Why does Quebec want to secede from the rest of Canada?

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SteveN

Quebec has the highest concentration of francophone people in all of Canada and as such are considered a "distinct society" within Canada (three other areas include a large french community, in neighbouring New Brunswick, the Acadians in Nova Scotia, and the Metis in Manitoba.

Historically, there has always been tension between the English and the French in Quebec. For years, the average Frenchman handled the blue collar work, while the richer anglophones controlled the white collar jobs and management.

The Quebec separatists believe that working within Canada is not in the best interests of Quebecers. They feel that their tax dollars are leaving the province and going to support the western provinces or the maritimes, which have in the past required federal funding.

Things hit a head in the 60's and 70's when the FLQ, a terrorist party began violent protests against the government. There were bombs placed in mailboxes and it eventually lead to the kidnappings of James Cross and Pierre Laporte (a period in 1970 known as the October Crisis). Laporte was later murdered by his kidnappers after the Canadian government had instigated the War Measures Act and declared martial law.

With the rise of the separatist Parti Quebecois party in the 1970s, there was a major exodus of corporations and businesses (and the jobs too) as they moved their headquarters to Ontario and Alberta over safety and separation concerns. Property values dropped and unemployment was up.

In recent years, there have been two votes put to the people regarding separation. The most recent one in 1995 was extremely close, with a 50.58% vote not to separate. After that vote, a visibly intoxicated Jacques Parizeau claimed that the separatist cause had been defeated by "money and the ethnic vote", which did not sit too well with the wealthy nor the visible minorities who had bought into to separation idea.

As it stands on Monday, Quebec will go back to the polls and make a selection as to whether they elect a separatist Parti Quebecois again to replace the Liberals who have broken their promises so far, keep the Liberals in place, or bring in a new Action Democratique Party, who claim to be the happy middleground.

On the topic of Quebec separation, I have heard two funny things over the years.

First, the separatists say they want to be independent of Canada, but still use their currency and certain crown controlled services like postal and telephone services. Comedians have said that is like a teenager trying to leave home but expecting to still use the family car and dad's credit cards.

The second was when the aboriginal people on one of the reserves were voting whether to remain part of Quebec if it were to separate. The separatists told the natives flatly that they cannot separate from Quebec. The native reserve leaders then answered "...Why is it okay for you to leave Canada, but not have a part of Quebec choose to remain Canadian?!..." Seems like a double standard.

If anything, it should be entertaining Monday night! ;-)

orbits

Franch-Canadians living in Quebec were defeated by the British back in the 18th century (when Quebec was called New-France). Economically treated as second class citizen until the 20th century - French-Canadians want to assert their independence from their Bristish invaders.

Marie

Only some QuÃ©becers (estimated today at about 25%) are hard core separatists, which is why the new ADQ party, which demands only autonomy (which for the most part QuÃ©bec already has) has received so much support (the election is tomorrow, Monday, by the way).

One point of correction to what SteveN wrote: the French-speakers of New Brunswick are also Acadian, not QuÃ©becois, as are many folk on the GaspÃ© (there are parts
of the GaspÃ© where you see almost every house adorned with an Acadian flag, every car with an Acadian sticker or
front plate; if there were a true and complete separation preference referendum these areas would vote to separate from QuÃ©bec and join New Brunswick).

By and large there is no separatist movement among Acadians and none among MÃ©tis.

The true separatist areas are mostly [the] mostly agrarian and forest economy areas to the north, northwest and northeast of MontrÃ©al and of QuÃ©bec city with some patches
south of the St- Lawrence River in-between and also in the near northeastern neighborhoods and suburbs of MontrÃ©al. These are inhabited by people considering themselve the true "pur laine" - pure wool - descended from the original French emmigrants from Brittany and northeastern France 350 years ago (the Acadians by contrast came from central and southern France).

Acadian immigrants were much more made up with Protestants than were Quebecois.

The separatist anger in QuÃ©bec built up largely because for 300 years much of the wealth and economic dicates were concentrated in the English speaking business community (almost entirely Anglican and Jewish) of MontrÃ©al, and it was abetted by the Catholic Church traditions that its flock should not rock the boat, have plenty of babies, and await for the ulitimate rewards of the afterlife. This was overcome by what is called in QuÃ©bec "The Silent Revolution" of the late 1950s through the mid 1970s, when more radical French-speakers
grabbed political power and the Church was stripped of almost all of its political influence and authority. Recently, over the past 10-15 years, the stresses have become more internal as the MontrÃ©al area with much immigration has become more and more an international polyglot and multi-cultural while the more rural pur laine lands, which are avoided by immigrants, are becoming more conservative and almost xenophobic (in this current campaign there has just been a stink from many pur lainers threatening to wear halloween masks and costumes to the polls if Muslim women were allowed, as before, to wear veils; the law was changed.)

If there were a true preference referendum tomorrow, QuÃ©bec would probably break up into 5 pieces: in addition to the Acadian areas voting to join New Brunswick, and (as SteveN notes) the aboriginal lands (3/4 of QuÃ©bec's land mass) would probably vote to become an English and native-speaking territory Canada, most of the MontrÃ©al area extending west to Ontario and north of the Ottawa River through the Ouaitais north of Ottawa and southeast toward Sherbrooke, and most of the QuÃ©bec City area (which strangely is largely federalist) extending down the Beauce to Maine, would probably elect to become new bi-lingual provinces.

Underground Man

Because they're French speaking and have a distinctive culture from the rest of Canada.

Could not have said it better myself SteveN. I completely agree

proto215

everbody needs time alone like me and you aaaaaaaaaxoxoxoxoxoxo

Kenster102.5

Because it want to separate from the rest of Canada but can't
Because it is Bilingual and boders with America

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