History Of Quebec

separate. Quebec has been one of the provinces of Canada for a long period of

When the French settled into Canada 400 years ago independently of the British, the first stages of French/Francophone identity was formed. Over time this unique identity began to emerge and become something different from the rest of Canada. Language, history, and the geography of their land continues to evolve and separate the Francophones from Canada as their land and way of life is special to our nation. The dual nature of the French/English faultline in Canada manifested early on in history when New France was threatened by British occupation, ultimately leading to Confederation; we can continue to see this in modern times through referendums which deal with French culture and separation. Quebec is also unique geographically, containing mild to arctic climate zones and 4 geophysical regions; this is very diverse for a single province in Canada. These regions in Quebec allows for a diverse economic industry, including: hydroelectric production, agriculture, forest and mining industries. The economic production through Quebec’s varying geography and their individual French culture and history is what makes Quebec a unique region in Canada.

Quebec was founded by French settlers during the 16th century. It was then conquered by the British (known as the conquest of New France in 1760). “The Philosophy of the Enlightment” allowed Britain’s victory to treat the French people with dignity as both nations were civilized societies (source?). The British allowed the French occupants to maintain cultural aspects such as language and traditions (source?). In effect, The Quebec Act was published in 1974, in efforts to ensure loyalty from the French as the British government worried that the remaining French people would support the American Independent War (source?). The act was favourable for French people; allowing the continual practice of

The history of Quebec within Canada has been problematic since the very beginnings of Canada. The clash of the culture of the French and English speaking Canadians has created tensions in Canada since the British took over in

Now that we have studied the history surrounding the issue of Quebec's unique place within Canada, we will explore the pros and cons of recognizing Quebec as a

Quebec had one of the strongest economy in the world. “Quebec was the United States’s eighth largest trading partner,” (Trading with Quebec, page 2). It had numerous advantages that made it one of the strongest and healthiest economy in Canada. Montreal was the third largest city in Canada. It gathered industries from software engineering, electronic productions, to aerospace development. It as a whole had abundant financial and human resources, which provided cheap and approachable water and mineral resources. The local government believed that after gaining independence from Canada, these factors could make it succeed and prosper in the global economy. The major oppositions that stood against Quebec economically was the inconvenience when conducting trades in French. If it did not have the

Additionally, as the indigenous people, First Nations people of Québec have a right to their land, and as such “…have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures” (UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 8). Québec cannot separate from Canada, as the two national identities would no

The merging of two separate and distinct groups is what has given Canada its unique cultural identity. While some early politicians believed assimilation was the best approach to building a strong Canada, it became increasing difficult to convince the Quebec francophones that a national identity should take precedence over retaining their unique culture. Opposing viewpoints and different agendas have caused mistrust among the Quebec francophones towards the federal government and mistrust among other provinces towards Quebec. Constitutional amendments have been proposed on a number of occasions and, to date, none have been successfully

Thus, this could potentially lead to Quebec’s economy to fall in which could lead many companies and Quebec left in a great amount of debt and possibly insolvency. In addition, if Quebec were to separate it would be costly for them to obtain resources from other parts of Canada, as tariffs would be placed. Quebec wouldn’t be allowed to gather their resources themselves. However they would have to pay Canadian companies to gather their resources and to also sell them to Quebec, costing them a great amount of money. Therefore, this allows the 1995 Referendum to be known as a success as Jean Chretien saved Quebec’s economy along with Canada’s economy a tremendous amount of money allowing their economies to strive rather than collapse. It will be remembered as a remarkable success as Chretien fought for the people and what he thought was right for them, allowing the citizens of Quebec to continually enjoy the rights and privileges that being a Canadian citizen allows you to partake

This essay looks to discuss Quebec sovereigntists and federalists, and how they differ in their understandings of Canada and Quebec. To accomplish this, the paper looks at three points of contention; how to understand history, the nature of the Quebec state, and recognition of Quebec. The three points of contention show where the two view diverge and why, but the paper views these points as merely pieces of the puzzle. As such only after looking at all three points does the paper reach a conclusion about the real differences between the two views. The paper concludes that sovereigntists view Quebec as distinct enfranchised nation within the confines of Canada, and while viewing Canada as a subjugator and an enemy to Quebec. In comparison,

Quebec is the biggest area situated in eastern Canada and the capital city is Québec City. The biggest city in Quebec is Montreal. Quebec is a French-talking area in Canada. "Québec" originated from the Algonquin word "kepék" signifying "the spot where the water narrows."

Finally in 1867, the United Canadas joined two other British Colonies, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to form the Dominion of Canada (McRoberts 1991, 413). French-Canadians continued to fight against assimilation and received autonomous privileges with exclusive jurisdiction over matters regarding its cultural distinctiveness***. Thus, the Francophone language and culture has always been at the forefront of Quebec priorities. Since Confederation, Quebec nationalist have felt that the Francophone language and culture has been at risk of assimilation by the rest of Canada. As a result, Quebec nationalism is fundamentally rooted in the preservation of the Francophone language and culture (Guiberneau 2006, 52). Political leaders in Quebec continuously urge for the recognition that Canada is composed of two nations or cultures (McRoberts 1991, 413). Prior to confederation Quebec enjoyed numerous autonomous privileges. Unfortunately, post-confederation Quebec did not enjoy as many autonomous privileges because Canada was created as a relatively centralized federation (Beland and Lecours 2007, 406). A centralized federation not only took several of these autonomous powers away from Quebec, but it also threatened the Francophone language and culture (Beland and Lecours 2007, 406). With this said, Quebec nationalism has placed a great deal of pressure on the federal government to decentralize, giving more powers to provincial governments.

The Canadian confederation brought promise and opportunity to a newly independent nation, this nation consisted of Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. As the only province in Canada with a French speaking minority Quebec faced discrimination and anguish. Its individuals often felt forced to assimilate to English culture causing conflict between the English and French communities. Throughout Canadian history it has been difficult for Quebec to attain the treatment it deserved. It is a result of this treatment that Quebec has previously attempted two referendums for separation. Quebec should not separate from Canada. Quebec, despite being one of the founding provinces wants independence from

Québec is in the northeastern part of North America. Nearly three times the size of France, Québec is the largest of Canada’s ten provinces. Québec is a peninsula being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Labrador Sea, and Baie d’Hudson. It is made up of three geological regions, the St. Lawrence Platform, the Canadian Shield, and the Appalachian region. The Canadian Shield makes up about 90% of the geography of Québec.

As we travel to this country inside of another country, we will be immersed in all its culture that will be shown to us. Quebec was originally a city within Canada, yet gain it independence with immense determination. Quebec wanted independence on grounds that they wanted to preserve their culture. One aspect of its culture would be the circus, specifically Circus de Soleil. A circus is formed so that it can bring joy to the lives of the people in vicinity, but it is a good way to bring tourist from around the world. When people think of a circus, the name Circus de Soleil will pop up because it full of craziness and excitement that will get your heart pumping. Circus de Soleil was Quebec’s first circus this was a result of, Guy Laliberte,