{"id":4364,"date":"2020-05-16T11:43:13","date_gmt":"2020-05-16T14:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2020-05-16T13:21:57","modified_gmt":"2020-05-16T16:21:57","slug":"a-cartoon-mr-lemay-a-text-mr-dumont-and-a-song-mr-leclerc-for-you-dear-quebec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2020\/05\/16\/a-cartoon-mr-lemay-a-text-mr-dumont-and-a-song-mr-leclerc-for-you-dear-quebec\/","title":{"rendered":"A cartoon (Mr. Lemay), a text (Mr. Dumont), and a song (Mr. Vigneault) for you, Dear Qu\u00e9bec"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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“Qu\u00e9bec, I remember”<\/em>… Qu\u00e9bec, how can I forget?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First, here is a cartoon to begin this post dedicated to Qu\u00e9bec with some humour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A cartoon by Mr. Yannick Lemay (Journal de Qu\u00e9bec<\/em>). We can read the following: “40 years later, did we make the right choice?”. We can see Mr. Ren\u00e9 L\u00e9sveque and Mr. Pierre Elliot Trudeau in heaven flying over Qu\u00e9bec and saying: NON (red sign held by Trudeau) and YES (blue sign held by L\u00e9vesque). The opposite of the results of the two referendums (all depending on the question, obviously). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Second, here is a thoughtful article by Mr. Mario Dumont  pubished in the Journal de Montr\u00e9al<\/em> and entitled \u00abLe cycle des \u00e9checs\u00bb [this means \u00abThe cycle of failures\u00bb]. Below, you can find an English translation of his text:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.journaldemontreal.com\/2020\/05\/16\/le-cycle-des-echecs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn\ninitiating the referendum process over forty years ago, Ren\u00e9 L\u00e9vesque had no\nidea of \u200b\u200bthe cascade of events that would follow. A series of failures in Qu<\/strong>\u00e9<\/strong>bec in its\ndesire to assert itself. NO in Qu\u00e9bec, NO in Canada, setbacks, disappointments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First on May 20, 1980, Qu\u00e9beckers said no to the PQ government, which asked for a mandate to negotiate “sovereignty-association”. L\u00e9vesque found himself weakened in front of Ottawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was still hope: to convince Qu\u00e9beckers, Pierre E. Trudeau had made a commitment to reform the Canadian Constitution to meet Qu\u00e9bec’s expectations. In 1982, Trudeau did reform Canada, but Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s interests were no longer on the agenda. Another failure: Qu\u00e9bec did not even sign the new repatriated Constitution. It has been imposed on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The arrival of Brian Mulroney and the Conservatives rekindles hope. To correct the 1982 affront, he negotiated with the provincial premiers the Meech Lake Accord. Robert Bourassa sees this as an important step for Qu\u00e9bec and vigorously defends the Accord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Except that after the signature, it takes a vote of each of the parliaments of the provinces to ratify the text. The Agreement is torpedoed. Another failure: this promising agreement is buried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A setback that will raise nationalist momentum in Qu\u00e9bec. B\u00e9langer-Campeau Commission on the Future of Qu\u00e9bec, Allaire report which makes the PLQ almost sovereigntist. A lot of noise for nothing. It all ends in fishtail with the lame Charlottetown deal. It was submitted to a referendum in 1992. Answer: NO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacques Parizeau took power in 1994 with a clear commitment: a referendum in his first year in office. He kept his word and formed a coalition, which I took part in. By a few percentage points, the majority said no. Another failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aftermath of this referendum will not be happy times for the nationalists in Qu\u00e9bec. The federal government has been taking a series of initiatives to put Qu\u00e9bec back in its place. In particular, the unilateral law supposedly “on referendum clarity”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came this long liberal reign [Mr. Dumont means the provincial liberals]. Fifteen years. Some might say years without failure. Indeed, when we ask nothing, we avoid the risk of being told NO. I especially interpret the fact that I can no longer ask for anything as the sad result of years of missing all our opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glimmer in these years, there was nevertheless the recognition that Qu\u00e9bec forms a nation which was initiated by the Harper government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legault\u2019 success<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is Fran\u00e7ois Legault’s great coup. In the first year of his mandate, he had his secularism law passed. After more than ten years of hesitation and studies on the topic. A strong gesture in terms of identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A solid majority supported it and the National Assembly voted for it. The opposite of failure. The end of the cycle. From a nationalism point of view, this is huge”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

End of Mr. Dumont’s text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third and finally, every story and every piece of history has more than one perspective… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, people change their perspectives with time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the perspective on Qu\u00e9bec’s aspiration to assert itself and ensure its sustainable (cultural, economic, political…) prosperity, Bambi would like to offer this beautiful and meaningful song, by Mr. Gilles Vigneault, to La Belle Province<\/em>. It is in Qu\u00e9bec where her beautiful Canadian adventure began, thirty years ago. It is in Qu\u00e9bec where she left a large piece of her heart. Yes, she remains grateful, respectful, and… loyal in love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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