Quebec independance

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pardon moi, i was just being a pushy american. as for not being welcome up north, it is due to canada's stiffened requirements [circa 1981] for americans in particular to be granted long-term residence in canada- namely, the requirements for-

*advanced college degree, pref. in something useful for canada [e.g., medicine, technology, any professional field]
*no major illnesses or chronic minor ones
*no psychiatric history
*no criminal record or even misdemeanor record
*financial independence
*no blood relatives in canada

all the commonwealth nations have the same requirements. i meet none of them.
they are not as strict with folk from other nations, i have found. otherwise i would have been there as soon as i could drive. as it is i am not allowed in even for a visit. i am not the only one, as waves of rejectees from the winter olympic venues can attest.

as for the church barbeque, it is making my stomach growl now. i would even pretend to say "amen!" and mean it.

The rest of Canada should tell Québec to either put up or shut up. They seem to have more than enough regional autonomy already.

I'd, in effect, be calling their bluff.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? Dont worry about it.



And each are just as restrictive to each other. While the entry requirements are lower for refugees and such, they face greater internal barriers once they are here. Because of lack of standardization, their educations often do not count. You then get doctors driving taxis and such.

Italy, apparently, has the easiest citizenship to attain of all the law-abiding/modernized nations. I do know, however, that you have to learn Italian. Chi la dura la vince.



Ah too bad. We do like you guys.. we just don't want to be you guys.



Some of them could come, they just have to leave their handguns at home.

Actually, I would think that the first to send out those 'feelers' would be the Maritimes - they'd be totally up the creek should Canada break up. As for my reaction if I were a USA power-that-be? I'd say 'yes' to them, but as Puerto Rico style territories.

As for 'overt displays of faith' in the USA, outside of the old Confederacy (nearly co-terminus with the so-called Evangelical-Protestant 'Bible Belt'), you don't see a lot of overt displays of faith. In fact, around here, besides typically low-key bumper stickers, the most overt displays of faith appear to be from Mexican migrants who frequently go out of their ways to flaunt their Catholicism.

And I also agree with another poster's contention that aside from the different government and its somewhat different rules of daily life in places that would 'look south', the basic local cultures would remain pretty much as they are now.

Mike

I for one can't see any Canadian province, let alone Quebec smoothly integrating into the US, the cultural differences are subtle but significant. The touchy language thing would have to go, and quite a few Canadian laws would run afoul of our Constitution, notably the first and second amendments, so other than some pseudo state arrangement like we have with Puerto Rico or the USVI, I don't see how it could work.

Meh, regarding the independance, i don't really care what happens. I personnally doubt we could be self-sufficient, but my knowledge on this is rather limited. As for the political reasons, well... We have very little representation in the ROC (as you put it), and the Harper government doesn't always takes stances that take our positions into account (such as the environnmental issues, civil rights such as the case of Omar Khadr, etc.). I personnally wouldn't mind if we either stay or part ways, status quo for now. =/

I spoke first on the area that I am most familiar with of course. You can see I was passionate about it.

I disagree with your assessment of the maritime provinces too. A lot of them actually come out west for work, so I am familiar with their culture. Then they go home, build houses for their long-term girlfriends and get married.

You are aware, for instance, that Newfoundland only joined Canada in 1949? The referendum was a narrow victory for the "yes" side. Prior to that they were an independent nation. That is only two years after my dad was born.., well within the realm of living memory. I don't think they would be that afraid to go it alone again. Like your pilgrims, the Canadian maritimers were a tough bunch that plunked their asses on the edge of a new world. They are very much a group that look out for each other... for the longest time there was nobody else close by. In that regard they are staunchly conservative people(and Canada's most religious), but they are deeply vested in social programs. They are perhaps the antithesis of the American way of life(despite the claims of Quebec).

By the way, did you know that just off the shore of Canada are two islands owned by France that persist in living in a european way? Their electrical appliances, for instance, are european. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Pierre_and_Miquelon

Why havent they joined the infrastructure of America or Canada? It would certainly ease their wallets. They are a good example of the resistance to change common in the area. You can also consider the character of the people of maine for a good analogue of how east coasters feel about change.

So no, I think you are wrong. There isn't a province or area of Canada that would willingly jump in bed with Andrew Jackson.

St.Pierre and Miquelon were given to the French after the war between them and the british, they wanted to have a spot to fish cod, among other things. The only way to get there is via a small ferry from Newfoundland... And yes, they do get to vote for France's new president when the time comes (as do i). :p

Do you get to vote for the French President because you have a French passport?

French citizenship, comes with the blood. :p (From my dad's side, he's from France, Paris, but being an engineer, he's had no problem integrating in the whole North American culture, he likes mechanical /technical stuff)

As i recall, there is a part of the vote called "Français d'outre-mer" (or offshore french people). And well, most of the french community at that time in Montréal goes to vote at the same spot (usually the Stanislas college in Outremont). Collectively, it amounts to a nice percentage of people to get votes from and kind of encourages the candidate for the presidency to have a good image in general (that's my theory =/ ) .

What do you mean? Quebec has almost 25% of the parliment seats. 75/308 or 24.35%

Canada is about the same physical size as the USA but has always had about one tenth of the US's population..

It might be that when a young frontier country reaches a certain population density it has to 'grow up' and decide its idenity. At that juncture political upheavals happen.

Canada only recently passed the 30 million mark in populaton.

The USA reached that number in the 1860 (thats Eight-teen) census.
The following year the USA temporarily ceased to be the USA- because the South seceded to form the Confederacy and started four years of civil war.

The population of Quebec is about five and half million. Thats about the same as the number of free ( ie White) people who lived in the slave states that formed the confederacy ( the three million Black slaves in the same states didnt count as potential soldiers for the Southern cause).

So the two 'sides' in the upcoming Canadian Civil War are matched about the same as the North and the South were in the American Civil War.

So all of our Civil War reenactors can relax and watch the ultimate civil war reenactment north of the border! Maybe a modern day Sherman can march through Quebec and burn Montreal-wont that be fun!

The Maritime provinces were British colonies that existed at the same time as the 13 colonies to their south. The American Revolutionaries certainly wanted to take the Maritimes also but the American Revolution lost there. The American Revolution also lost in Quebec, the largest colony of them all, spanning today's Quebec, Ontario and much of the central United States. Sure Quebec lost its southern part, but today's Quebec and Ontario remained as places where the American Revolution lost.

Quebec's representation in the Harper cabinet is very small, as very few Conservatives were elected out of Quebec. Harper truly is an alien in Quebec.

Thanks Xenon, the second part of your post is what i was trying to say.

Right. But that lack of representation is your own doing, not the collusion of the ROC. You could be a powerhouse if you wanted.

I'd be surprised if Quebec actually went through it...