What can be done to prevent Quebec from seperating?

Question

I asked this before but I really need some ideas. I'm doing a essay for my politics class and I was wondering what can the Canadian Government do to keep Quebec from separating? Like introduce any new law or give more funds to the province. What other countries did in situation like this?

Answer 1

I ain't a separatist but will do my best to explain what "I think" separatists want or fear.  What separatists fear the most is losing their culture (but what is culture) and above all, it seems, their French language.  What frustrates them a lot is, for example, when they get served in English on an Air Canada flight.  Since this is supposed to be a bilingual country, they expect to be served in French everywhere in the province (and sometimes even outside of it).  Personally, I have lived in Quebec, Montreal and Toronto (born French). To me, culture is not the past, but the future.  And I have always been more attracted to american/anglo-canadian music and movies than to Quebec's.

Many separatists want to cut themselves from the rest of Canada thinking they can survive without speaking another language than French !  But we already lack nurses and doctors.  And we are already a limited population of 7-10 millions (don't have the exact number) so we cannot have many economies of scale in manufacturing or other things... So I believe we have to join up with the rest of America rather than separate.  And how can you do that but just speaking French ?  I just don't understand them... But it is not all of them who think like that... but "a lot" hardly speak English... So even if they separate, they will see that they have to speak English to find services/products around the world... but I know that many would rely on the good-hearted ones who would learn English and naively help their French-only-speaking brothers.  They must not count of me if it happens... I'll be out of the province.

But remember that the separation has already been asked twice to people from Quebec and both times we said "No".  Remember than less than 50% wants it (but the last time was a close call... but the separatists have lost supporters since then as per surveys).

I think closing up on the rest of the world and the other cultures is plain stupid.  And I think that this 2 languages thing is so costly to us... Importers all have to have their manuals and guides and products translated.  Our goverment has to be bilingual... etc...

Personally, I don't mind speaking English, Spanish, Russian or French... I look ahead and just hope the human race goes further...  Yes different cultures around the world is nice to have, different types of buildings, book, school of thoughts, etc... But what would be best for the human race...

In times where we see the European countries get together, even if they have different languages... why would we want to cut the link that we have with Canada... and renegotiate it after...  Oh... and some separatist think they'll be richer if they separate because they would have only one (provincial) governement and would stop paying federal taxes also...  But I am sure the monies going to the Federal right now would be taken by the new government in order to offer the services that Federal already offers us... the economies would be minimal.  And at a time where Alberta is getting richer due to petrol, the cost of supporting poor provinces (like NB, NS, PEI) through Federal redistributions is now spread more and more equally (I believe that Ontario and Quebec people were those paying the most in the past... but with the economies of BC and Alberta developing these days, it is helping).

Anyhow... one thing that might help the separatists calm down is if the Federal governement would have a law forcing any companies offering services in Quebec to have their front employees being fully bilingual... But to me this would be stupid.

Oh... and maybe clone me a million times and spread my clones all over Quebec...

I know I am not helping you a lot but it might give you a few ideas... hopefully.