Let’s Make It An Amicable Split When Quebec Finally Separates

Columnist Section ^ | May 8, 2005 | Paul Jackson

[UpHereEh]

I’ve written that, before any couple starts to plan a honeymoon vacation to Europe, they should visit Quebec.

That goes for a lot of other would-be world travellers, too.

In Quebec, we have what amounts to a foreign country—a slab of continental Europe—right on our doorstep.

Quebec City is the most historic and beautiful capital in our country, the Gaspe is marvelous, and the Laurentians magnificent.

Yet, since the currency is the same no one will gyp you, drinking the tap water won’t make you sick, and if they can, and many can’t, Quebecers will speak to you in your own language.

I’ve spent a lot of happy times in Quebec, especially in old Montreal, and it’s all rather enchanting.

Setting the scene for this column in this way will, I hope, prevent anyone from labelling me anti-French Canadian or anti-Quebec.

After all, the Jean Chretien/Paul Martin Liberals are ever eager to hurl slurs at people. Particularly so when it comes to Quebec, which is a charade, since those of us with an ounce of common sense now know the sudden surge of separatist fever in la belle province has been spurred by the Chretien/Martin clique itself, and by the shameless looting of the taxpayers’ money as evidence by revelations coming out of Mr. Justice John Gomery’s inquiry.

[Para-Ord.45]

Paul Jacson`s an idiot.

You never reward the one who initiates the divorce.They`re the one who gets punished.

The xenophobes aka quebecers will never get northern Quebec,the natives won`t have any of that.The xenophobes won`t get the St.Lawrence seaway either.Canada and the USA won`t allow that.

So what`s left.A sliver of a country running along side the St.Lawrence and the gaspe coast.

Good riddance to these xenphobic racists. Visit Quebec ! ? Only if you like being treated like pond scum.This Orwellian place is spooky,with language police shasing people around if the english letters on a a store owners sign is too large.

[Para-Ord.45]

*Jackson

*chasing

[Dog Gone]

Let Quebec go. Canada will be better off without it.

[LibKill]

Quebec is full of frogs. Why the heck would I want to go there?

I snicker at frogs. I don't rub elbows with them.

[UpHereEh]

I don't think there will be much left of Canada following the next election. Quebec and Alberta will both separate and I'm sure others will consider following.

[martin_fierro]

Feh.

If I want to experience Yurp, I'll just go to Epcot.

[Dog Gone]

It will be interesting to see if an independent Quebec is bound by the terms of NAFTA. My guess is that it isn't, although they may choose to ratify and become a party to it.

[KevinDavis]

I forsee Albera joining us...

[Dog Gone]

Seriously? Alberta, too?

[CivilWarguy]

When the southern states tried to secede from the United States in 1861, the U.S. government sent in its troops to stop them. When and if Quebec tries to secede, the Canadian government will send in its Liberals to stop them.

[Para-Ord.45]

Alberta could petition Congress to become a State.The atlantic provinces would be better off becoming a territory,like Gaum or Puerto Rico.

Canada would consist of Ontario,Saskachewan,Manitoba,Newfoundland,British Columbia,Yukon,NWT,Nunavut,and parts of Qubec that would join Ontario.

[Alberta's Child]

Quebec has no intention of separating from Canada. They've been playing this little game for the last 35 years in which they threaten to separate, hold a referendum for secession that is defeated by a narrow margin, and then use that "close call" referendum to extract more and more concessions from Ottawa in the form of government handouts, special laws for Quebec, etc.

If Quebec ever held a referendum like this and it PASSED, the "separatists" would be so alarmed over losing their Federal cash cow that they'd demand ongoing recounts until the referendum was defeated.

[Dog Gone]

I don't know if the US should entertain admission of Canadian provinces as states even if they desire it.

Probably the nastiest congressional battles in US history involved the admission of new states and how it would change the political nature of the country. It wasn't just a slave state/free state thing, although that was a major factor.

The Democrats would certainly block admission of an Alberta unless it was offset by a couple of gay marriage, socialized medicine, America-hating provinces.

[aspiring.hillbilly]

Correction, the Southern States DID secede from the US.

[SubMareener]

And were then conquered in the War of Norther Aggression.

[longtermmemmory]

actually it is a control thing. The one who initiates the divorce is essentially claiming control. This forces the other party to react and "deal with it".

Essentially this author is saying Quebec wants a no fault divorce with custody of the hydroelectric dams paid for by the Canadian Federal Government.

If Quebec goes the damns should stay.

[longtermmemmory]

For, without Quebec, and the huge continuing expense to taxpayers in the rest of the nation of bribing it to remain, our federal coffers would be overflowing and we’d soon wipe out the entire $500 billion debt, which would be a tremendous boost to our economy.

English Canada would need some 25% fewer federal government employees, there would be no more need to continue to pay hundreds of millions of dollars into sinkholes like Bombardier, the headquarters of Air Canada, plus a stack of federal government agencies now located in Quebec, could be relocated.

That Hull, the other half of the so-called national capital region, would be a ghost town of empty buildings which would be the Quebec government’s problem.

Just as Europe, with a notable exception being Britain, has the common currency of the Euro, Quebec would be free to still use the Canadian dollar, but with no input into what the Bank of Canada does, or opt for the U.S. dollar.

Quebecers would not be able to have Canadian passports, or any other attributes of Canada.

Why would they, though?



I support allowing alberta to decide if they want to join the USA.

http://www.unitednorthamerica.org

[UpHereEh]

For sure, Alberta will go before Quebec.

[UpHereEh]

There already have at a cost of $425 million to the Canadian taxpayers ($100 million of which went into liberal pockets)