1. Cluster 4: Achievements & Challenges
4.4 Québec & Canada

2. Québec’s View of Federalism
Ever since the Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended French rule in North America French Canadians have resisted assimilation into English-speaking society.
Some governments designed policies with the goal of French Canadian assimilation.
Over 100 years later, the French-speaking majority of Canada East viewed Confederation with caution.
Some were strongly opposed to Confederation. Those in support saw Confederation as a compromise, at best.
French Canadians in Québec would gain control over policies affecting their language, religion, and other institutions, but they would be a linguistic and cultural minority in the new union.
Furthermore, French Canadians recognized that as more immigrants moved to Canada, francophones were likely to become an even smaller minority.

3. Protecting Québec Culture
Following the First World War, many French Canadians in Québec became concerned about changes in their province.
Québec's leaders believed their province's traditional values and traditions were being eroded by urbanization.
In addition, many businesses in the province were financed by Anglophone Canadians and Americans, so English was quickly becoming the language of business.
Many francophones worried about the future of their language.
This worry seemed justified in 1943, when a study of eighty-three major businesses in Montreal showed that 768 directors were English Canadians and only ninety-three were French Canadians.

4. By 1991, francophones were 24.3% of the population, and in 2006, they were 22.1%. Given these numbers, do you think the francophone fear of assimilation in the 1920s and 1930s was justified?

5. Lionel Groulx
In response to these changes, some people called for the preservation of traditional Québec culture.
Lionel Groulx, a prominent Québec thinker and Catholic Church leader, gave voice to these concerns.
He believed Québec culture was strongly linked to the Catholic faith. Therefore, he saw preserving the Church's influence in Québec as the best way to preserve the province's distinct culture.

6. Maurice Duplessis & the Union Nationale
Concerns about maintaining Québec's distinct culture contributed to the formation of the Union Nationale in 1935.
Many of the political party's policies focused on preserving traditional rural ways of life, and the party had strong support from rural Québec.
Led by Maurice Duplessis, the party was elected in 1936 with promises of defending Québec's French language and culture.

7. Duplessis’ Québec
Québec Premier , until he died (Union Nationale)
Wanted traditional life and values
Kept federal government interference to a minimum
Did not want any programs or institutions that might erode Québec's distinct culture
Allowed English investment in Québec – controlled good paying jobs
needed anglophone investment to help Québec's economy grow

8. The Quiet Revolution
By 1962, Jean Lesage and the Liberals promised a ‘Quiet Revolution’ in Québec
Lesage introduces key changes:
modernized education system
joined Canada’s Medicare program
limited influence of Catholic Church on education
nationalized companies (ex. Hydro Québec)
made French the language of the workplace
Used key slogans to gain support:
‘Maîtres chez nous’ (masters in our own house
Je me souviens (I will remember)
La survivance (survival of French)

9. It’s Time for Change
Their objectives meant change in four areas:
The economy.
Social services.
Education.
The relationship with the federal government.
They vowed to make the French majority maîtres chez nous “Masters of our own house”.
Out of this idea grew a sense that the province of Québec was home to a unique nation—the Québecois.
Out of this idea grew a sense that the province of Québec was home to a unique nation—the Québecois.

10. Outcomes of the Quiet Revolution
French Canadians realized the extent of the discrimination they had endured.
French Canadian and English Canadian relations now tense
Some felt he didn’t do enough – rise of separatist groups (FLQ bombings 1960’s)

11. A New Kind of Nationalism
The Quiet Revolution also encouraged people to question the role of their province in Canada.
Many Québecois turned away from the kind of nationalism promoted by Duplessis—one that emphasized the isolation of Québec as a way of protecting its culture.
Instead, many people began calling for an equal status for francophone culture in Confederation and greater autonomy for Québec within the federal system.

12. Asserting Québec Nationalism
Prior to the Quiet Revolution, French Canadians had referred to themselves as Canadiens, Canadiens frangais, or, at times, la nation canadienne-frangaise, expressions that included the francophone population outside Québec.
By the time of the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s, the term Québecois was used more commonly.
Québecois began to define themselves as as members of a distinct culture and society within Canada.

13. Sovereignty & Separation
Québecois nationalists believed that to be Maîtres chez nous meant attaining Québec sovereignty.
People in the sovereignty movement ranged in their ideas from wanting more powers for Québec in Canadian federalism to wanting the complete separation of Québec from Canada.

14. After the 1973 election, the PQ became the Official Opposition.
In 1968, two political parties that supported sovereignty for Québec joined together to form the Parti Québecois (PQ).
The PQ was led by one of Lesage's former cabinet ministers, Rene Levesque. Levesque supported sovereignty association.
Sovereignty-association called for Québec to maintain economic connections with Canada but to become independent in all other respects.
Other PQ supporters—séparatistes— wanted Québec to be completely independent from Canada.
In November 1968, the PQ's membership stood at In early 1970, membership had grown to
The PQ did not win the 1970 and 1973 elections, but it did receive a significant percentage of the popular vote: 23 percent in 1970 and then 30 percent in 1973.
After the 1973 election, the PQ became the Official Opposition. 

15. SEPARATIST - wanting to make Québec an independent country
- from ‘separate’ = to divide into parts
SEPARATIST
- wanting to leave a union or confederation
- noun is ‘separatism’

16. Trudeau’s Views on Sovereignty
Many Québecois disagreed with the PQ's views, including Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who became Canada's prime minister in 1968.
Trudeau believed that the form of federalism created by the Fathers of Confederation was more than enough to ensure cultural protection for Québecois.
Though he supported constitutional changes to guarantee language and education rights for individual francophones and anglophones across Canada, Trudeau believed that the form of nationalism promoted by Levesque was dangerous—the kind of thinking that caused wars.
Furthermore, Trudeau argued that Levesque's path would violate individual and minority rights.

17. The FLQ & The October Crisis
Stands for Front de Liberation du Québec.
A time where propaganda and terrorism was used to promote the new independent Québec.
It started in March 1963 when Québec was undergoing a period of big great changes (industrial expansion and modernization of the state).
James Cross-British Trades Commissioner

18. The Crisis Begins: October 5
Two men arrived at the Montreal home of British Trade Commissioner, James Cross.
The two men kidnapped Cross from his home.
The kidnappers are identified as members of the FLQ.
They demand:
Release of political prisoners
Publication of FLQ manifesto
Transportation to Cuba or Algeria
$500,000 in gold bars

19. October 8
The Canadian government refused the demands of the FLQ, but the FLQ Manifesto was read on the radio.
James Cross

20. We have had enough of promises of work and prosperity…When in fact we will always be the diligent servants of the big shots…we will be slaves until Québecers, all of us, have used every means, including dynamite and guns, to drive out these big bosses of the economy and of politics.
Excerpt from the FLQ Manifesto read on Radio-Canada, October 8, 1970

21. October 10
Four armed men arrived at the Montreal home of Pierre Laporte, the Québec Labour Minister and the Number 2 man in Québec, and kidnapped him.
The men were a part of the second cell of the FLQ.
Important Government officials were relocated and protected by armed guards.
Pierre Laporte

22. October 12
Federal troops took up position in Ottawa to protect government officials and buildings.

23. October 16
At the request of the Québec government, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacted the War Measures Act which:
Took away the civil rights of Canadians.
Allowed police to hold suspects without charge for 21 days and 90 days without trial.
464 people were eventually arrested.

24. War Measures Act
This act allowed the government To have emergency power on the federal cabinet.
It was used during wars like World War II and during and after the Korean War.
It wasn’t used for a long period of time until the October crisis when emergency actions had to be taken in response to the two kidnappings.

25. Soldiers patrolled Montreal streets after the War Measures Act was invoked. Over 450 people were arrested without being charged. Under the War Measures Act, having attended even one FLQ meeting was grounds for arrest. Most of those arrested were eventually released without being charged of a crime or even being told why they were under suspicion.

26. October 18
The body of Pierre Laporte was found in the trunk of a car in Montreal (St. Hubert).

27. December 4
Police surrounded a home in Montreal where James Cross had been held for 59 days.
Police negotiated with the kidnappers and an agreement was reached; Cross was released at the Expo 67 site and the kidnappers were flown to Cuba.

28. December 28
The FLQ members accused of kidnapping Pierre Laporte were captured just outside of Montreal.
The Crisis was finally over.

29. Effects of the October Crisis1
Alerted many Canadians to the seriousness of the Québec Independence movement. 2
Most Québecers did not agree with using violence, but recognized that Québec was controlled too much by the English. 3
Many questioned whether using the War Measures Act was too extreme.

30. Language Laws
In 1977 the PQ passes the controversial Bill 101 (aka the Sign Law)
All signs/billboards must be in French only
Children of French parents must attend French schools
New immigrants to Québec must attend French schools
Many English Canadians upset!

31. Are Québec’s language laws just or discriminatory?

32. Referendum on Sovereignty-Association
An independence referendum (mass vote) was scheduled for May 20, 1980 in Québec
The question? Sovereignity Association – political independence, but economic co- operation with Canada
PM Pierre Trudeau fights for Canada to stay united
No side wins 60%-40%

33. The 1980 referendum on sovereignty was a significant event in Canadian history. What might be different perspectives on why it was historically significant? Consider the following views of a federalist, a sovereigntist, a new immigrant to Québec, and an Aboriginal person in Québec.

34. Other Challenges to Canadian Federalism

35. Revisions to the Indian Act
Revisions to the Indian Act in included the permission of these three key customs:
Permission to have potlatches
Permission to have pow-wows
The ability to drink alcohol on their own Indian reserves
Native Pow-wow Dancer

36. Residential Schools
First used in Canada in 1883 to try and assimilate aboriginals.
Students lived in poor conditions (Ex. Inadequate clothing, substandard food, and lack of medical care).
The government believed the schools were ineffective, along with aboriginal protests it was decided in 1969 that residential schools would be phased out.
Harper’s Apology (13:13)

37. Western Discontent Political Representation
Western provinces felt excluded from political affairs with Canada
Political Representation
Western provinces lower populated cities.
Québec and Ontario higher populated cities.
Westerners aren’t well represented in the House of Commons.
Québec receiving too much attention from government.

38. Seats in the House of Commons, 2008 Election

39. Which party has the most seats
Which party has the most seats? Is its support evenly distributed across the country? How is support for the other parties distributed across the provinces and territories? How did regional voting patterns influence the outcome of the election?

40. Does the Québec sovereignty movement represent change, continuity, or both?

41. What is this protestor’s message? How did he convey this message?
Many non-francophone Canadians, both in Québec and in the rest of the country, reacted strongly to Bill 101.
What is this protestor’s message?
How did he convey this message?
If this person lived outside Québec, Bill 101 would have had little effect on his life.
Should people who are not affected by a law have the right to comment on it?