Qu Bec Confronts Canada

Originally published in 1967. The nationalistic sentiment of French Canada was starkly dramatized by the Montreal terrorist bombings in the spring of 1963. Admittedly the work of extremists, that eruption of violence was an offshoot of the profound social, political, economic, and cultural transformation—an accelerated evolution rather than a revolution—that Quebec has undergone since the end of World War II. This revolution tranquille is characterized by a new sense of self-confidence among French Canadians, an eagerness to reject what they regard as any hint of second-class citizenship, and a determination to take full share in all aspects of Canadian life—without, however, sacrificing their French culture and heritage. A threat to the Canadian Confederation is implicit in the growing reluctance of modern French-speaking Canadians to abide the "tyranny of the majority," however enlightened or well-intentioned it may be. This first book-length study in English of the conflict between French and English Canadians provides a thorough treatment of French-Canadian complaints against English Canada, and of their implications for Canadian unity. Dr. Corbett devotes the first part of his study to an analysis of the ferment within the French-speaking population of Quebec during the postwar period. He discusses the relation between French-Canadian nationalism and other nationalisms and the roles played by the language barrier, the church, and the separatist movement. In the second part of the study he considers the political, economic, and social implications of separatism, with particular regard to the proposals for adapting the Constitution to Quebecois demands. After tracing the evolution of the ambivalent English-Canadian concept of Canada's national identity, he concludes that the future of the Confederation will depend on how far the English majority is willing to go in meeting French demands.

As the threat of another Quebec referendum on independence looms, this book becomes important for every Canadian — especially as language remains both a barrier and a bridge in our divided country Canada’s language policy is the only connection between two largely unilingual societies — English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Quebec. The country’s success in staying together depends on making it work. How well is it working? Graham Fraser, an English-speaking Canadian who became bilingual, decided to take a clear-eyed look at the situation. The results are startling — a blend of good news and bad. The Official Languages Act was passed with the support of every party in the House way back in 1969 — yet Canada’s language policy is still a controversial, red-hot topic; jobs, ideals, and ultimately the country are at stake. And the myth that the whole thing was always a plot to get francophones top jobs continues to live. Graham Fraser looks at the intentions, the hopes, the fears, the record, the myths, and the unexpected reality of a country that is still grappling with the language challenge that has shaped its history. He finds a paradox: after letting Quebec lawyers run the country for three decades, Canadians keep hoping the next generation will be bilingual — but forty years after learning that the country faced a language crisis, Canada’s universities still treat French as a foreign language. He describes the impact of language on politics and government (not to mention social life in Montreal and Ottawa) in a hard-hitting book that will be discussed everywhere, including the headlines in both languages.

Based on the premises that Quebecers vote for independence in a referendum and Canada accepts this result, The Secession of Quebec and the Future of Canada is a timely examination of the implications of separation for Quebec and the rest of Canada.

Young (political science, U. of Western Ontario) follows his analysis of the Quebec situation in The Secession of Quebec and the Future of Canada, written in mid-1994, with an update of developments since then. He describes the prelude to the 1995 referendum campaign on Quebec secession, and analyzes the arguments deployed by federalists and sovereignists, seeking to explain why the Yes forces gained ground in 1995 and almost won. He then assesses the fallout of the referendum and describes how the sovereignists and federalists are maneuvering around the prospect of another referendum. He provides predictions on what would happen after a Yes vote. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In this volume a baker's dozen of creative Canadians make personal responses to the state of the arts in Canada: Northrop Frye and Guy Rocher write on general cultural trends; Hugh MacLennan and Gérard Bessette on fiction; Ralph Gustafson and Michèle Lalonde on poetry; Robertson Davies and Gratien Gélinas on drama; George Woodcock and Jacques Allard on non-fiction prose; Godfrey Ridout on music, and Aba Bayefsky and Humphrey N. Milnes on art. The essays were written to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the University of Toronto Quarterly. The contributors were invited to discuss the changes, problems, challenges, and achievements in the arts in the last fifty years. Since all the authors had personal experience of at least a large section of the period surveyed, the editors welcomed personal reminiscence as well as description and assessment. The result is a varied group of essays in each of which the character of the individual artist is clearly evident; together, they provide a complex, many-faceted, lively, and living discussion of the cultural development of Canada. This anniversary collection of essays is a valuable and provocative source for courses in Canadian studies and for anyone interested in the development of the arts and humanities in Canada.

This psycho-social examination of the Quebecois separatist movement is based on extensive interviews with a variety of persons. Its surprising results include the discovery that a desire for economic improvement or enhanced political power rarely motivates participation in the movement.

In the last seventy years, Quebec has changed from a society dominated by the social edicts of the Catholic Church and the economic interests of anglophone business leaders to a more secular culture that frequently elects separatist political parties and has developed the most comprehensive welfare state in North America. In Contemporary Quebec, leading scholars raise provocative questions about the ways in which Quebec has been transformed since the Second World War and offer competing interpretations of the reasons for the province's quiet and radical revolutions.

Predominantly Catholic societies subjected to British conquest and partial colonization, Ireland and Quebec rebelled unsuccessfully and entered the modern era with populations divided by language and religion. Ireland failed to achieve home rule within the United Kingdom and chose armed resistance, which led to independence for most of the country at the price of partition. Quebec achieved home rule as a province within the Canadian federation, which led to a century of relative stability followed by the Quiet Revolution and the rise of an independence movement. Almost simultaneously with increased pressure for independence in Quebec, the Irish question erupted again with an armed struggle between supporters and opponents of partition in the six northern counties.