Chapter 5: French Canada and the Quebec Question

Official Languages Act

A law passed in 1969 giving citizens the right to deal with head offices as well as certain local offices of the federal government in either official language and necessitating the hiring and promotion of Francophone public servants.

Ethnic/Linguistic Conflicts (1867-1960): Second conscription crisis

"Conscription if necessary but not necessarily conscription" King is credited by most observers with having skilfully kept the country together in the circumstances.

New Middle Class

A term from class analysis describing salaried professionals such as teachers, public servants, nurses and so on.

Meech Lake Accord

Designed to bring Quebec back into the Canadian constitutional fold, the accord provided for the recognition of Quebec as a distinct society within Canada Failed a many Quebeckers felt betrayed again Started a new campaign to take away powers from Ottowa

Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism

Established in reaction to the Quiet revolution in Quebec in the 1960s that recommended official biligualism as a way of keeping the country together.

A referendum on soverignty in 1992

Failed

Two models to deal with the distinctiveness of French Canada

First: Territorial principle Second: Personality principle

Ethnic/Linguistic Conflicts (1867-1960): Bilingualism in Manitba

In 1890, the anglophone majority passed the Official Language Act which removed the official status of French in the province's legislature and courts, upsetting French Canadians beyond Manitoba.

Ethnic/Linguistic Conflicts (1867-1960): French Schools in Ontario: Regulation 17

Issued Regulation 17 which abolished the use of French in the Ontario school system.

Historical Overview (Pre-Confederation Developments)

Lower Canada (Quebec) was essentially French-Catholic and Upper Canada (Ontario) was Anglo-Protestant. Many attempts at assimilation failed and the last one was the Act of Union which also failed. Constitution Act 1867: Both French and English could be used in all aspects of the new federal Parliaent and laws were passed in both languages.

Pre-1960 Quebec Nationalism

Most considered that the Confederation had beetn a pact between two ethnic groups English and French and many held to the compact theory of Confederation that no changes could be made to the constitution without the approval of both groups, or at least the consent of the province of Quebec. Before 1960, the Nationalism was inward looking and defensive, primarily concerned with ensuring that the federal government kept out of the provincial affairs.

Territorial principle

Recognise Quebec as the homeland of French Canada and give the province powers and resources to protect and promote its linguistic and cultural distinctiveness

Personality principle

Recognise the existence of French Canada across the country and promote bilingualism ast the federal level and in the other provinces and territories.

Minority language education rights

Rights established by the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms whereby French-speaking Canadians have the right to send their children to French-language schools, wherever their numbers warrant, applying to English speaking Canadians as well.

Bill 22

The 1974 language law passed by Quebec that sought to enhance the status of the French language in that province and, among other things, required that immigrant children go to French-language schools unless they could already speak English.

Clarity Act

The Act sponsored by PM Chretien in 2000 that fleshed out the SC decision on Quebec separation and requires federal government approval for the question asked.

Gomery Inquiry

The report written by Judge John Gomery in 2005-06 who was appointed by Paul Martin to investigate the sponsorship scandal in Quebec under Jean Chretien.

Ethnic/Linguistic Conflicts (1867-1960): First conscription crisis

The French did not want to join the war because Canada was forced into the war due to being under the control of the British. This confrontation destroyed what little French-Canadian support remained for the Conservative Party after the execution of Louis Riel.

Bill 101

The PQ made few gains in provincial autonomy but it did pass Bill 101. Extended Bill 22 by making French the predominant language in the region.

Sovereignty-association

The Parti Quebecois proposal in which Quebec would be sovereign while maintaining an economic association with the rest of Canada.

Ethnic/Linguistic Conflicts (1867-1960): The Riel Rebellions

The Riel Rebellions The first one led to the creation of the province of Manitoba in 1970. The second one was also led by louis Riel but this time the government crushed the rebellion and he Riel was tried as a murderer and convicted.

The Quiet Revolution: Quebec in the 1960s

The dramatic change of values, attitudes, and behavior of French-Canadian Quebeckers, a new collective self-confidence, a new brand of nationalism, and an enormous expansion of the role of the provincial state that characterized Quebec in the 1960s. It was now outward looking and aggressive and focused on expansion. Sought also to increase the powers of the provincial governments

Front de libertation du Quebec

The terrorist wing of the Quebec separatist movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Referendum held in October 1995

Turned down by 50.6% to 49.4%