Quebec's Quest for Independence and Canada's Place in the 21st Century Flashcards
What social mesures does the Bourassa government adopt? (3)
- Health Insurance Act
- Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
- Official Language Act (Bill 22)
What is the Health Insurance Act?
Gives Quebecers access to free medical services
What is the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms?
Recognizes that all individuals are equal
What language became the official language of Quebec with Bill 22?
French (+ limited access to English schools)
How did Bourassa contribute to the Hydroelectric development of Quebec?
It was his most ambitious project to stimulate economic growth
He proposed the largest hydroelectric development in the history of Quebec
What was Bourassa’s hydroelectric project?
Creating numerous hydroelectric dams on La Grande Rivière (LG) in Baie-James
What negative impact did the James Bay hydroelectric projects have on the Natives?
They threatened their traditional ways of life as they transformed the territory.
True or False: The Cree and Inuit had been consulted by the Quebec government?
False: They HAD NOT been consulted
What did the Indigenous people do to stop James Bay Project?
The Indigenous people took legal action to stop the James Bay Project until a negotiated settlement was reached with the Quebec government granting exclusive fishing and hunting rights to the Indigenous people on parts of the territory
What was the Indigenous people’s struggle in the 1970s?
The struggle was to get recognition of their ancestral land rights.
What organization did the Indigenous people create to help secure their ancestral land rights?
Native Council of Canada
When did the Federal government begin to address the Indigenous claims?
in 1974 when they set up the Office of Native Claims
What was the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ)?
It was a terrorist nationalist organization that believed Quebec sovereignty could only be obtained through revolution.
What is an example of FLQ violence?
They targeted what they considered to be Anglophone power by planting bombs in mailboxes in Anglophone neighborhoods and at the Montreal Stock Exchange
What caused the October Crisis of 1970? (3 events)
- The kidnapping of diplomat James Cross and the murder of Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte by the FLQ were the major sparks
- Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacted the War Measures Act which allowed the Canadian army to occupy the province of Quebec
- Over 400 separatists were exiled and the leaders of the FLQ were sent into exile
Which 3 unions represented the majority of unionized workers in Quebec?
- CSN
- FTQ
- CEQ
What did the 3 unions form in 1972?
Common Front - to throw more weight behind their negotiations with the Quebec government
What was the significance of Bird Report?
It stated that women in Canada were still subjected to injustices. Feminist groups started making demands for pay equity, abortion rights, maternity leave and the establishment of childcare services
What was the impact of the Oil Crisis of 1973?
- It ended 30 years of economic growth.
- Canada had to deal with an oil shortage and a sharp increase in the price of oil.
- This led to an increase in the cost of transportation and goods while creating economic instability where inflation reduced the population’s purchasing power
Who became the Premier of Quebec when the Parti Quebecois came into power in 1976?
René Lévesque
True or False: René Lévesque promised to consult the population in the form of a referendum before declaring Quebec a sovereign country
True
What reforms did the Parti Quebecois enact while in power?
- Act Respecting Labour Standards
- Automobile Insurance Act
- Act to Govern the Financing of Political Parties
- Act Respecting the Preservation of Agricultural Land
In what manner did Canada become a Multicultural Society? (1971, 1976)
- 1971: Trudeau implemented the first policy to promote equality among the different cultures in Canada and recognition of indigenous rights
- 1976: Trudeau adopted a new immigration act to promote the arrival of immigrants financially supported by family members already in Canada and refugees
What are some countries immigrants came from and why?
Haiti, Vietnam, Lebanon and Morocco= they spoke french
What was the Canada-Quebec Accord? And what year?
1991- gave the province the responsibility for integrating immigrants into it’s society
What is another name for the Charter of French Language?
Bill 101
What is the Charter of the French Language?
- required the children of immigrants to attend a Francophone school until the end of High School
- imposed French on commercial and public signs
What impact did Bill 101 and the election of the Parti Quebecois have on the Anglophone population of Quebec?
It threatened their rights so many decided to leave: 90 000 Anglophones left Quebec between 1976-1981
What is one city the Anglophones went to?
Toronto
What was the 1980 Quebec Referendum about?
- sovereignty-association between Quebec and Canada which means hat Quebec would be politically independent, but tied to Canada economically
True or False: To defeat the Referendum, Trudeau promised a Renewed Federalism which would better define Quebec’s role in Canada
True
Who won the 1980 Referendum?
No side (59.6%)
What does Renewed Federalism mean?
Trudeau’s attempt to create a strong, united and bilingual Canada
What act did Trudeau repatriate so that Canada had full power to amend the Canadian Constitution?
BNA Act
What did the repatriation of the constitution become known as?
Constitutional Act of 1982
Why did Quebec refuse to sign the new Canadian Constitution?
it didn’t guarantee it’s veto right over Constitutional changes
True or False: 3 provinces refused to sign the new Canadian Constitution
False: only Quebec
True or False: Canada made an attempt to convince Quebec to sign the Canadian Constitution?
True
What were the 2 accords that Canada created to convince Quebec to sign the Canadian Constitution?
Meech Lake
Charlottetown
Who was the Canadian Prime Minister who created the Meech and Charlottetown Accords?
Prime Minister Mulroney
True or False: The Meech and Charlottetown Accords were successful?
False: Both failed when other provinces refused to accommodate Quebec
How did Quebec react to the failure of both Meech Lake and the Charlottetown accords?
- Lucien Bouchard created the Bloc Quebecois, which became the official party of opposition in Canada after the 1994 election
- The Parti Quebecois returned to power under the leadership of Jacques Parizeau and began to organize a new Referendum on Quebec sovereignty in 1995
Who won the 1995 Referendum?
No side (50.58%)
Why did the Parti Quebecois put off any further Referendum?
To concentrate on the economy of Quebec
What did the Supreme court tell Jean Chretien when he went to ask whether the law permitted Quebec to separate from Canada?
The Supreme Court determined that the Referendum question on sovereignty must be clear and supported by a “Clear Majority” of the voters before a province could separate from Canada
What is the Clarity Act?
It states that the Federal government has to approve the
question presented to Quebecers in a Referendum on sovereignty. It also recommends that the majority of votes required be greater than the “50% plus one vote” rule
What are the main issues that the Amerindians face today?
- birthrate rose and is higher than Canadian average
- Many younger Amerindians are losing their
traditional culture and language - There is a high level of unemployment amongst the Amerindians
- Suicide, the crime rate, alcoholism and sexual assault is much higher than the Canadian average
- Amerindians have gained very little profit from Canadian exploitation of natural resources that are located on their land
What was the Oka crisis?
It was a land dispute between the Mohawks of Kanesatake and the residents of Oka
True or False: The Oka crisis led to an armed conflict between Mohawks and the Canadian army
True
True or False: It was the third violent conflict between First Nations and Canadians in the 20th century
False: it was the FIRST
What did the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples do for the Natives?
It granted Natives self-determination rights
When was Nunavut created?
1999- gave Natives self-government in this territory
When was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada created?
2008
What was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada?
It hadthe goal of educating all Canadians about the atrocities that Natives had endured for years in Residential Schools
What is the Paix des Braves?
It’s an agreement signed between the Cree and the Quebec government which allows Quebec to develop the James Bay area for hydro-electricity, mining and the forestry industry in exchange for paying the Cree $70 million per year until 2052 while also promoting the development of Cree businesses and recognizing their ancestral rights to this land
How has Canada played a more prominent role in military interventions across the world?
- Canada has participated in numerous “peacekeeping operations” in places like Kosovo and Rwanda under the banner of the United Nations Blue Helmets
- After 9/11, Canada has taken a more significant role in military operations against terrorism in places such as Afghanistan
What is Neo-Liberalism?
It means that the government tries to reduce its involvement in the economy
- A movement by the Canadian and Quebec governments to privatize, in other words, sell off its Crown Corporations such as Air Canada and Petro-Canada
What countries sign NAFTA?
USA, Canada, Mexico
What does NAFTA allow?
Free Trade between Mexico, USA and Canada
Which trend does NAFTA help?
Globalization - by eliminating trade barriers
What impact does Globalization have on Quebec’s economy?
- It benefits Quebec by allowing it to increase its exports and to import materials at a lower cost
- It causes manufacturing plants to leave Quebec for other countries where labor is cheaper
What is Quebec Inc.?
It’s the name given to the partnership between the Quebec government and a group of Francophone investors whose
businesses grew thanks to the government’s support
In what manner do people oppose Neo-Liberalism in Quebec?
- Antiglobalization groups organize protest movements to denounce neo-liberalist policies and the government’s failure to address the growing gap between rich and poor
- The Quebec Federation of Students called a student strike in 2012 to protest proposed tuition hikes by Jean Charest’s Liberal government
What occurs during the devitalization of a community?
- It leads to a reduction of services and an aging population in rural communities because the youth are moving to urban areas to find jobs
- Single-industry towns, such as mining towns, often suffer from devitalization when the mine shuts down. It can even lead to the abandonment of the entire town
- The population decline in rural regions can lead to a re-drawing of the electoral map as these communities lose their political weight in provincial elections
How has farming in Quebec evolved in the 21st Century?
- The modernization of agricultural industries has transformed some traditional farms into vast automated agricultural operations
- The next generation of farmers, while highly educated, are having a difficult time raising the necessary capital to purchase the agricultural land which is becoming much more expensive
