It’s now 30 years since Quebec narrowly rejected the referendum on sovereignty from Canada. The referendum was held on October 30, 1995. It was defeated by a bare 50.6 percent majority. That was by no means a vote of confidence of the French speaking province on its place in Canada.
Much has since happened in Quebec. The separatist Parti Quebecois is no longer in power. It has since been replaced by the Coalition on the Future of Quebec (Coalition Avenir de Quebec) led by Francois Legault (who founded the party in 2018). CAQ is not separatist per-se. But several party members happen to be separatists and CAQ is dedicated to the province attaining autonomy within Canada.
Unfortunately, the federal Liberal government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney has adopted the approach typical of Canada to ignore Quebec nationalism. It’s reminiscent of the referendum campaign from 1994 (when Quebec elected a separatist Parti Quebecois government) to 1995 (when sovereignty was barely defeated). Throughout the campaign the Canadian press was aggravating me with its assurances that the federalists would coast to victory over the separatists. In the summer of 1994, when Quebec was poised to elect a separatist Parti Quebecois government, the Toronto Globe & Mail ran a headline proclaiming “Separatism Not an Issue, Poll Finds.” The English language media in Canada was determined to insist the rise of a separatist party had nothing to do with separation.
This assertion was peculiar because sovereignty was the only issue in which the Parti Quebecois was in disagreement with the previous provincial Liberal government. Indeed, Jacques Parizeau, who died in 2015 and who was then the leader of the Parti Quebecois, was himself a former Liberal.
It’s true that the separatist movement in Quebec has since subsided. But it’s a fine line between autonomy and separation. And one must grasp that Quebec separatism is a light political sleeper. After the previous sovereignty referendum held in 1980 was defeated by a 60 to 40 percent margin, the late Pierre Trudeau (the charismatic politician who was prime minister of Canada from 1968 1984) declared “Separatism is dead.”
Lazarus was dead too! And it did not take much to wake Quebec separatists from their slumber. In 1991, NHL player Eric Lindros (who came from London, Ontario) refused to play when drafted by the Quebec Nordiques. In response, Quebec separatists took to the streets in droves and the movement was revived. Separatism was also ignited by defeat of the Meech Lake Accord negotiated by the late Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (which would have extended Quebec “distinct status” within Canada).
It’s the legacy of Meech Lake which should grab Canada’s attention. The country fell short of extending Quebec “distinct status” which it again seeks. Indeed, Quebec has never ratified Canada’s Constitution of 1982 (what Pierre Trudeau considered his benchmark achievement), an instrument which will remain unratified unless and until Quebec attains “distinct status” (a euphemism for autonomy).
To be sure, Quebec separatism lacks the discipline to attain autonomy at this time. The movement has alienated its Catholic support which played a crucial role in the barely defeated referendum in 1995. Under the government of Parti Quebecois leader Lucien Bouchard (who led Quebec from 1996 to 2001) the province changed the public school system, previously designated by Catholic and secular schools to English and French schools. This was an affront to the Catholic Church in Quebec and would remain a sticking point in the near future should Quebec separatists seek to enlist Church support in a potential drive for sovereignty.
But Quebec nationalism remains a political powder keg. Premier Legault himself is a former member of the Parti Quebecois. It would not take an incredible scenario to push Legault from support for autonomy to a drive for sovereignty. The Quebec Nordiques are now the Colorado Avalanche. An NHL draft pick will not touch off another political firestorm in Quebec.
On the other hand, Canada cannot afford Quebec to remain a holdout in its own constitution. Should Prime Minister Carney choose to address this issue, he will no doubt be blamed for the revival of Quebec nationalism. But developments are feasible (thirty years since the last sovereignty referendum) that could revive Quebec nationalism in spite of Carney. Quebec is Canada’s second largest province in terms of population and its largest in terms of geography. Canada ignores Quebec at its peril.
John O’Neill is an Allen Park freelance writer and a graduate of Wayne State University. He covered the 1995 sovereignty referendum in Quebec for National Review.
