Continuing French-English Relations…

The Language CrisisBill 1011980 ReferendumBringing the Constitution Home

The Language Crisis

By 1970, Québec had the lowest birth rate in Canada (before WW2, it was the highest) why the change?

Increasing number of non-French-speaking immigrants were coming to Québec Most of them settled in the Montréal area and

preferred to educate their children in English

The Language Crisis

Québec gov’t became increasingly concerned for the survival of French culture in Québec: must protect the French language to keep the culture alive!

1974: OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT Proclaimed French the official language of the

civil service in Québec

The Language Crisis

This new Act limited immigrant parents’ rights to choose the language in which their children would be educated Only children who passed a test showing that they knew

English could attend English schools All others were required to go to French schools

Widely criticized by non-French Quebeckers (there was quite a few by this time) and by recent immigrants Many CDNs outside Quebec who were struggling to become

bilingual also thought the legislation was unfair Quebec Premier Bourassa argued that French-speaking

Quebeckers were like a tiny island surrounded by an ocean of English-speakers

This Act did not make French the ONLY official language in Québec

Le Parti Québécois – Victory!

Nov. 1976: opinion polls stated that René Levesque and the P.Q. could win an election Outside Québec, few people wanted to believe that a

separatist gov’t could achieve this Le Parti Québécois won 71 of 110 seats – they

had a landslide victory For the first time, Quebeckers had elected a

gov’t dedicated to establishign an independent Québec

Bill 101

1977: The first step of the P.Q. was to pass this controversial language bill

More restrictions on the use of languages other than French in Québec: Only French in gov’t, courts, businesses No business could display a sign in a language other than

French Language of the workplace: Quebeckers given the right to

use French on the job English schools could only be attended by those who:

Were already enrolled in an English school Had one parent who had attended an English elementary

school

Bill 101 – Alliance Quebec

English-speaking Quebeckers and immigrants were outraged and formed the Alliance Quebec Tried to challenge the new law in court Didn’t work

In the last half of 1977, 50 000 people left the province! Many English-speaking companies left Montreal, moving

their head offices to Toronto or Calgary Some English-speaking Quebeckers stayed and

began to learn French

Bill 101 – CDN Charter of Rights and Freedoms The Supreme Court of Canada later decided

that Bill 101 violated the CDN Charter of Rights and Freedoms with its restrictions on education and business signs

Many Quebeckers were angered and demonstrated in support of the Bill A less restrictive version of the bill (Bill 178)

passed in 1989

The Referendum of 1980

While the P.Q. had achieved such great success, polls throughout the 1970s showed that less than 20% of Quebeckers actually wanted to separate

Quebeckers feared they would be swamped economically, culturally, and politically if they had to share the continent with the US and Canada

84% of Quebeckers said that they needed some sort of change

The Referendum of 1980

By 1980, the P.Q. was ready to give Quebec the opportunity to separate

But he knew that many Quebeckers did not want outright independence, so he proposed SOVEREIGNTY ASSOCIATION

Quebeckers were bombarded with propaganda: Levesque’s P.Q.s were pushing “oui” Trudeau’s nationalists were pushing “non”Both parties wanted to see the other’s goal disintegrate.

Sovereignty Association

Sovereignty: politically independent Collect its own taxes, have its own citizenship No law passed in Ottawa would be binding in

Quebec Association: close economic ties with Canada

– same trade policy Could share money – have a common market (like in

Europe) Quebec’s gov’t would try to work out a deal with

the federal gov’t – Quebeckers would be given the opportunity to vote on a “deal” before it became reality

The Referendum of 1980

Trudeau recognized that if he achieved a “non” vote, it did not mean that relations between Québec and the rest of Canada could return to the way things were – CHANGES HAD TO BE MADE

May 15, 1980: Québec votes. 60%...

Non. 40%

Oui.

Bringing Home the Constitution

The British North America Act (Canada’s Constitution) was still a British Act Any changes required the approval of the British

gov’t If a new CDN Constitution could be worked out,

then Québec might be persuaded to remain in Canada. A new federal system would have to recognize

French CDNs as equal partners in Confederation Other provinces also wanted more power to run

their own affairs

Bringing Home the Constitution Less than a month after the referendum, Trudeau

organizes a conference with the provincial premiers Premiers couldn’t agree on how to revise the Constitution

At the last possible moment, an agreement with the provincial premiers (minus Quebec) is made with the federal gov’t Quebec felt as though it had been betrayed – they had

been left out of the final meeting The new Constitution was meant to consider the needs of

Quebec, but an agreement had been made without Quebec’s consent (birthday party, anyone?)

“Quebec is alone”

Bringing Home the Constitution Three main points in the agreement:

The power to amend (change) the Constitution would be brought home from Britain

Changes to the Constitution could be made if the federal gov’t and 7 provinces (representing 50% of the pop’n) agreed

A Charter of Rights and Freedoms would be added to the Constitution

Bringing Home the Constitution

2 Dec. 1981: Parliament voted in favour of the patriation package (taking the British control out of the CDN Constitution)

In Quebec, the P.Q. flag was flown at half-mast: “insult done to Quebeckers by English Canada”

8 May 1982: the British Parliament approves to change the BNA Act, give Canada her status as a fully independent nation, and rename the Act to be the Constitution Act Queen Elizabeth II signed the Constitution on 17

April 1982

Bringing Home the Constitution

It would take a new gov’t and 5 years before Quebec would sign this Constitution P.Q. was out of power in Quebec – Liberals under

Bourassa were back in power Trudeau decides in 1984 to retire from public office and

return to private life in Montreal John Turner is elected as the next Liberal leader Joe Clark is elected as the next Conservative leader 1984 election: The stage is set for CDNs to choose

between two new leaders Joe Clark won with an overwhelming majority – the largest

electoral victory in CDN history