Language and Quebec's identity are once again front and centre. Francois Legault claims that Quebec has the right to amend the constitution. At issue is Quebec's Bill 96, which would amend section 90 of the BNA Act to read:
“FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUEBEC
“90Q.1. Quebecers form a nation.
“90Q.2. French shall be the only official language of Quebec. It is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”
The problem is the notion of "the Quebec Nation." Andre Pratte writes in The Montreal Gazette:
Do Quebecers form a nation? There is no doubt in my mind, and in the minds of the vast majority of experts who have studied the issue, that they do. Fifteen years ago, the House of Commons even passed a motion to that effect.
However, recognition of the Quebec nation (or distinct society) has not been enshrined in the country’s Constitution, because a majority of English Canadians are opposed to it. They fear that such recognition would lead to the granting of special rights to Quebecers, a situation they cannot accept. While I do not share this view, it is certainly a legitimate one. The only way to change the minds of our fellow citizens is to convince them, not to “shove the idea down their throats,” as the politicians in the National Assembly like to characterize the process that led to the 1982 Constitution.
He has a point. In French, the word pays means more than "province." It means home. But, for Francophone Quebecers, it means much more than that. It means homeland. It's not easy to negotiate the meaning of words between two different languages.
Justin Trudeau wants to ignore that negotiation. His father would have confronted the problem head-on.
Image: The Hill Times
