Quebec in Canada, 1960s to Today

CHC2D8Ms. Gluskin

VocabularyModernization (noun) – updating of technology Modernization of York Mills, if it ever happened, would include computers in every classroom. Separatist (adjective) – wanting to separate from something Quebec separatists still want Quebec to leave Canada and become an independent country. Emergency (noun) – a situation where things might not be normal and help might be neededA lockdown is an emergency. A fire is an emergency. Official (adjective) – legal, recognized Canada has two official languages – French and English. Switzerland has four. Bill (noun) – what a law is called before it is passed into law by voting in parliamentIn parliament MPs vote on whether to accept a bill. It then becomes a law if it is passed.

Referendum (noun) – a national or provincial vote on a question (like a plebiscite) In a referendum citizens can vote yes or no on a question.

Constitution (noun) – a country’s highest lawsOur class does not have a constitution. We do, however, have rules. Compromised (verb) – worked together to find a solution acceptable to everyone in the groupStudents and teachers sometimes compromise on the due date of an assignment. Accord (noun) – agreementPrime Ministers often try to get all the provinces to agree to an accord. Distinct (adjective) – special, uniqueEvery single person on earth has a distinct personality making him or her different from everyone else.

Quebec’s History

• Settled in the 1600s by people from France

• Many Aboriginal people lived there before the French arrived

• Britain took over the French colony in 1759

CBC, Seven Wonders of Canada, Old Quebec City, Quebec, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/wonder_quebec_city.html (May 16, 2014)

Beautiful and historic old Quebec City is 400 years old

Quebec and Assimilation

• Even though Britain controlled Quebec as a colony, it didn’t force the people to assimilate.– Quebec kept its own language, religion, culture

and legal system.

• However, Quebec’s French speakers have always been concerned because they were and are surrounded by the rest of English-speaking Canada and the US.

Quebec and Canada

• The relationship between English and French Canada has been tense, problematic, rocky.

• Between Canada and Quebec there have been problems, tension, conflict, misunderstandings.

Quebec language police strike again, Global Post, Feb. 26, 2013http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/canada/130226/quebec-language-police-restaurant-conti-caffe (May 16, 2014)

Old-fashionedIn the early 1960s many Quebeckers felt their province and Union Nationale government were old-fashioned and they wanted to be more modern:• Quebec’s education system had problems• No medicare (public health coverage)• Unions (groups of workers) lacked power• Married women had few legal rights• English was the language of business; many large corporations were

owned by English-speaking Canadians or Americans• Average income of French-speaking Quebeckers was lower than that of

many other groups• French speakers believed that their language and culture were not

valued and respected

Income in Quebec

Old and New

old fashioned modern

Quebeckers wanted to catch up and have a fair and updated society

Quiet Revolution

• How can a revolution be quiet?• We tend to think revolution is…

ViolentFastExtreme

Types of Change

1 Small 10 Biglittle influence big influencelittle impact big impactlittle effect big effect

radical, extreme, revolutionary

Separatists

• People who want to separate (break away) from something– FLQ wanted Quebec to leave Canada• and become independent• FLQ members were a small minority of allseparatists Mailbox, 1971,

Montreal – mailboxes were a symbol of the federal government

Wikipedia, October Crisis, May 15, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Crisis (May 19, 2014)

War Measures ActPrime Minister Pierre Trudeau said the October Crisis was an emergency.

The Act was controversial; people disagreed about it.

Some people said it was a good way to solve the crisis and protect society, some said it was a very bad idea that would take away individuals’ rights and freedoms.