![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
PLSC 445B -- Québec Class Notes
Québec Politics & Québec-U.S. Relations -- Overview
Introduction: "Setting the Stage"
===================================================================
===================================================================
INTRODUCTION TO QUÉBEC
===================================================================
===================================================================
There are two important things to always keep in mind when discussing Québec:
1. It is predominantly French-speaking, and
2. It is the only Canadian province where French is the only official language.
The population of Québec is approximately 7,000,000. Of that, 80% speak French as a first language.
Two other significant Francophone locales in Canada: 200,000 in New Brunswick (about 30% of the population), and 300,000 in Ontario (about 2% of the population).
The Paradox of Québec:
In Canada, francophones are in the minority
But in Québec, they are in the majority
While striving to protect minority rights in Canada, Québec must also wrestle with minority rights within its borders -- including, ironically, minority English speakers.
Nationalism plays a huge role in Québec politics.
There are 3 main political parties in Québec:
- Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ, the Québec liberals, non-separatist)
- Parti Québécois (PQ, the separatist party)
- Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ, the Québec conservatives, non-separatist)
Only one is separatist, but ALL are nationalist.
All three parties have a commitment to maintain a unique French identity and culture in Canada, and to preserve Québec's autonomy.
A major debate in Québec is: What should be the status of minorities in Québec?
The Québecois have felt culturally threatened because of their minority status in Canada, and have taken strong steps to protect francophone culture.
However, Québec finds itself having to balance that protection of its own culture, while also protecting the rights of the other minorities within Québec.
The Charter of the French Language (a.k.a. Bill 101, enacted 1977)
Made French the sole official language of Québec (before, it had been officially bilingual).
Bill 101 mandated that children in Québec attending public school must attend in French. However, this was fought in courts, and anglophones in Québec may send their children to English school.
Bill 101 also regulated commercial signs. At first, it was illegal to post English-only or bilingual signs. Court challenges eventually forced bilingual signs to be accepted, as long as French predominated.
Overview of the Province
There are significant English-speaking minorities in Montréal, Gatineau, and Sherbrooke.
The rest of Québec is almost entirely francophone.
(Interestingly, only 1% of Québec City is anglophone)
There are two major cities in Québec: Montréal and Québec City.
But the political and cultural realities of these two cities are quite different.
Québec City is 400 years old this year (on July 3rd), and is one of the oldest settlements in North America. (Nicknamed "The Cradle of French Civilization in North America")
Québec City is the provincial capitol, and has a population of about 700,000.
There are ramparts around the old town, making Québec the only fortified city north of México.
Québec is really a FRENCH city. It has far fewer bilinguals than Montréal, so there aren't the issues and debates about the anglophone minorities or immigration that there are in Montréal.
Montréal is way bigger, 3.5 million. It was founded 40 years later.
Montréal is very cosmopolitan, with 2 Canadian identities living side by side: French on the east side, and English on the west side.
Québec City is insular, becoming more conservative (voted for Harper)
Montréal is far more open, liberal, with exposure to immigrants
There is an ideological gap between the two cities.
An example of the different ways the cities approach language:
Québec has 1 university, in French
Montréal has 4 universities: 2 French, 2 English
Québec-US relations
Québec is very close in geographic proximity with the United States.
Often, Québec feels closer in identity to the U.S. than the rest of Canada. Boston and New York are closer to Montréal than is Toronto. Québecois often know more about what's going on in the U.S. than what's going on in the rest of Canada.
The term "Two Solitudes" refers to this disconnect between French and English Canada.
The relationship between Québec and the U.S. may be characterized as stronger than between Québec and the rest of Canada.
900,000 francophones emigrated from Québec to the U.S. from 1840-1930.
There are 4 border crossings: 1 each in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
There are 2 U.S. Consulates in Québec: 1 in Montréal, and 1 in Québec City.
There are 6 government of Québec offices in the U.S. : A general delegation in New York, and offices in Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles. These offices are separate from the federal Canadian consulates and offices.
The U.S. is Québec's #1 tourist market, even more than the rest of Canada.
This is largely due to proximity.
Québec is a member of several bilateral and multilateral organizations throughout the region, most notably with the U.S. states along the border.
The government of Québec provides funding for U.S. universities to educate Americans about Québec.
The U.S. is Québec's leading trading partner. In 2004:
82% of Québec's exports went to the United States
36% of Québec's imports are from the United States
A video of "Triumph the Insult Dog" our instructor suggested we watch:
(The comment Triumph makes, "This is North America, speak the language!" is instructive.)
Introduction: "Setting the Stage"
===================================================================
===================================================================
INTRODUCTION TO QUÉBEC
===================================================================
===================================================================
There are two important things to always keep in mind when discussing Québec:
1. It is predominantly French-speaking, and
2. It is the only Canadian province where French is the only official language.
The population of Québec is approximately 7,000,000. Of that, 80% speak French as a first language.
Two other significant Francophone locales in Canada: 200,000 in New Brunswick (about 30% of the population), and 300,000 in Ontario (about 2% of the population).
The Paradox of Québec:
In Canada, francophones are in the minority
But in Québec, they are in the majority
While striving to protect minority rights in Canada, Québec must also wrestle with minority rights within its borders -- including, ironically, minority English speakers.
Nationalism plays a huge role in Québec politics.
There are 3 main political parties in Québec:
- Parti libéral du Québec (PLQ, the Québec liberals, non-separatist)
- Parti Québécois (PQ, the separatist party)
- Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ, the Québec conservatives, non-separatist)
Only one is separatist, but ALL are nationalist.
All three parties have a commitment to maintain a unique French identity and culture in Canada, and to preserve Québec's autonomy.
A major debate in Québec is: What should be the status of minorities in Québec?
The Québecois have felt culturally threatened because of their minority status in Canada, and have taken strong steps to protect francophone culture.
However, Québec finds itself having to balance that protection of its own culture, while also protecting the rights of the other minorities within Québec.
The Charter of the French Language (a.k.a. Bill 101, enacted 1977)
Made French the sole official language of Québec (before, it had been officially bilingual).
Bill 101 mandated that children in Québec attending public school must attend in French. However, this was fought in courts, and anglophones in Québec may send their children to English school.
Bill 101 also regulated commercial signs. At first, it was illegal to post English-only or bilingual signs. Court challenges eventually forced bilingual signs to be accepted, as long as French predominated.
Overview of the Province
There are significant English-speaking minorities in Montréal, Gatineau, and Sherbrooke.
The rest of Québec is almost entirely francophone.
(Interestingly, only 1% of Québec City is anglophone)
There are two major cities in Québec: Montréal and Québec City.
But the political and cultural realities of these two cities are quite different.
Québec City is 400 years old this year (on July 3rd), and is one of the oldest settlements in North America. (Nicknamed "The Cradle of French Civilization in North America")
Québec City is the provincial capitol, and has a population of about 700,000.
There are ramparts around the old town, making Québec the only fortified city north of México.
Québec is really a FRENCH city. It has far fewer bilinguals than Montréal, so there aren't the issues and debates about the anglophone minorities or immigration that there are in Montréal.
Montréal is way bigger, 3.5 million. It was founded 40 years later.
Montréal is very cosmopolitan, with 2 Canadian identities living side by side: French on the east side, and English on the west side.
Québec City is insular, becoming more conservative (voted for Harper)
Montréal is far more open, liberal, with exposure to immigrants
There is an ideological gap between the two cities.
An example of the different ways the cities approach language:
Québec has 1 university, in French
Montréal has 4 universities: 2 French, 2 English
Québec-US relations
Québec is very close in geographic proximity with the United States.
Often, Québec feels closer in identity to the U.S. than the rest of Canada. Boston and New York are closer to Montréal than is Toronto. Québecois often know more about what's going on in the U.S. than what's going on in the rest of Canada.
The term "Two Solitudes" refers to this disconnect between French and English Canada.
The relationship between Québec and the U.S. may be characterized as stronger than between Québec and the rest of Canada.
900,000 francophones emigrated from Québec to the U.S. from 1840-1930.
There are 4 border crossings: 1 each in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
There are 2 U.S. Consulates in Québec: 1 in Montréal, and 1 in Québec City.
There are 6 government of Québec offices in the U.S. : A general delegation in New York, and offices in Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles. These offices are separate from the federal Canadian consulates and offices.
The U.S. is Québec's #1 tourist market, even more than the rest of Canada.
This is largely due to proximity.
Québec is a member of several bilateral and multilateral organizations throughout the region, most notably with the U.S. states along the border.
The government of Québec provides funding for U.S. universities to educate Americans about Québec.
The U.S. is Québec's leading trading partner. In 2004:
82% of Québec's exports went to the United States
36% of Québec's imports are from the United States
A video of "Triumph the Insult Dog" our instructor suggested we watch:
(The comment Triumph makes, "This is North America, speak the language!" is instructive.)