Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

Just a point here.

The Parti Quebecois, the hard-core separatists, state on their website that they regard "Quebecker" as a civic description, not an ethnic one. All people living in Quebec are Quebeckers.

I'm not entirely sure of the sincerity behind that statement but there you go.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

I am though. ;)

For public consumption they provide a more generous all-inclusive definition but we all know they really mean 'pure laine' so I and a few hundred thousand others do not qualify.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

In a nutshell, the fact that a Scottish members of Parliament can (and do) vote in the Commons on measures that do not affect their own constituencies, only those in England, whereas their English colleagues have no equivalent say on matters devolved to the Scottish parliament.

The origins of the term can be found on Wikipedia here, and the news today to which I referred can be seen on the pages of the Sunday Telegraph, which explains the matter much better than I; article here.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

If the Scots ever broke away, and who knows it may well happen, at least that territory would revert to its previous status. In contrast, if Quebec were to go it alone then it would not revert since it was never a country to begin with.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

You mean it would have to rename itself New France and go back to being independent of the Anglos?

K.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

here is a bbc link re scots independence

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6185652.stm

I quote 'SNP leader Alex Salmond said that Scots were tired of being ruled from London.'

Now where have I heard that tune before? ;)

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

It guess it could always do that but there is the no love lost between Quebec and France. Quebecois are largely indifferent towards the old motherland. They share a common language and even at that some would say that is debatable.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

A fascinating idea. A sovereign Quebec reverting back to its 1867 territory would carry very little clout. The James Bay Cree wouldn't need to worry then.

They would however, find themselves under the protectorate of Rupert's Land and I suspect that Rupert really doesn't want to be bothered. :zzz: :zzz:

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

We have had this discussion here in Quebec as long as I can recall. But I do seem to remember one point which was made, that being that the Cree would want no part of a new nation called Quebec, since their ancestors agreed to it only on the basis of them staying in Canada.

That is my recollection of an argument which prevailed some thirty years ago when we had our first plebiscite.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

This 'pure laine' thing is a bit overblown. I believe that very few really are. Maybe if you get right out into the boonies there may be a fair few people with an unbroken bloodline and too many fingers. Elsewhere, well, there are lots of people in the Quebec phone book called Murphy.......

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

You have a point. I recall in the the seventies we had a cabinet minister in the Rene Levesque provincial (separatist) govt. who went by the name Robert Burns.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

There is an official notice in the small ads of my local rag this week. It appears that some guy called Michael Roger Perreault has applied to change his name to Michel Roger Perreault. I wonder who he votes for :rolleyes:

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

Years ago I would often be called Michel. Not Michael, not Mike. Just plain Michel. I didn't mind that until the day I got a letter from the provincial govt., a letter addressed to me as Michel (followed by the correctly spelt surname). I called them and told them if they wanted a reply then they had better get my Christian name right. They complied and reissued the letter. :)

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

It happens. People type what they hear. It's quite surprising how many letters my missus (Charette) gets that are addressed to Charest.

My own name is a nightmare for the francos as it begins with ST. Francos see that and automatically think St. something. My name isn't pronounced like that. I nearly missed a flight (standby) in Montreal once because of it.

Re: Quebecois are a Nation. Since when?
 

I spent 16 years living in Quebec before moving here to be with my partner. As a half breed result of a coupling between a Quebecoise and a Kiwi, I think I've heard and been part of both sides of the "Quebec independance" debate.

I am English speaking, my kiwi father was terrible speaking french and my mum (french speaking when she met him) was far more talented with learning a second language then dad was. Consequently, I and my brothers were predominantly raised in English as we globe trotted all our young lives.

I've had a few instances of partaking of some of my Aunts & Uncles supper table arguements as to why Quebec should seperate & be its own country and (by the opposing Aunt or Uncle) why it shouldn't.

Brief version/in a nutshell:
The French have felt a bit of an identity crisis since the English took over Canada and are afraid that they will loose their French culture & heritage... being that the France culture and Quebec French (Quebecoise) culture have grown over time in to 2 very seperate and unique things(much the same as Americans/British have over time), and with so many english speaking & English culture in such near proximity (to the left, to the right and just below)and influencing the young Quebecois.
They are trying to ensure the survival what has now become, a very distinct french speaking society. The extreme 'Partis Quebecois' and the previous hard core FLQ are/were fiercly proud of their French heritage & culture and were fighting to maintain their unique identity.

Just as recently as the 1960's there was alot of discrimination, even within Quebec as to employers hiring Francophone staff, and it extended into personal life where they were treated as second class citizens only a small step above the 'coloured people'... they would almost always be paid less and were subjected to snobbery and discrimination in most areas of their lives for being French speaking.

The FLQ came along in the late 60's early 70's and started fighting the powers that be in government and businesses to attain rights for the French, they even at one stage went so far over board as to incite tanks & military troups to invade Montreals streets (sent in ironically by a French Canadian & bilingual Canadian prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau) BUT in the end, they served their purpose in having amendments made to the Canadian bill of rights to include them to be treated as equals in the eyes of the law and no longer be discriminated against because of being French speaking.

The fact is though, there are just as many Francophones who embrace American and English Canadian culture (and open minded & educated enough to realise this doesnt mean they have to give up their own culture/heritage!)as there are the Puritans that want to seclude Quebec to preserve it's French... and that is why all the previous referendums (aside from being worded extremely stupidly complex!) have not suceeded when the question comes to seperating from Canada. Fact is, it's just about split in the middle between hard-nose seperatists and open-minded diverse Quebecois...

Don't doubt you are Quebecois Mike, you have lived there that long, any Francophone who has bothered to travel outside of its French Speaking comfort-zone will tell you, you are indeed a Quebecois, sorry for the bad news mate ;) :D