Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[Loco101]

Check out this Léger poll that was just released for Quebec:

https://leger360.com/wp-content/uploads/...itique-au-Quebec-fevrier-2025-Finale.pdf

BIG surge for Liberal support federally and even provincially after Trump threatens to make Canada the 51st state.

FEDERAL: (Quebec only)

LPC: 29%

BQ: 29%

CPC: 24%

NDP: 12%

GPC: 3%

PPC: 3%


PROVINCIAL:

PQ: 30%

CAQ: 21%

PLQ: 21%

PCQ: 14%

QS: 10%


Support for SOVEREIGNTY of Quebec:

(among those decided)

YES: 33%

NO: 67%


Check out some of the other questions in the link. Maybe I'll post some more later.

[New Brisavoine]

^^Nothing very surprising there. It's "rallying 'round the flag", as during Covid (in this case the Canadian flag), but most likely it's a 1 to 2 year bubble if Trump doesn't insist on his plans to annex Canada (which he probably won't, as a- he tires rather quickly of things and moves on to other issues, and b- he'll be a lame duck president after Nov. 2026).

[le calmar]

Quebec soft-separatists did not suddenly feel more Canadian in the last few weeks, but many were looking for a way to be sheltered from all the chaos, and this was arguably the easiest way. I think it's hard to predict how the sentiment will evolve as things progress. Trump is absolutely unpredictable. He may find himself entangled in some sort of crisis at some point, and all talk about annexing Canada will vanish overnight. But he could also double down on the rhetoric and keep Canadians and Quebecers in a constant state of fear. I can see things going either way.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by le calmar

Quebec soft-separatists did not suddenly feel more Canadian in the last few weeks, but many were looking for a way to be sheltered from all the chaos, and this was arguably the easiest way. I think it's hard to predict how the sentiment will evolve as things progress. Trump is absolutely unpredictable. He may find himself entangled in some sort of crisis at some point, and all talk about annexing Canada will vanish overnight. But he could also double down on the rhetoric and keep Canadians and Quebecers in a constant state of fear. I can see things going either way.

Yes. He might also find a way to split Quebec. If he really wanted to Annex at least part of Canada telling Quebec if they separate they will be exempt from Tariffs during a referendum campaign could be a game changer. Now you might not want to trust Trump but the soft-separatists would love to believe separatism won't make them substantially poorer in order to vote yes.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by le calmar

Quebec soft-separatists did not suddenly feel more Canadian in the last few weeks, but many were looking for a way to be sheltered from all the chaos, and this was arguably the easiest way. I think it's hard to predict how the sentiment will evolve as things progress. Trump is absolutely unpredictable. He may find himself entangled in some sort of crisis at some point, and all talk about annexing Canada will vanish overnight. But he could also double down on the rhetoric and keep Canadians and Quebecers in a constant state of fear. I can see things going either way.

Yes, what we are going through right now is unprecedented in the lifetime of anyone walking the Earth today.

It's totally impossible to predict what lasting effects, if any, it will have on Canadian or Quebec politics.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Yes. He might also find a way to split Quebec. If he really wanted to Annex at least part of Canada telling Quebec if they separate they will be exempt from Tariffs during a referendum campaign could be a game changer. Now you might not want to trust Trump but the soft-separatists would love to believe separatism won't make them substantially poorer in order to vote yes.

He probably doesn't even know there are Francophones in Québec. He must assume Canada is an all-English country, like many people.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

He probably doesn't even know there are Francophones in Québec. He must assume Canada is an all-English country, like many people.

I believe he and his first wife Ivana met at Expo 67 in Montreal, and he went to a G7 meeting in Charlevoix east of Quebec City when he was POTUS the first time.

So he likely has some vague notions that we exist.

When you grow up in New York like he did, without being knowledgeable on the details, you do have some conscience that there is a decent-sized "French" (sic*) city north of you at the end of Interstate 87.

(*Apologies to Harls and Jamincan for using "sic".)

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

He probably doesn't even know there are Francophones in Québec. He must assume Canada is an all-English country, like many people.

He probably sees francophones in Quebec like how he views Latinos in Miami, nothing more than a cultural quirk and official business continues to be conducted in English.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I believe he and his first wife Ivana met at Expo 67 in Montreal

US travelers to Montree-awl in the 1960s had probably no clue the majority of its inhabitants were French-speaking, judging from the all-English signage and ads in the streets. Whatever little French they saw, they probably assumed it was some quaint relic like in New Orleans.

Originally Posted by Acajack

and he went to a G7 meeting in Charlevoix east of Quebec City when he was POTUS the first time.

These are totally sheltered from the real world. It might as well have taken place on planet Mars.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

He probably sees francophones in Quebec like how he views Latinos in Miami, nothing more than a cultural quirk and official business continues to be conducted in English.

Yeah, that's probably more or less how he sees it. Heck, even the Europeans, who are supposed to be more worldly and knowledgeable than the American hillbillies, in their vast majority don't really know or understand the existence of a fully separate (or self-functioning, if the word "separate" irks) Francophone nation in Canada (you only have to read comments on the SSC forum, which is mainly European, whenever Canada is mentioned... for them it's essentially an Anglophone country, with yeah, some Francophone minority somewhere, but just as there are Spanish-speaking minorities in the US).

The only ones who really know are the French (of France!), and the Anglo-Canadians (and then, I suppose the most recently arrived immigrants in Ontario, Alberta or BC don't really know the exact situation much better than the average American).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

US travelers to Montree-awl in the 1960s had probably no clue the majority of its inhabitants were French-speaking, judging from the all-English signage and ads in the streets. Whatever little French they saw, they probably assumed it was some quaint relic like in New Orleans.


These are totally sheltered from the real world. It might as well have taken place on planet Mars.

As I said though, Quebec and francophone Canadians are a bit more on everyone's radar in the NYC area, and in the area of the US (New England) northeast of there.

It's one of the areas of the US where people are most aware that we exist. Other exceptions of course include the area of Florida just north of Miami (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Hallandale-Pompano Beach) and of course southern Louisiana.

But in most of the rest of the US people are generally clueless about our existence.

Even in central NY state (in the same state as NYC) if you go to a place like Syracuse a lot of people are totally clueless that there is a French-speaking area just over 300 km north of them.

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by Acajack

As I said though, Quebec and francophone Canadians are a bit more on everyone's radar in the NYC area, and in the area of the US (New England) northeast of there.

New England yes, New York City not so much. We even have American friends in Brooklyn and Manhattan who can't wrap their head around the idea of an official French state north of them.

They keep thinking it's like a New Orleans kind of setup, and these are all "worldly" democrat voters.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

New England yes, New York City not so much.

Yeah, skeptical about NYC too. Also skeptical about Massachusets. I think the only areas where people are aware of the Québec situation (to some extent, not in full details of course) are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the New York counties closest to Québec.

[New Brisavoine]

At the end of the day, Québec as a fully-functioning Francophone society will only register in US consciousness when (and IF) Québec becomes an independent country. And then even in that case, it would probably take some years for that to register in US minds.

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

At the end of the day, Québec as a fully-functioning Francophone society will only register in US consciousness when (and IF) Québec becomes an independent country. And then even in that case, it would probably take some years for that to sink in in US minds.

Even then it won't sink in for most. Many Americans still can't grasp the concept of Mexico or the Dominican Republic functioning officially in Spanish, they just think it'll be like Florida. Quebec's too small and inconsequential to register in the consciousness of most Americans.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

Many Americans still can't grasp the concept of Mexico or the Dominican Republic functioning officially in Spanish, they just think it'll be like Florida.

I disagree. Most don't know the Dominican Republic (how many Canadians know it anyway?), but most Americans (i.e. 90%+) know well what Mexico is, and how alien/foreign it is. I have never met or heard any American thinking one could function in English-only in Mexico. That simply doesn't exist. If anything, they tend to exaggerate the 'otherness' of Mexico (with stories like "if you try driving in Mexico you can be thrown in jail for a minor offense, because their court system doesn't have a bill of rights like in the US", how often I've heard that!!).

They KNOW one has to speak Spanish in Mexico, but they won't speak Spanish when visiting (beyond a few words), which is quite different.

It's very different from what they think or don't think of Québec. Most Americans probably imagine one can function in Montreal in English (and, in fact, one can it would seem, which is... the problem).

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

Quebec's too small and inconsequential to register in the consciousness of most Americans.

Québec is, but Montréal is a big city, and well known even in the US.

[P'tit Renard]

Québec is, but Montréal is a big city, and well known even in the US.

Americans don't equate Montreal with Quebec though.

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

I disagree. Most don't know the Dominican Republic (how many Canadians know it anyway?), but most Americans (i.e. 90%+) know well what Mexico is, and how alien/foreign it is. I have never met or heard any American thinking one could function in English-only in Mexico. That simply doesn't exist. If anything, they tend to exaggerate the 'otherness' of Mexico (with stories like "if you try driving in Mexico you can be thrown in jail for a minor offense, because their court system doesn't have a bill of rights like in the US", how often I've heard that!!).

They KNOW one has to speak Spanish in Mexico, but they won't speak Spanish when visiting (beyond a few words), which is quite different.

It's very different from what they think or don't think of Québec. Most Americans probably imagine one can function in Montreal in English (and, in fact, one can it would seem, which is... the problem).

I've met the former you've described, and the latter Americans who think they could just move down to Mexico on a whim, and it'd be as seamless language wise as relocating to Canada. Perhaps the ones you met were mostly in California that have a strong connection to Mexico?

DR is familiar with the majority of Canadians, as it's one of the top 3 destinations for Canadians to escape the bitter cold, hence the nickname Punta Canada.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Yeah, skeptical about NYC too. Also skeptical about Massachusets. I think the only areas where people are aware of the Québec situation (to some extent, not in full details of course) are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the New York counties closest to Québec.

Most people in Massachusetts (and Boston) are most definitely aware. Less so in NYC, but there’s also a little bit of awareness there, at lease to some extent.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by le calmar

Most people in Massachusetts (and Boston) are most definitely aware. Less so in NYC, but there’s also a little bit of awareness there, at lease to some extent.

People in Massachusetts are probably more aware of the Northern Ireland conflict than of the Québec separatism shenanigans.