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Québec class notes 2008.04.18
Current Events
The Bloc Québécois are really infighting right now. The separatist movement is in disarray, and the PQ did not do well in the most recent election.
The Bloc has announced it's new slogan, "Présent pour le Québec" (Present for Québec), which has received mixed reaction.
A new study has revealed that being able to speak French isn't much of a benefit for immigrant allophones in Québec, contrary to popular belief of many francophones.
The study found that allophones who only spoke French were twice as likely to be unemployed as allophones who only speak English. The situation is most acute in areas outside of Montréal. Allophones that spoke both French and English fared better.
The study only focused on immigrants with university degrees between age 35 and 44.
========
Historico-Institutional Context of Québec Politics (Con't.)
From the Quiet Revolution to the 1995 Referendum: 1960-1995
Duplessis, the premiere of Québec after WWII died in 1959. It is at this point that the Quiet Revolution begins.
THE QUIET REVOLUTION
Very important period in Québec history, culture and politics.
It is still referred back to by many as a "touchstone" period in Québec 's history.
The Quiet Revolution, defined:
"The modernization of Québec , including important changes in the way the province was governed and the way French-Canadian society was organized." (Balthazar, 1996)
"A period of rapid change in Québec, as institutions and attitudes were swept away, transforming state, economy, family and society." (Dickinson & Young, 2003)
"The Quiet Revolution is the name given to a period of Quebec history extending from 1960 to 1966 and corresponding to the tenure of office of the Liberal Party of Jean Lesage. The term appears to have been coined by a Toronto journalist who, upon witnessing the many and far reaching changes taking place in Quebec, declared that what was happening was nothing short of a revolution, albeit a quiet one." (Belanger, 2000)
The Quiet Revolution was marked by:
- Large-scale rejection of old values
- Secularization
- Increasing modernization and industrialization
- Longstanding demographic changes
- Growth of nationalism
- Intensive social change
People in Québec were inspired by events in the United States, and worldwide.
- Duplessis had opposed the use of state social programs, preferring the church's role in such matters.
- Lesage believed the Québec government could be used to favour the development of francophone culture.
A philosophy developed that all of Québec's problems could be addressed by utilizing the state.
Québec became more open to the rest of the world.
Jean Lesage (1912-1980)
- Premiere of Québec 1960-1966
- Portrayed as the father of the Quiet Revolution
- Was pragmatic and inspired by the Keynesian economic theories of the 1940s-1950s.
- Argued "Francophones could be masters of their own destiny."
- Believed that the state could be used as a lever to steer the economy.
Important features of the Quiet Revolution:
1. A new role for the state
2. A new economic consciousness
3. A new international role for Québec
4. Secularization of Québec society
1. A NEW ROLE FOR THE STATE
- Lesage calls for the Québec provincial government to take a more interventionist role.
- Lesage believes that the state can be an instrument of development for francophones.
- This was a radical POV shift. Previously, Duplessis had opposed the modern welfare state.
This was a completely new economic consciousness.
- The Québécois had been conditioned by the church to regard the government with suspicion.
- Slogan "Maîtres chez nous" (Masters in our own house)
2. A NEW ECONOMIC CONSCIOUSNESS
- Under the slogan "Maîtres chez nous" the Québec government becomes an active player in the economy.
- The minister of natural resources in the Lesage government, René Lévesque, proposes total nationalization of private electric companies in the province.
- Effect: The expansion of Hydro-Québec enables Québec to export electricity to the United States.
Hydro-Québec
- A state-controlled company that provides electricity to Québec, Canada, and the Northeast United States.
- Created in 1944, expanded with the nationalization of 13 private electric companies.
- The world's largest producer of hydroelectric power.
- Hydro-Québec dams have become symbols of francophone ability to control massive technological and capital projects.
- During the Quiet Revolution, 15 other state-controlled corporations are created.
Other economic events:
- The creation of the welfare state at both the federal and provincial levels
- Rapid expansion of education and hospitals free from church control
- enlargement of the civil service, giving new employment opportunities to francophones.
- Québec City expands as a result of the growing civil service. Many new departments are created (federal-provincial relations, cultural affairs, natural resources, etc.)
The postwar economic expansion continues through the 1960s, allowing Québec to enjoy unparalleled prosperity.
BUT ... after the 1973 oil crisis, Québec faces a growing set of problems: Slower growth, higher unemployment, rising taxes, greater regional disparities, and the emergence of a postindustrial economy.
Montréal is not the economic centre it used to be.
Causes:
- The completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway helps Toronto become a major shipping port, bypassing Montréal
- Nationalism, terrorism, and debates about access to English schools hurts the province. Many corporations move their HQ from Montréal to Toronto.
Québec's hydroelectric resources helps the province lead the world in aluminum production.
- Alcan formed in 1902 as a subsidiary of Alcoa.
- Now called Rio into Alcan, it is Canada's largest aluminum company, and 3rd largest in the world.
- It is a major employer in small towns in Québec.
Major government-sponsored projects of the period:
- Hydroelectric on the North Shore (1962 - 1978)
- James Bay drainage basin (1971 - 1980)
- Mirabel Airport (1974 - 1977, now closed)
- Olympic site & stadium (1974-1976)
- Expo '67 World's Fair
- - Considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th Century, with over 50 million visitors, and 62 nations participating.
- - Important event for making the world aware of Québec.
Rise in Prosperity
- One of the goals of the Quiet Revolution was to produce qualified francophone professionals who could compete with anglophones on an even footing.
- Effect: The rise of a new francophone bourgeoisie in Montréal.
Bombardier, producer of trains and vehicles (founded 1942) grows rapidly, becoming a point of pride for many in Québec.
3. A NEW INTERNATIONAL ROLE FOR QUÉBEC
- Lesage wanted to establish new links between Québec and foreign countries.
- De Gaulle of France shows an interest in Québec.
- Québec opens a delegation in Paris in 1961.
- Lesage: "Cultural ties with France are important to acquire a new consciousness of the world status of our language."
Québec leaders believe that Canadian foreign policy is dominated exclusively by English-speaking Canadians.
- Believe there is a need to establish a French-Canadian presence abroad and that the Québec government should be an active player in the world.
- Even today, it appears that there is a separate Canadian foreign policy and Québec foreign policy.
- A debate developed between Québec and Ottawa in regards to foreign policy.
- Ottawa argues that French Canadians are spread out in other provinces besides Québec, and the federal government is the proper authority to speak for French Canadians, not Québec.
- Despite this, Québec continued to expand its international ventures, becoming the best example in the world of a non sovereign entity's activity at an international level.
4. THE SECULARIZATION OF QUÉBEC
- Prior to WWII, to be French Canadian was to be almost automatically assumed to be Roman Catholic.
- All social institutions of French Canada were Catholic (Entire school system, social service system, most cultural institutions, etc.)
The Quiet Revolution was in part a backlash against the conservative Catholicism of the Duplessis regime.
After WWII, many felt uncomfortable with these Catholic structures.
- The Québec government cautiously proceeded with the secularization of society.
- Examples: The creation of the Department of Education in 1964, religious communities gave up control of hospitals, etc.
The Christian faith is still the most predominate one in Québec, but most in Québec no longer go to church.
Québec Catholics who go to church at least twice a month:
- 88% in 1965
- 46% in 1975
- 38% in 1985
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN QUÉBEC
1. Sharp decline in birth rate
2. Decline of the traditional family
3. Aging of the population
4. Immigration
1. SHARP DECLINE IN BIRTH RATE
Once one of the highest in the Western World, Québec's birth rate dropped to one of the lowest in the 1980s.
Causes:
- Collapse of the church
- Introduction of the birth-control pill
Effects:
- Fears for the survival of the francophone population
- linguistic tensions
- more pressure to force the immigrants into francophone society
2. DECLINE OF THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY
Causes:
- Decline in religious practice
- Changes in moral attitudes
- Apparition of new social norms
Effects:
- More divorces
- More single-parent families
- More parents giving birth without marrying
- More couples living together
3. AGING OF THE POPULATION
Causes:
- Better medical expertise
- Better health care
- Increase in longevity
Effects:
- Obligation to create a network of residences for the elderly
- Higher demands for health care
- Higher demand for pensions
4. IMMIGRATION
Heavy immigration into Québec during the postwar years contributes to the changing population profile.
BUT ... emigrants outnumber immigrants.
- Starting in the 1970s: 200,000 anglophones leave Québec between 1971 and 1986
- Concentration of anglophones living in Montréal is accentuated
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN QUÉBEC
Gender relations evolved dramatically in Québec during the 1960s (and continued evolving long after)
- Feminist demands were taken up slowly in reform groups and political parties
- 1960: Women's Rights are addressed in the platform of the Liberal Party
- 1972: Manifesto of the CEQ (A teacher's union) attacks the education bias that directs girls into homemaking.
- 1979: Lise Payette appointed to role of Minister of Women's Issues
Royal Commission on the Status of Women
- By 1989, 23 women held 18% of the seats in the national assembly in Québec. This is the highest percentage among all of the Canadian provinces.
Women's legal status improves
- 1964: Married women receive the right to administer and dispose of their own property.
- 1968: Divorce is legalized in Québec
Current Events
The Bloc Québécois are really infighting right now. The separatist movement is in disarray, and the PQ did not do well in the most recent election.
The Bloc has announced it's new slogan, "Présent pour le Québec" (Present for Québec), which has received mixed reaction.
A new study has revealed that being able to speak French isn't much of a benefit for immigrant allophones in Québec, contrary to popular belief of many francophones.
The study found that allophones who only spoke French were twice as likely to be unemployed as allophones who only speak English. The situation is most acute in areas outside of Montréal. Allophones that spoke both French and English fared better.
The study only focused on immigrants with university degrees between age 35 and 44.
========
Historico-Institutional Context of Québec Politics (Con't.)
From the Quiet Revolution to the 1995 Referendum: 1960-1995
Duplessis, the premiere of Québec after WWII died in 1959. It is at this point that the Quiet Revolution begins.
THE QUIET REVOLUTION
Very important period in Québec history, culture and politics.
It is still referred back to by many as a "touchstone" period in Québec 's history.
The Quiet Revolution, defined:
"The modernization of Québec , including important changes in the way the province was governed and the way French-Canadian society was organized." (Balthazar, 1996)
"A period of rapid change in Québec, as institutions and attitudes were swept away, transforming state, economy, family and society." (Dickinson & Young, 2003)
"The Quiet Revolution is the name given to a period of Quebec history extending from 1960 to 1966 and corresponding to the tenure of office of the Liberal Party of Jean Lesage. The term appears to have been coined by a Toronto journalist who, upon witnessing the many and far reaching changes taking place in Quebec, declared that what was happening was nothing short of a revolution, albeit a quiet one." (Belanger, 2000)
The Quiet Revolution was marked by:
- Large-scale rejection of old values
- Secularization
- Increasing modernization and industrialization
- Longstanding demographic changes
- Growth of nationalism
- Intensive social change
People in Québec were inspired by events in the United States, and worldwide.
- Duplessis had opposed the use of state social programs, preferring the church's role in such matters.
- Lesage believed the Québec government could be used to favour the development of francophone culture.
A philosophy developed that all of Québec's problems could be addressed by utilizing the state.
Québec became more open to the rest of the world.
Jean Lesage (1912-1980)
- Premiere of Québec 1960-1966
- Portrayed as the father of the Quiet Revolution
- Was pragmatic and inspired by the Keynesian economic theories of the 1940s-1950s.
- Argued "Francophones could be masters of their own destiny."
- Believed that the state could be used as a lever to steer the economy.
Important features of the Quiet Revolution:
1. A new role for the state
2. A new economic consciousness
3. A new international role for Québec
4. Secularization of Québec society
1. A NEW ROLE FOR THE STATE
- Lesage calls for the Québec provincial government to take a more interventionist role.
- Lesage believes that the state can be an instrument of development for francophones.
- This was a radical POV shift. Previously, Duplessis had opposed the modern welfare state.
This was a completely new economic consciousness.
- The Québécois had been conditioned by the church to regard the government with suspicion.
- Slogan "Maîtres chez nous" (Masters in our own house)
2. A NEW ECONOMIC CONSCIOUSNESS
- Under the slogan "Maîtres chez nous" the Québec government becomes an active player in the economy.
- The minister of natural resources in the Lesage government, René Lévesque, proposes total nationalization of private electric companies in the province.
- Effect: The expansion of Hydro-Québec enables Québec to export electricity to the United States.
Hydro-Québec
- A state-controlled company that provides electricity to Québec, Canada, and the Northeast United States.
- Created in 1944, expanded with the nationalization of 13 private electric companies.
- The world's largest producer of hydroelectric power.
- Hydro-Québec dams have become symbols of francophone ability to control massive technological and capital projects.
- During the Quiet Revolution, 15 other state-controlled corporations are created.
Other economic events:
- The creation of the welfare state at both the federal and provincial levels
- Rapid expansion of education and hospitals free from church control
- enlargement of the civil service, giving new employment opportunities to francophones.
- Québec City expands as a result of the growing civil service. Many new departments are created (federal-provincial relations, cultural affairs, natural resources, etc.)
The postwar economic expansion continues through the 1960s, allowing Québec to enjoy unparalleled prosperity.
BUT ... after the 1973 oil crisis, Québec faces a growing set of problems: Slower growth, higher unemployment, rising taxes, greater regional disparities, and the emergence of a postindustrial economy.
Montréal is not the economic centre it used to be.
Causes:
- The completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway helps Toronto become a major shipping port, bypassing Montréal
- Nationalism, terrorism, and debates about access to English schools hurts the province. Many corporations move their HQ from Montréal to Toronto.
Québec's hydroelectric resources helps the province lead the world in aluminum production.
- Alcan formed in 1902 as a subsidiary of Alcoa.
- Now called Rio into Alcan, it is Canada's largest aluminum company, and 3rd largest in the world.
- It is a major employer in small towns in Québec.
Major government-sponsored projects of the period:
- Hydroelectric on the North Shore (1962 - 1978)
- James Bay drainage basin (1971 - 1980)
- Mirabel Airport (1974 - 1977, now closed)
- Olympic site & stadium (1974-1976)
- Expo '67 World's Fair
- - Considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th Century, with over 50 million visitors, and 62 nations participating.
- - Important event for making the world aware of Québec.
Rise in Prosperity
- One of the goals of the Quiet Revolution was to produce qualified francophone professionals who could compete with anglophones on an even footing.
- Effect: The rise of a new francophone bourgeoisie in Montréal.
Bombardier, producer of trains and vehicles (founded 1942) grows rapidly, becoming a point of pride for many in Québec.
3. A NEW INTERNATIONAL ROLE FOR QUÉBEC
- Lesage wanted to establish new links between Québec and foreign countries.
- De Gaulle of France shows an interest in Québec.
- Québec opens a delegation in Paris in 1961.
- Lesage: "Cultural ties with France are important to acquire a new consciousness of the world status of our language."
Québec leaders believe that Canadian foreign policy is dominated exclusively by English-speaking Canadians.
- Believe there is a need to establish a French-Canadian presence abroad and that the Québec government should be an active player in the world.
- Even today, it appears that there is a separate Canadian foreign policy and Québec foreign policy.
- A debate developed between Québec and Ottawa in regards to foreign policy.
- Ottawa argues that French Canadians are spread out in other provinces besides Québec, and the federal government is the proper authority to speak for French Canadians, not Québec.
- Despite this, Québec continued to expand its international ventures, becoming the best example in the world of a non sovereign entity's activity at an international level.
4. THE SECULARIZATION OF QUÉBEC
- Prior to WWII, to be French Canadian was to be almost automatically assumed to be Roman Catholic.
- All social institutions of French Canada were Catholic (Entire school system, social service system, most cultural institutions, etc.)
The Quiet Revolution was in part a backlash against the conservative Catholicism of the Duplessis regime.
After WWII, many felt uncomfortable with these Catholic structures.
- The Québec government cautiously proceeded with the secularization of society.
- Examples: The creation of the Department of Education in 1964, religious communities gave up control of hospitals, etc.
The Christian faith is still the most predominate one in Québec, but most in Québec no longer go to church.
Québec Catholics who go to church at least twice a month:
- 88% in 1965
- 46% in 1975
- 38% in 1985
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN QUÉBEC
1. Sharp decline in birth rate
2. Decline of the traditional family
3. Aging of the population
4. Immigration
1. SHARP DECLINE IN BIRTH RATE
Once one of the highest in the Western World, Québec's birth rate dropped to one of the lowest in the 1980s.
Causes:
- Collapse of the church
- Introduction of the birth-control pill
Effects:
- Fears for the survival of the francophone population
- linguistic tensions
- more pressure to force the immigrants into francophone society
2. DECLINE OF THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY
Causes:
- Decline in religious practice
- Changes in moral attitudes
- Apparition of new social norms
Effects:
- More divorces
- More single-parent families
- More parents giving birth without marrying
- More couples living together
3. AGING OF THE POPULATION
Causes:
- Better medical expertise
- Better health care
- Increase in longevity
Effects:
- Obligation to create a network of residences for the elderly
- Higher demands for health care
- Higher demand for pensions
4. IMMIGRATION
Heavy immigration into Québec during the postwar years contributes to the changing population profile.
BUT ... emigrants outnumber immigrants.
- Starting in the 1970s: 200,000 anglophones leave Québec between 1971 and 1986
- Concentration of anglophones living in Montréal is accentuated
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN QUÉBEC
Gender relations evolved dramatically in Québec during the 1960s (and continued evolving long after)
- Feminist demands were taken up slowly in reform groups and political parties
- 1960: Women's Rights are addressed in the platform of the Liberal Party
- 1972: Manifesto of the CEQ (A teacher's union) attacks the education bias that directs girls into homemaking.
- 1979: Lise Payette appointed to role of Minister of Women's Issues
Royal Commission on the Status of Women
- By 1989, 23 women held 18% of the seats in the national assembly in Québec. This is the highest percentage among all of the Canadian provinces.
Women's legal status improves
- 1964: Married women receive the right to administer and dispose of their own property.
- 1968: Divorce is legalized in Québec
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