Why do Western Canadians hate Quebecers so much?

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I'm from Ontario and I've seen westerners on here bad mouthing anybody east of Manitoba, I don't get those people, there would be no western Canada if Ontario and Quebec did not exist, this is where Canada was founded and the west came much later, those people are mostly transplanted from Ontario and Quebec historically and now they act like they're somebody different...i don't get it...and to "nsnurse" above, the west talks about separating all the time...so why is that any different than the Quebec separitists?..and they carry on with aholier than thou attitude as well...sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me honey...

Mathew H

The Bloc was part of the coalition. In order for there to be a coalition, the Bloc, Liberals, and NDP were to ban together. They would have had sway in the government, albeit the Liberals would have had the most power out of the deal. Alot of Western Canadians viewed that as a direct threat towards the nation. Why hand power to anyone remotely resembling a part aimed at tearing the nation apart? That's not necessarily what I personally felt, but that was the prevailing attitude in Western Canada... at least in Alberta.

Very few of us hate Quebec. I really mean it when I say that... I come from rural Alberta the supposed "redneck capital", and I rarely hear any hate towards Quebecois. The only times I do usually revolves around talk about equalization payments, separatism, and the general attitude that Quebecois don't like us very much.

In fact, very few of us pay much attention to Quebec or Central Canada. The view here is... we can survive on our own... I don't mean to sound harsh when I say this... but Quebec and Ontario don't have alot to do with our day to day lives. If Quebec were to separate, that's not really for us to say... that's up to Quebecois... if they do... God Bless, take your share of the debt and don't depend on anything from Canada. If not... accept it and stop raising a fuss. AGAIN, that's not my personal views but that is the prevailing view here.

In fact, I would actually say that alot more of us like Quebec. We like travelling to Montreal and Quebec City, and exploring the province. Although French doesn't have any relevance here... we usually think it's kind of cool to learn another language. There's alot in Alberta with family connections to Quebec..... I certaintly don't think there's an attitude here that is "anti-Quebec"

NOW there IS an attitude here that is anti-Bloc. That's a world of difference between hating a political party that wishes to tear the nation apart, and hating a part of the nation. We tend to dislike the Bloc a great deal, simply for what it stands for, and simply for what we believe to be the country of Canada. That doesn't mean we hate Quebec.. the two are not dependent on eachother, they are completley mutually exclusive.

I'm sure you guys have a completely different perception of what Canada is. Rightfully so, you guys have had a totally different history, and have to adapt in ways that is probably culturally offending. I understand why the Bloc exists... but that doesn't mean I need to listen to what they say or agree with what they stand for.

So ya, I dislike the Bloc. I would personally vote against any sort of coalition that included the Bloc. BUT THAT DOENS'T MEAN I HATE QUEBEC. The two are different from eachother.

mithril

I don't know where your sources are, but The Bloc was part of the coalition. It's full title is Bloc Quebecois, and they have the interests of French Quebec at heart. This is the only party in support of one province. They were the ones who supported the referendum regarding separation in the 90's. Wisely though, separation never happened. Even the then current President of the US Bill Clinton stated that the time wasn't appropriate for discussing separation in Canada.

Anyway, the West gets a little resentful at being bilingual because it is seldom required out there. They provide Canada with many resources, and have very little representation in Ottawa, and felt they would get even less with the coalition. Not that anyone out there is a PC fan either.

The more Quebec pushes for more rights and acknowledgement in Ottawa, the more neglected the West seems to feel. The West is very, very multicultural, and in Vancouver and surrounding areas signs can be seen in Asian script to accommodate the population, as well as Spanish, English, and the seldom used French. While they have to adhere to guidelines meant to include (not exclude) Quebec, their diversity seems to be overlooked by the rest of the nation.

I'm no PC fan, but I felt the coalition was a really bad idea. We just had an election, and it did seem like the politicians involved were not acting in the best interests of Canadians/Canadiens, but of their own power. The Progressive Conservative Party isn't so much like the Council of Conservative Citizens, but more like the Republican Party in the US, pretty much right wing. They are nowhere near as frightening as the Bush Administration, though. ;)

Anyway, I think that the "pact with the devil" meant getting in credibly good parties for all the wrong reasons, and in a pretty disastrous way. As for "handing the country over to separatists"....well, in the end, wasn't that your suggestion--to divide the country between East and West?

No one wants Quebec to leave Canada. We just don't think that Quebec should be running the whole show. Quebec needs to realize that is is a part of Canada, like PEI or BC, and we need to work together to keep from becoming....well, as divided as the US is with the North and the South. These people speak the same language, for Pete's sake, and look how they can get on!

And if Quebec separated, both sides would lose historical and cultural identity. No French in schools? Now THAT would be truly sad.

Fred C

We do not hate you, we hate what the separatistes do to the country as a whole. We hate the fact that discrimination is written into law in Quebec. We hate the fact that they once changed the law so English moving to Quebec would have to send their children to French schools, segregated from "pur lain", yet, in contrast, if you moved to Manitoba, you could send your children to your choice, and if that choice was French, they could get education in French from pre-school to a Doctorate in University. We hate the fact that many government contracts have been awarded to Quebec even if other bids were less expensive, and/or more technologically advanced. We hate the fact that politicians think being "special" means they can claim an insult to Quebec if they aren't first in line for everything.
We don't hate you, we hate separatistes, and we hate special interest groups that think they can rewrite history.

The provinces together make a far stronger country than an isolated Quebec and geographically divided Canada, but it requires working together, all the time, not just when it is expedient.
By the way if Quebec were to leave Canada, it would be a much smaller probince. The resource-rich north was not part of the original Quebec, it was a gift from Canada to the Province of Quebec, and would remain part of Canada if Quebec separated.

Quebec was, at one time, a richer province. The anti-English sentiments, the forcing English to make special written requests before stores like Sears could let them have English catalogues, the forcing immigrants to send kids to French schools, but segregating them to make sure the kids didn't mix with the "pur lain", outlawing the posting of English signs that were too large even in stores whose clientele was mostly English, drove a lot of wealthy people to just pack and go to where they were accepted and respected. I would NEVER move there. I had an aunt who lived there for over 50 years who finally left. Despite the fact she was fluent in French, and at one time even taught school in French, she just had enough of the discrimination, which is basically written into Quebec law. I had another aunt that was actually a French professor, and taught university in Paris, who was looked down on in Quebec, because she wan't "pur lain". The cancelling of the Plains of Abraham re-enactment, a marking of an extremely important event in Canadian history, because of threats of violence makes the province look bush-league, not just to the rest of Canada, but the world, and has cost the province a lot of tourist dollars.

I have to correct the Ontario person who claims the West is always talking of separation. NOT QUITE TRUE! There was a movement in Alberta to separate, which, with the drop in oil prices, and the consequent drop in their golden income, has become much quieter.

My3Boys

Short answer. We don't.

You're buying into a few extreme comments the media picked up on because it makes compelling news.

You posting this also perpetuates the false notion that all westerners hate the east, and all easterners hate the west. Do you all hate the West? No? See...

MasterPython

We don't hate you. We hate the politicians you elect and are annoyed that you keep doing it. I don't see how it is wrong to hate politicians that have it in for you.

Dead Day Afternoon

It is perfectly acceptable to hate the Bloc.
They are traitors to our country.

North of 49

"Mithril" could not have said it better and I will add a few more points:

To use the word "hate" as in "Why do Western Canadians hate Quebecers so much" is really a wrong, wrong word to use. Perhaps "dislike" may be the strongest word.

The West is always neglected by Ottawa.
The West has lots of resouces used throughout Canada and gets little in return. . . Why? because Central Canada & in particular Quebec, has a large population with a large number of parliament seats, thus the West sees a large volume of funds go to Quebec to get those votes where less money (per capita) goes to the West. Bilingualism is shoved down our throats when there is no French out here. If anything, BC needs to be bilingual in Mandrin, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Japanese and a few more other languages than French. I work for the Federal Government and there are many promotional opportunities, however they are Bilingual positions (and those positions very rarely if at all speak French during the course of their duty) and because there are few French speaking people out here, the job goes to someone less deserving and often not qualified . . .they get the promotion only because they can speak French.

When we travel to Quebec, we see English as not being accepted and Lord help any Commercial business who wants to advertise in English, (and this is Canada).

I have recently visited and stayed in Quebec City for 3 weeks. I fell in love with that city and it's people. I could feel the "distinct society" Quebec says they are and accept it. My thoughts before leaving was if I could do my life over that after graduating from a Western high school, I would move to Quebec City, learn French and live there.

It would be so wrong for Quebec to separate from Canada. Canada is a multi-cultural society and Quebec is a large part of that.
It is no person's fault in Quebec, nor BC about the French language policy that upsets the West, it's the politicians and as citizens we have to learn to live with and love one another from the East to the West Coast.

Man

The coalition was stupid. If the Bloc just drew out of the coalition after the 18 months, there looks like trouble is ahead.

justina

I don't like French,simple as that!

nsnurse

"Split between the west and the east". HA! You mean if Quebec were to run Eastern Canada? Please you don't like any English speaking Canadians. I have been to Ville de Quebec and was snubbed horribly. I ask you the question why do the Quebecquois hate the rest of Canada so much?

The West don't like you because of your holier than thou attitude and the Maratimes don't want you either. You can't rewrite history even though you keep trying. Yes it was nationally televised how you idiots in Quebec stopped the reenactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham because it didn't support your French culture. The English won get over it. You can have your own culture, we won't complain about that. Hey BC has its own culture but they don't want to seperate from the rest of Canada or get special treatment (Yes Quebec gets special treatment...they have their own legal system that is completely different from the rest of Canada). How would Quebec survive if it seperated? No equalization payments, all of the federal companies that are in Quebec gone, all the contracts that are given to you "out of fairness"...please you would be a destitute country. You can't have it both ways.

We don't like you because you are not proud to be a part of Canada and you are not greatful for all that the rest of Canada does to financially support your province.

Oh and Newfoundlanders "hate" you as much as the westerners because you conned them into a contract to buy their natural gas from Labrador and are now selling it to the US at a huge profit for Quebec.

I should clarify the rest of Canada hates the seperatists not Quebec in general. The seperatists are "the devil". You don't try to split from the country and not expect the country not to hate you. Just by saying you want to split from the country you are saying you don't like the rest of the country....hence the feelings of anomosity.

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