What will happen if quebec separates from canada

If not now, when? And if her kick-off was any indication of the campaign to come, Quebecers will be treated to 33 days of rose-coloured glasses, especially where the state of the economy is concerned. During the referendum campaign, the federalist forces held a downtown Montreal rally that drew an estimated , participants. It goes without saying that not all Quebecers are xenophobes. Here are four suggestions:. Like all sentimental nationalists, Quebec separatists see independence as a sort of magical elixir.

Warning them about dollars and cents is like warning teenage poker players that all those cigars might eventually give them gum cancer. Third, make NDP leader Thomas Mulcair — and every other soft federalist — tell us clearly whether he or she respects Canadian law. Fourth, and this is the big one: Have the courage to tell Quebec, flat out, that if Canada is divisible, so is Quebec. Partition would be about fulfilling our historical and constitutional obligations to Canadians — especially Anglophones and immigrants — who have grown up in this country expecting their government to respect basic rights especially those pertaining to language and religion.

In the unlikely event that the separatists win a referendum, the voices of these Canadians must not be ignored. But emotion wants other things: protection of the French language, a chance to live a la francaise in North America. Many are prepared to risk wrenching economic dislocation in the short term for the prize of sovereignty later on.

A "Yes" vote would usher in a period of chaos and danger: enormously unsettling not only for Quebecers but for other Canadians, too. Not least of the pressing questions sovereigntists must ask themselves are the following thorny issues: who gets a Canadian passport; can an independent Quebec use the Canadian dollar, as the ruling Parti Quebecois insists; are the borders of Quebec to be retained; can Quebec effortlessly join Nato, the North American Free Trade Agreement, even the United Nations; and what about the minority Anglophone, immigrant and aboriginal communities within Quebec who are uncomfortable with the nationalist sovereignty project?

The break-up of Canada would also have a destabilising effect on other countries that harbour significant minorities. It is one thing to see Eastern Europe erupt and subdivide, but quite another when a country such as Canada succumbs. The signal sent to the minority Basques in France and Spain, for instance, or to the Welsh and Scots in Britain, would be unmistakable: modern, advanced democracies can and do break up.

If a rich, modern, peaceful country such as Canada can fly apart, ignoring the efforts of years of partnership and compromise, then what hope for the rest of us? If the vote is "No", then some hard work will begin. Canada will have to decide how to include Quebec; how to keep Quebecers from feeling marginalised. By all accounts, nearly half of them do not like the status quo and desire some form of sovereignty.

In order to survive as a united country, Canada will have to prove to Quebecers, once and for all, that they are an important part of the whole and not just an accident of history. Upper Anglo and Lower Franco Canada are united in a confederation that by included 10 provinces and two territories, with a balance of powers struck between the federal and provincial governments.

Like other British Commonwealth holdings, Canada gets a greater degree of autonomy, shared between the federal and provincial governments. Quebec does not want its sons to fight Britain's war, but Canada insists.

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau introduces the Official Languages Act, an attempt to make Quebecers and anglophone Canadians feel welcome across the country. All federal agencies would henceforth offer service in either official language, and millions of Canadians students would be paid to learn the other official language. While it would be in both parties interest to have an amicable discussion, there are numerous issues that could lead to conflict.

However, this figure is by no means agreed upon. The Quebec government, having very little to lose, could simply repudiate its share of the debt, or use its position to demand a seat on the Bank of Canada if it keeps the Canadian dollar.

This, of course, would further complicate the situation, and could lead to further partitions of the province. As all this is taking place, international markets will react to this uncertainty by divesting from Canada and Quebec. This hypothetical situation is based on the assumption Canada, Quebec and the aboriginal peoples do not resort to violence. While I would hope everyone would agree to abide by the rule of law, during any break-up, whether interpersonal or within a country, emotions run high.

Nationalists in Quebec did resort to violence during the October Crisis of , and as a response the Federal government instituted the now defunct War Measures Act to declare martial law. The worst possible scenario is with tempers running high, a small conflict could escalate quickly, leading to a larger scale military intervention. This website uses cookies to personalize your content including ads , and allows us to analyze our traffic.

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