thumb|300px|Celebration of [[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24 at Parc Maisonneuve in Montréal]]

Quebec nationalism or Québécois nationalism is a political ideology that prioritizes cultural belonging to, the defence of the interests of, and the recognition of the political legitimacy of the Québécois nation. It has been a movement and a central issue in Quebec politics since the beginning of the 19th century. Québécois nationalism has seen several political, ideological and partisan variations and incarnations over the years.

Quebec nationalism plays a central role in the political movement for the independence of Quebec from Canada. Several groups and political parties claim to be Québécois nationalists. The autonomist political parties, which do not want the sovereignty of Quebec but the expansion of its powers and the defence of its specificity within Canada, such as the Coalition Avenir Québec, also claim to be Québécois nationalists.

Quebec nationalism was first known as "French Canadian nationalism", but was replaced by "Québécois nationalism" during the Quiet Revolution.

liberal nationalism

New France

The settlement of New France was made up of 7 regions that spanned from the Maritimes to the Rockies and from the Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Although this landscape was vast, most efforts were made to colonize what is now present-day Canada. After the 17th century, the newly arrived French settlers adapted to the terrain of New France. Over time, these settlers developed a regional Canadian identity. This could be seen in the developing of new accents, creation of new legends and stories, emerging societal traits and the use of the French language. The latter originated with the loss of the settlers' langue d'oïls and the adoption of standard French, which came to be used by the educated classes of the colony. It further developed from the levelling of many langues d'oïl which led to the creation of a local accent.

During this time, the newly arrived immigrants were no longer seen as immigrants but rather people who embodied not only a Canadian identity, but also a provincial identity as well. Moreover, this was complemented by the fact that 95% of the colonists were Francophones, while the remaining people were English-speaking. However, this would prove to create contention later on.

1534–1774

Canada was first established as a French colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America. Up until 1760, nationalism had developed itself free of all external influences. However, during the Seven Years' War, the British invaded New France as part of the French and Indian War, winning a conclusive victory at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. At the Treaty of Paris, France agreed to abandon its claims over New France in return for the island of Guadeloupe. From the 1760s onward, nationalism developed within a British constitutional context. Despite intense pressure from outside Parliament, the British government drafted the Quebec Act which guaranteed the restoration of French civil law; guaranteed the free practice of the Catholic faith; and returned the territorial extensions that they had enjoyed before the Treaty of Paris. Although detrimental to Britain's relationship with the Thirteen Colonies, this has, in its contemporary assessment, been viewed as an act of appeasement and was largely effective at dissolving nationalism in the 18th century (especially considering the threat and proximity of American revolutionary ideology) yet it became less effective with the arrival of Loyalists after the revolutions. With the Loyalists splitting the province of Quebec into two identities; Upper Canada and Lower Canada, were labelled by the Loyalists as French Canadians. The idea of a was supported by the liberal or professional class in Lower Canada: lawyers, notaries, librarians, accountants, doctors, journalists, and architects, among others. The term la nation canadienne-française became more common after the Act of the Union in 1840. In the 1920s–1950s, this form of traditionalist Catholic nationalism became known as clerico-nationalism.

1950s

In the time leading up to the radical changes of the Quiet Revolution the people of Quebec placed more importance on traditional values in life which included going back to their nationalistic roots.

Nationalism at this time meant restoring the old regime and going back to the concept of a French-Canadian nation built upon Catholicism as it was in the past. The church and state were intertwined and the church greatly dictated legislature falling under the matters of the state.

Nationalism also represented conservation, and in that, not being influenced by the outside world but rather staying within their own borders without room for exploration. Quebec was very closed minded wanting to keep their people and province untouched by the more progressive ideas from the rest of the world.

Maurice Duplessis returned to win the 1944 election and stayed in the position of premier of Quebec for fifteen years whilst being the leader of the conservative Union Nationale party. The Union Nationale party valued and upheld the traditional definition of nationalism. This meant the province would upkeep its long-established ways of operating with changes being made only within the scope of the conventional values. Because of this, the Union Nationale party was favored by those who wanted to stick to the accustomed lifestyle and disliked by those who wanted a progressive province being brought into the North American culture.

thumb|Duplessis giving a speech during the [[1952 Quebec general election|1952 election campaign]]

Duplessis's main ideas to transform Quebec were through rapid industrialization, urbanization and a greater and faster development of the province's natural resources. English speakers of the province hoped that industrialization and urbanization would replace the outdated French Canadian society. These changes launched French Canadians into the urban and industrial way of life. There were new opportunities created to provide economic and social stability but by doing so, decreased the importance and significance placed upon cultural and linguistic survival. No political option (outright independence, sovereignty-association, constitutional reforms, or signing on to the present Canadian constitution) has achieved decisive majority support and contradictions remain within the Quebec polity.

One debated subject that has often made the news is whether contemporary Quebec nationalism is still "ethnic" or if it is "linguistic" or "territorial".

The notion of "territorial nationalism" (promoted by all Quebec premiers since Jean Lesage) gathers the support of the majority of the sovereigntists and essentially all Quebec federalist nationalists. Debates on the nature of Quebec's nationalism are currently going on and various intellectuals from Quebec or other parts of Canada have published works on the subject, notably Will Kymlicka, professor of philosophy at Queen's University and Charles Blattberg and Michel Seymour, both professors at the .

Ethnic nationalism

Many people feel that Quebec nationalism and separatism is ethnic have often expressed their opinion that the sentiments of Quebec's nationalists are insular and parochial and concerned with preserving a population of white francophones within the province. Despite these accusations being denounced by many Quebec nationalists who see both the separatist and nationalist movement as multi-ethnic, there is much evidence to suggest that both movements are based on ethnicity, rather than on territory. An example of this is when Premier of Quebec Jacques Parizeau, commenting on the failure of the 1995 Quebec referendum said "It is true, it is true that we were beaten, but in the end, by what? By money and ethnic votes, essentially." ("").

Another example of this was the implementation of Quebec's Bill 21, which sparked controversy after it banned people from wearing religious clothing in certain professions. This law hugely impacted the Muslim community in the province, with many citing it as proof of the movement's ethnic origins, and calling it Islamophobic, and discriminatory. Further controversy was sparked when most nationalist parties stated that the law was not Islamophobic, and instead stated that it was secular. Paul Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) called someone in the Quebec government out for saying the law was "supremacist" while talking about systemic racism, which caused even more controversy and a backlash to the PQ by the Muslim community, and by the federalists.

Linguistic nationalism

Another primary expression of nationalism in Quebec is the French language. People who feel that Quebec nationalism is linguistic have often expressed their opinion that Quebec nationalism includes a multi-ethnic or multicultural French-speaking majority (either as mother tongue or first language used in public).

The entrenchment of the French language in Quebec has been a central goal of Quebec nationalism since the 1970s. In 1974, the Quebec Legislature passed the Official Language Act under Premier Robert Bourassa. This legislation made French the sole official language of Quebec and the primary language of services, commercial signing, labour relations and business, education, and legislation and justice. In 1977, this Official Language Act was superseded by the Charter of the French Language, which expanded and entrenched French within Quebec. This charter was passed by the first Parti Québécois government of Premier René Lévesque, and its goal was "to make French the language of Government and the Law, as well as the normal and everyday language of work, instruction, communication, commerce and business."

After a 45-year hiatus in language legislation in Quebec, the provincial legislature passed An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec in 2022. This act greatly expanded the requirement to speak French in many public and private settings. The preliminary notes of the bill make its purpose clear: "the purpose of this bill is to affirm that the only official language of Québec is French. It also affirms that French is the common language of the Québec nation." This act amended the Charter of the French language and introduced "new fundamental language rights," such as reinforcing French as the language of legislation, justice, civil administration, professional orders, employers, commerce and business, and educational instruction. Premier François Legault and his Coalition Avenir Québec government justified this as necessary to preserve the French language that is central to Quebec nationalism.

Recognition of the nation by Ottawa

On October 21, 2006, during the General Special Council of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada initiated a national debate by adopting with more than 80% support a resolution calling on the Government of Canada to recognize the Quebec nation within Canada. A month later, the said resolution was taken to Parliament first by the , then by the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper. On November 27, 2006, the House of Commons of Canada passed a motion recognizing that the "Québécois form a nation within a united Canada".

In 2021, François Legault's government in Quebec proposed to amend the Charter of the French Language and the provincial constitution to more strongly entrench French as the sole official language. In response to this, the initiated a motion in the House of Commons endorsing the constitutionality of Legault's initiatives and reasserting Quebecers' nationhood. The Commons passed the motion 281–2, with 36 abstentions.

Present-day nationalism

Quebec nationalism today and what it means to , Quebecers, , Canadians, and others differs based on the individual. Nationalism today is more open than what it was in the past in some ways. A common theme that can be seen is the attachment that have towards their province, and the country of Canada.

Nationalist groups

Political parties and groupings

  • Bloc Québécois (1991–present)
  • Coalition Avenir Québec (2012–present, The party's ideology is mostly nationalist but also promotes Quebec autonomism and some Canadian federalism)
  • Option nationale (2012–2018, later fused with Québec Solidaire)
  • OUI-Québec
  • Parti Indépendantiste (2007–2014)
  • Parti Québécois (1968–present)
  • Québec debout (2018)
  • Québec Solidaire (2006–present)
  • Union Nationale (1936–1981, The party's ideology is half nationalist but also half Quebec autonomist)

Civic organizations

  • Mouvement des Jeunes Souverainistes
  • Mouvement national des Québécois
  • Saint-Jean-Baptiste Societies

Academic and intellectual associations

  • Centre étudiant de recherche et d'action nationale (CERAN) (Student research and national action centre)
  • Institut de recherche sur l'autodétermination des peuples et les indépendances nationales (IRAI) (Research Institute on Self-Determination of Peoples and National Independence)
  • Les Intellectuels pour la souveraineté (IPSO) (Intellectuals for Sovereignty)

Nationalists newspapers and publications

  • Le Devoir
  • Le Jour
  • Le Québécois

Extremist, nativist and ultra-nationalist groups

  • Atalante
  • Fédération des Québécois de souche (Federation of native Québécois)
  • La Meute (2015–present)
  • Storm Alliance
  • Front de libération du Québec (Quebec Liberation Front)

Nationalist Slogans

  • * ("old-stock Quebecker"): Quebecer who can trace their ancestry back to the regime of New France
  • ("Quebec for Québécois", or "Quebec for Quebecers"): slogan sometimes chanted at Quebec nationalist rallies or protests. This slogan can be controversial, as it might be interpreted both as a call for a Quebec controlled by , with possible xenophobic connotations, or as a call for a Quebec controlled by the inhabitants of the province of Quebec, and free from outside interference.
  • ("Masters of our own house" a phrase coined by Le Devoir editor André Laurendeau, and was the electoral slogan of the Liberal Party during the 1962 election.
  • : "true blue" or "dyed-in-the-wool" Quebecker

See also

  • 1980 Quebec referendum
  • 1995 Quebec referendum
  • Canadian nationalism
  • Clarity Act
  • French nationalism
  • History of Quebec
  • Lists of active separatist movements
  • Nationalism
  • Partition of Quebec
  • Politics of Canada
  • Politics of Quebec
  • Quebec federalist ideology
  • Quebec sovereignty movement
  • Quiet Revolution

Notes

References

  • Claude Bélanger Quebec nationalism

In English

Books

  • Barreto, Amílcar Antonio (1998). Language, Elites, and the State. Nationalism in Puerto Rico and Quebec, Greenwood, 165 p. () (excerpt)
  • Berberoglu, Berch, ed., (1995). The National Question: Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, and Self-Determination in the 20th Century, Temple University Press, 329 p. () (excerpt)
  • Buchanan, Allen. Secession: The Morality of Political Divorce from Fort Sumter to Lithuania and Quebec (1991)
  • Carens, Joseph H., ed. (1995), Is Quebec Nationalism Just?: Perspectives from Anglophone Canada, Montreal, McGill-Queen's University Press, 225 p. () (excerpt)
  • Clift, Dominique. Quebec nationalism in crisis (McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP, 1982).
  • Cook, Ramsay (2003). Watching Quebec. Selected Essays, Montreal, McGill-Queen's Press, 225 p. () (excerpt)
  • Gagnon, Alain (2004). Québec. State and Society, Broadview Press, 500 p. () (excerpt)
  • Gougeon, Gilles. (1994). A History of Quebec Nationalism, Lorimer, 118 p. () (except)
  • Henderson, Ailsa (2007). Hierarchies of Belonging: National Identity and Political Culture in Scotland and Quebec, Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 250 p. ()
  • Keating, Michael (1996). Nations Against the State: The New Politics of Nationalism in Quebec, Catalonia, and Scotland, St. Martins Press, 260 p. ()
  • Kymlicka, Will, and Kathryn Walker, eds. Rooted cosmopolitanism: Canada and the world (UBC Press, 2012).
  • Mann, Susan (2002). The Dream of Nation: A Social and Intellectual History of Quebec, McGill-Queen's University Press; 2nd edition, 360 p. () (excerpt)
  • McEwen, Nicola (2006). Nationalism and the State: Welfare and Identity in Scotland and Quebec, Brussels: P.I.E.-Peter Lang, 212 p. ()
  • Poliquin, Daniel (2001). In the Name of the Father: An Essay on Quebec nationalism, Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 222 p. ()
  • Requejo, Ferran. (2001). Democracy and National Pluralism, 182 p. () (excerpt)
  • Rioux, X. Hubert. Small Nations, High Ambitions: Economic Nationalism and Venture Capital in Quebec and Scotland (U of Toronto Press, 2020).
  • Rivault, Fabrice & Hervé Rivet. (2008). "The Quebec Nation: From Informal Recognition to Enshrinement in the Constitution" in Reconquering Canada: Quebec Federalists Speak Up for Change, Edited by André Pratte, Douglas & McIntyre, Toronto, 344 p. () (link)
  • Seymour, Michel (2004). Fate of the Nation State, Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press, 432 p. () (excerpt)
  • Venne, Michel (2001). Vive Quebec! New Thinking and New Approaches to the Quebec Nation, James Toronto: Lorimer & Company, 221 p. () (excerpt)

Newspapers and journals

  • Abelson, Donald, et al. "Millennial and Gen Z francophones don't value Quebec nationalism: In stark contrast to baby boomers who not only identify as Quebecers first but also believe the provincial government best represents their interests" Maclean's August 26, 2020
  • Banting, Keith, and Will Kymlicka. "Canadian Multiculturalism: Global Anxieties and Local Debates." British Journal of Canadian Studies 23.1 (2010) online .
  • Blanchet, Alexandre, and Mike Medeiros. "The secessionist spectre: the influence of authoritarianism, nativism and populism on support for Quebec independence." Nations and nationalism 25.3 (2019): 803–821.
  • Brie, Evelyne, and Catherine Ouellet. "Exposure to English as a determinant of support for Quebec independence in the 2018 Quebec elections." French Politics (2020).
  • Couture Gagnon, Alexandre, and Diane Saint-Pierre. "Identity, Nationalism, and Cultural and Linguistic Policies in Québec." Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society 50.2 (2020): 115–130.
  • Couture, Jocelyne, Kai Nielsen, and Michel Seymour (ed). "Rethinking Nationalism", in Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Supplementary Volume 22, 1996, 704 p. ()
  • Ferland, Benjamin, and Luc Turgeon. "Understanding Majority Attitudes toward Minority Nations in Multinational Federations: The Case of Canada." Publius: The Journal of Federalism 50.2 (2020): 188–212.
  • Gareau, Paul L. "The Army of Mary: Quebec Nationalism and Catholic Heterodoxy." in The Mystical Geography of Quebec (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2020) pp. 55–83.
  • Imbert, Patrick. "Francophones, Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Canada, Quebec and Europe." in Citizenship and Belonging in France and North America (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2020) pp. 33–53.
  • Kymlicka, Will. "Being Canadian." Government and opposition 38.3 (2003): 357-385 online.
  • Kymlicka, Will. "Canadian multiculturalism in historical and comparative perspective: Is Canada unique." Forum Constititionell 13#1 (2003): 1–8. online.
  • Kymlicka, Will. "Multiculturalism and Citizenship-Building in Canada." CPRN Discussion Paper (2001): 47+ online.
  • Kymlicka, Will. "Quebec: a modern, pluralist, distinct society", in Dissent, American Multiculturalism in the International Arena, Fall 1998, p. 73–79 (archived version)
  • McGrane, David, and Loleen Berdahl. "Reconceptualizing Canadian Federal Political Culture: Examining Differences between Quebec and the Rest of Canada." Publius: The Journal of Federalism 50.1 (2020): 109-134 online.
  • Rocher, François. "The Evolving Parameters of Quebec Nationalism", in JMS: International Journal on Multicultural Societies. 2002, vol. 4, no.1, pp. 74–96. UNESCO. (ISSN 1817-4574)
  • Rocher, François. "The Life and Death of an Issue: Canadian Political Science and Quebec Politics." Canadian Journal of Political Science 52.4 (2019): 631–655.(online)
  • Venne, Michel. "Re-thinking the Quebec nation", in Policy Options, January–February 2000, pp. 53–60 (online)

In French

Books

  • Balthazar, Louis. "L'évolution du nationalisme québécois", in , ed. Gérard Daigle and Guy Rocher, pp. 647 à 667, Montréal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1992, 812 p.
  • Bellavance, Marcel (2004). , Montréal: VLB, 250 p.
  • Bernier Arcand, Philippe, , Montréal, Poètes de brousse, 2015, 160 p.
  • Bock-Côté, Mathieu (2007). , Montréal: Boréal, 211 p. ()
  • Bock, Michel (2004). , Montréal: Hurtubise HMH, 452 p.
  • Bouchard, Catherine (2002). , Sainte-Foy: Presses de l'Université Laval, 146 p. ()
  • Bouchard, Gérard (2004). , Montréal: Boréal, 319 p. ()
  • Bourque, Gilles (1996). , Saint-Laurent: Fides, 383 p. ()
  • Brière, Marc (2000). , Montréal : Hurtubise HMH, 222 p. ()
  • Brière, Marc (2001). , Montréal: Stanké, 325 p. ()
  • Denise Helly and Nicolas Van Schendel (2001). , Québec: Les Presses de l'Université Laval (editor )
  • Diane, Lamoureux (2001). , Montréal: Éditions du Remue-ménage ()
  • Gougeon, Gilles (1993). , Québec: VLB Éditeur
  • Ignatieff, Michael (1993). Blood & belonging : journeys into the new nationalism, Toronto : Viking, 201 p. ()
  • Keating, Michael (1997). , Montréal: Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 296 p. ()
  • Lamonde, Yvan (2000). , Montréal: Éditions Fides, 576 p. () (online)
  • Lamonde, Yvan (2004). , Montréal: Éditions Fides, 336 p. ()
  • Martel, Marcel (1997). , Ottawa: Presses de l'Université d'Ottawa, 203 p. ()
  • Monière, Denis (2001). , Montréal: Presses de l'Université de Montréal 148 pé ()
  • Montpetit, Édouard (2005). , Saint-Laurent: Bibliothèque québécoise, 181 p. ()
  • Moreau, François (1995). , Hull : Vents d'ouest, 181 p ()
  • Paquin, Stéphane (2001). , Montréal: VLB, 219 p. ()
  • Roy, Fernande (1993). , Montréal: Boréal, 128 p. ()
  • Ryan, Pascale (2006). , Montréal: Leméac, 324 p. ()
  • Sarra-Bournet, Michel ed., (1998). , Montréal: VLB Éditeur, 253 p.
  • Sarra-Bournet, Michel ed., (2001). , Québec: Presses de L’Université Laval, 2001
  • Seymour, Michel (1999). , L'Hexagone,
  • Seymour, Michel, ed. (1999). , Montréal: Liber, 508 p. ()
  • Venne, Michel, ed., (2000). , Montréal: Québec Amérique, Collection Débats

Newspapers and journals

  • Beauchemin, Jacques. "Nationalisme québécois et crise du lien social", in , n° 25, 1995, pp. 101–123. Montréal: Département de sociologie, UQAM.
  • Courtois, Stéphane. "Habermas et la question du nationalisme : le cas du Québec", in , vol. 27, no 2, Autumn 2000
  • Dufresne, Jacques. "La cartographie du génome nationaliste québécois", dans , vol. 1, no. 10, July/August 1994.
  • Gueydan-Lacroix, Saël. "Le nationalisme au Canada anglais : une réalité cachée", in , April 10, 2003
  • Kelly, Stéphane. "De la laine du pays de 1837, la pure et l'impure", in , Cahiers d'histoire du Québec au XX siècle, no 6, 1996
  • Robitaille, Antoine. "La nation, pour quoi faire? ", in , November 25, 2006
  • Roy-Blais, Caroline. "La montée du pouvoir clérical après l’échec patriote", in , 2006-12-03
  • Seymour, Michel. "Un nationalisme non fondé sur l'ethnicité", in , 26–27 April 1999
  • Seymour, Michel. "Une nation peut-elle se donner la constitution de son choix?", in , Numero Special, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Autumn 1992)
  • Unknown. "L'ultramontanisme", in , May 20, 2000

Further reading