To My Canadian Friends

[potterscrow]

So I was reading about the protests that Prince William and Kate are experiencing. So what is that really about. Is it about the fraction of french speaking Canadians that want to separate from Canada? Could this all really date back to the 1750s and 1760s when France ceded Canada to England? Also how big is the contigency of Canadians that want to separate from Canada?

[Maximus]

You know, I don't really have solid answers to any of your questions -- which is pretty sad because I'm Canadian -- but I'll try to answer as best I can.

I'm thinking you're right for the most part: they (French Canadians) still begrudge England for stealing their already stolen land and attempting to wipe out their culture. They're probably upset that Canada is still part of the British Commonwealth, their greatest enemy, and that the French language is treated as insignificant almost everywhere in this country besides Quebec. In all honesty, we English-speaking Canadians don't really pay attention to what goes on with our French-speaking brothers and sisters. They like to piss and moan a lot and threaten to separate from the country, but the problem is that nobody cares. I know that sounds harsh, but French Canadians are an overwhelming minority here with a very small voice, and that's probably why some want to separate. On the topic of separation, the separatist contingency here is small; I have no evidence of this, but if it wasn't, Quebec would have separated already. I liken pro-separatist French Canadians to this guy in my neighborhood who frequents the local mall. All he does is walk back-and-forth all day talking to some imaginary friend on an imaginary cell phone. Everybody assumes he is crazy and avoids him, which is how most Canadians treat pro-separatists.

[Sondiame]

Honestly , Not that big. My friend is one of those guys. Its not really that big, but My teacher was part of it too. To all those people wanting to secede

[potterscrow]

Cool thanks. You did shed some more light on it. I figured that the secede contigency couldn't be that big otherwise it would have happened long ago. History is a funny thing. I know people normally find history boring but I love it and that is why I ask these questions. I like to learn about stuff like this.

[.aqpl3seeD]

I don't currently live in Canada but it's through Canada that my family emigrated, from Lithuania, after WWII and I still have family there. I had two stints where I lived and worked in Ontario and I've been to Montreal at least a dozen times.

It's my understanding that the province of Quebec has always been upset with the Canadian Constitution. There have been several revisions and additions to the Canadian Constitution that Quebec has opposed. The legislature of Quebec held it's first Referendum on Sovereignty in 1980, sovereignty was voted down. Things really heated up in the late 80's. Quebec had already adopted their modern Charter in 1975 but from 1987-1992 many attempts were made to revise the Canadian Constitution in a way that Quebec would be happy with, and the Quebec Legislature would pass a motion to support but they all failed. In 1995 the Quebec Legislature held a second Referendum on Sovereignty and, again, sovereignty was voted down but by a very slim margin. In 1996 several Canadian politicians who are opposed to Quebec sovereignty began exploring legal avenues that would make it illegal for any province to unilaterally declare independence.

Sorry for the large paragraph but this was a hot topic when I was a teenager