Canada Day is a good opportunity to reflect on the meaning of some data that has appeared in recent days, data that are quite revealing of a country that is changing. Some concern the place of bilingualism, others federalism.
When Canadians and Quebecers are asked if they think that official bilingualism is a positive element, 70% of Quebecers say yes, compared to only 35% of other Canadians.1. The duty titled, aptly, “Quebecers are the only Canadians who adhere to bilingualism”. Note that 18 years ago, in 2006, 77% of English speakers in Canada said they were very or somewhat in favor of bilingualism.2The fall is brutal.
Not only are Quebecers the only ones who adhere to bilingualism, but they are also increasingly the only ones who practice it. The proportion of bilingual people is declining in English Canada while it is increasing in Quebec. Quebecers are still, by far, the most bilingual in the country, despite the fact that bilingualism is declining among Anglo-Quebecers.
When Canadians are asked if it is important for the country to remain officially bilingual, Quebecers overwhelmingly say yes (83%) and Canadians overwhelmingly say no (51%). Note that Canadians still agree at 65% to demand that Quebec be bilingual: the colonial spirit is very much alive.
Quebecers and Canadians do not seem to live in the same reality either: 70% of Quebecers believe that the survival of French is threatened in Canada, which is beyond doubt.3and 38% of Canadians outside Quebec believe that the survival of English is threatened in Quebec, which is simply crazy.
Today, bilingualism is no longer a positive element of Canadian identity; it has instead become a source of division. Half, yes, half of Canadians outside Quebec believe that “Canada’s official bilingualism exists only to satisfy a minority.” Worse still, for 41% of Canadians outside Quebec, since most newcomers to Canada speak neither English nor French, it is now “illogical” to have two official languages – while Quebec wants, for the same reason, to strengthen French. These are no longer two solitudes, but two parallel worlds.
Federalism
Last May, the pollster Environics published a survey assessing the evolution, over the past 20 years, of the perception of federalism by Canadians and Quebecers.
Canadians outside Quebec are more supportive of decentralization today than they were 20 years ago, even in the Atlantic region, which has traditionally been more centralizing. Alberta’s sovereignty law4 and the idea of Prime Minister François Legault to create an advisory committee on ways to increase Quebec’s autonomy therefore corresponds to the ambient air almost everywhere in Canada.
Half of Canadians continue to find that the provinces and federal governments do not work well together. This is a stable figure over time because, for Canadians, the perpetual confrontations between the federal government and the provinces, even if they waste our time, money and respect for our institutions, are part of normality. Strange country. But things are changing: 20 years ago, 70% of Canadians found that the federal government and the provinces were equally responsible for the situation. Today, only 51% blame both sides, the others now target the federal government (26%) or the provinces (14%). People are choosing sides.
Finally, there has always been a significant gap between Quebec and the other provinces regarding the very perception of federalism. Quebec criticized it, the other provinces accommodated it.
Today, the gap is narrowing, but not because things are getting better. Twenty years ago, when Canadians were asked whether they saw more advantages than disadvantages in federalism, 60% of them had a positive opinion. Today, only 45% are in that camp. That is a major change.
Let’s summarize. Adherence to federalism is declining. Tensions between the federal government and the provinces are leaving less and less people indifferent. Bilingualism, once an important element of Canadian identity, has become a source of conflict.
These profound changes in the way Canadians see their country and how it works obviously give sovereignists ammunition. However, Quebec federalists must also take this into account. They can no longer be satisfied with unconditional adherence to Canada (Jean Charest) or with insignificance such as “Being Quebecers is our way of being Canadian” (Philippe Couillard). All those who want Quebec to flourish as an original society must absolutely take this new Canada into account: Quebec’s place in it is not obvious.
I wish us all good reflections this summer and happy holidays!
P.S.: To fuel your thinking, I invite you to go see Meltthe film by Simon Lavoie. It will be in theaters this weekend, it will not leave you indifferent.
1. Consult the Léger survey on bilingual Canada
2. Consult the 2006 CROP report “Canadians and Bilingualism”
3. Read the column “The place of French in Canada”
4. Read the Radio-Canada article “Sovereignty Act: Alberta wants to equip itself with extraordinary powers”
What do you think? Join the dialogue