to the Bloc Quebecois, the people of Quebec simply believe that they are different [25], as they do not share the same language, the same culture, nor the same social and economic visions [26]. The Liberals are the governing provincial party in Quebec. Jean Charest [27] is the current (2003) Prime Minister [28] of the province. More information is available from the Quebec Government web site.
Additional "players" in the sovereignty issue include the Supreme Court of Canada. Recently the Court judeged the legality of Quebec separation. The Court had to decide whether Quebec has a right to unilateral secession. The Court argued that since Confederation, the provinces and territories of Canada "have created close ties of interdependence, economic, social, political and cultural, based on shared values that include federalism, democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law, and respect for minorities". A decision of the people of Quebec in favour of secession would put those relationships at risk. However, the Court also stated that "democratic institutions necessarily accommodate a continuous process of discussion and evolution". They determined that it would be for the political actors to determine what constitutes "a clear majority of a clear question". "In the event of demonstrated majority support for Quebec succession, the content and process of the negotiations will be for the political actors to settle". The Court also looked whether a right to unilateral secession exists under international law. The Court determined that the "the ultimate success of such a secession would be dependent on recognition by the international community [29], which is likely to consider the legality and legitimacy of secession having regard to, amongst other facts, the conduct of Quebec and Canada, in determining whether to grant or withhold recognition."
Another "player" is Alliance Quebec [30], a province wide community organization which seeks to ensure the future of vital and secure English speaking communities in Quebec. They believe in a strong and stable Quebec with Canada, and that English speaking communities are valuable partners in Quebec society. They also believe that English and French speaking communities can work together, for everyone's benefit.
Finally, the Canadian Unity Council [31] monitors all web sites that it identifies as separatist. When this textbook was created, they were all in French, but the sites do give a window to non?francophones.
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