Prolific Immigrant

On July 28th, 2011 One Female Canuck Said:

7 Comments:
Lisa said…
I roll my eyes at this Quebec as a nation crap. They’re a nation like Ontario, Manitoba, BC etc are nations. But we call them provinces.
…maybe ‘nation’ means ‘province’ in Quebecois?

Tue Nov 28, 08:42:00 AM
Bluenosegirl said…
Didn’t we watch the Tories tank when they played this scene during Meech? What was that little thing about history beind doomed to repeat itself…? — Bluenosegirl

Wed Nov 29, 06:33:00 PM
just a girl said…
Seriously, blogger is being a pain in my ass! I’m sorry to not have responded sooner, Lisa, but I agree with you, obviously.

Did you read this morning’s paper? There’s a man in Quebec – a lawyer, I believe – whose challenging Harper to allow Quebec to have it’s own national Hockey team so they may compete internationally (and ultimately, it could mean Quebec vs. Canada). This can of worms that Harper’s opened is going to get ugly.

Hi Bluenosegirl & welcome – it’s always nice to see new faces living here Make certain to come back!

Excellent sentiment…we had Trudeau around then…today we have no one. And to think the Liberals are to choose their next ‘leader’ by Saturday.

We can only sit back and wait to see what the Quebec as a Nation will mean for the rest of Canada.

xox
m

Wed Nov 29, 07:58:00 PM
Maria Calvo said…
Correra rocks and you’re a superstart for knowing that!

Maria

Thu Nov 30, 12:21:00 PM
A Montreal Paul said…
Well, now, it seems I’m part of two nations for the price of one- or am I? For people are interpreting the word “Quebecois” to mean only French-speaking residents of Quebec! If this is what Parliament means, they are “legitmizing” out-and-out ethnic nationalism- if in fact this means anything at all.

But ironically enough, this runs counter to the position of the Quebec government and even most of the seperatist movement. For them, Quebec the province is Quebec the nation, and the provincial government is the national government. True, the “French character” of Quebec makes it a nation, but all citizns are supposed to be part of it. (Civic nationalism or a more subtle “ethnic nationalism”?) We already call our legislature the “National Assembly”, and we even have our very own “national library”. This is actually taken for granted here.

Too clever by half federal politicians (Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff) think they can achieve something by making declarations which they want to mean something without actually meaning anything. But in the end, those in Quebec who actually take the “nation” idea to heart are not going to be placated, because for them it has more than symbolic meaning. For them, nationhood means special autonomy, not being “un province comme les autres”.

Thu Nov 30, 08:08:00 PM
A Montreal Paul said…
Oh, and Correa’s win IS great news.

Thu Nov 30, 08:10:00 PM
just a girl said…
Thanks, Maria

A Montreal Paul, it doesn’t surprise me in the very least that it’s being interpreted as such! And what of the French speakers all over the rest of Canada, that do not reside in Quebec? This entire thing wasn’t thought out AT ALL and it appears as though they made a political (if it can be called that) decision and didn’t give a second thought to potential consequence…

This statement of yours: “they are “legitmizing” out-and-out ethnic nationalism” is absolutely dead-on. I think we’re in – as Canada – for a lot of heartache and struggle in terms of what’s to come from what Harper’s done to the identity of Canada both internally and globally. Quite honestly, none of this ‘shape shifting’ has served us will, nor will it do so in the future.

I agree with you also re the ‘no placating’ those who define nationalism in terms of sovereignty (and this is, at it’s core, the real problem here…). I think that in a few years from now, the blowback from this decision is going to be absolutely enormous. I just hope I won’t ever need a Visa to visit my favourite City in the world…loosing Montreal would be devastating for me

xox
m

Wed Dec 06, 11:29:00 AM