What if Quebec seperated?

[Turtle25]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1066947008924&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/TechNews/2003/10/23/234674-cp.html

They're related to the same "what-if": the Quebec seperatist movement has lost steam, but what if back in 1995 Quebec had voted "Oui" to seperation from the rest of Canada? And indeed, the powers that be in La Belle Province went full-out with a secession campaign? How would it have been like?

[DianaGohan]

Well, I don't believe nothing much at first. Quebec would just act indepenent from Canada and try to attract some attention and be known as it's own nation. Then France would try to take Quebec for itself, and Quebec would retaliate with the nuclear bomb it has in the lake and... wait, I don't think that last part would happen. Let's see, Quebec acts independent and tries to be known as a solo nation, something else happens.

[Lucky Bob]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1066947008924&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/TechNews/2003/10/23/234674-cp.html

They're related to the same "what-if": the Quebec seperatist movement has lost steam, but what if back in 1995 Quebec had voted "Oui" to seperation from the rest of Canada? And indeed, the powers that be in La Belle Province went full-out with a secession campaign? How would it have been like?
It would have socio-political impact on all francophones in multilingual nations who want independance, including, but not limited to, Belgium. Belgium has had similar trouble with Flemish/Walloon relations. If Belgium split, two more nations would join the ranks of insignificant tiny countries in Western Europe, thus throwing off the balance of power and tipping Europe into the ocean like the Titanic.

Meanwhile, Canada itself would have to figure out how to get from Vancouver to Winnepeg without crossing a border of rabid Nordiques fans (I'm sure there are still some around) who would be busy guillotining anarchial leaders at the rate of one per nanosecond. This would cause them to divert through the U.S.A., where they will look around and say, "Cool, eh!" and stay. Thus inflicting their insufferably good manners and Jughead singles on us. Meanwhile, the NHL will probably have to add one more country's teams to the list, and the added weight of one more flag in all stadium girders would cause Dominik Hasek to go into a slump and retire...again. This all would have severe economic repercussions in North America as a whole, and would make millions of heads explode.

-Lucky "In short, it would rule" Bob

[TimTwoFace]

I remember around 1995 when the second referendum was put through (and failed, thankfully), me and my buddies at school figured that if Quebec became sovreign, it would mean the end of the world.

Here's how it would work...as much as the guys in Ottawa don't want Quebec to seperate (and today, it's very unlikely it will - the sepratist movement has died down considerably), I really doubt that a civil war would break out over it. That said, it'll be done the "Canadian" way, just as Canada declared independence from Britain back in the day - ie, with diplomacy and paperwork, instead of bloody revolutionary wars like the US and other countries did.

OK, so Quebec's on its own, and that means the four maratime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador would be stranded from the main body of Canada. The US, still with that whole "Manifest Destiny" thing on their minds, would cut a deal with Quebec, and allow it to be a special colony or protectorate of their own. The Maritimes would soon be theirs, too, and then, after thathas all settled down, the US would try to annex the rest of Canada and turn it into the 51st thru 64th states. :p

That, of course, sets off alarms in the international community, because Canada, regarded as one of the (if not the most) peaceful nation on earth, was attacked - and by a long-standing ally, no less. The restof the world would come to Canada's defence, and after a few A-bombs were dropped, we'd all be dead. :p

I may be grasping at straws here, but that could technically happen.

ANYWAY, the reality of the situation as I see it - and my family is from Montreal (english Montreal, though) - the sepratist movement has died down. It's not even on the agenda of the Quebec premier, Jean Charest (who used to be in federal politics), so I doubt it will come up significantly as it did in 1980 or 1995.

To seal the deal, though, all that we need to see now is the Montreal Canadiens conquer some other Canadian team in the Stanley Cup finals (Toronto would be nice, but that's not physically possible) about ten times in a row. That'll make them feel happy and Canadian once again. :D Seriously, that's a huge source of pride in this country, bigger than nearly anything else anyone could come up with in a single event.

-Tim

[Turtle25]

It has died down, but that's besides the point. It's a what if thing... personally, I would have been glad when they would've taken their $140-billion of debt with them. Geographically, only the southern portion of Quebec, the important part, would seperate. A corridor was discussed, like the American-era Panama Canal corrior, to link the Marintime provinces. Americanally, Congress was discussing how to annex parts of Canada should seperation have occured. Perhaps this is all over the heads of most posters here- Lucky Bob, I hope you did not seriously mean to say Vancouver and WINNIPEG. :) I'll say what Don Ferguson said to the West Wing writers... "Get an atlas, you morons!"

[jrh31584]

This is definitely one of the more interesting "what ifs?" I have seen in a while. I really don't know what would have happened. My guess would be a lot of bureaucractic hullabaloo, a very strange-looking partition, and probably an independent Quebec.

[Chris Wood]

And who ever heard of french terrorists? More like french lay-down-your-arm-and -suddender-like-pansies-orists

Yeah, right. The Legionnaires would eat you for lunch.

Anyway, it might be cool if Quebec were a separate country. It would probably become a bit more foreign in nature. I like being able to visit Europe without leaving the continent.

[SilverKnight]

Come on, guys. I'm assuming this is supposed to be a serious discussion. Try to cut down on the pot shots, huh? It's rude.

[TimTwoFace]

Come on, guys. I'm assuming this is supposed to be a serious discussion. Try to cut down on the pot shots, huh? It's rude.

I concurr - what began as a serious question and discussion has now been degraded to yet another thread of people mocking the french of any variety. It's not even funny any more, it's just dang annoying.

So unless you don't have anything constructive or serious to add to the thread, don't bother posting, we don't want to see it. I've taken the liberties to remove any bashing posts of any sort.

-Tim

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

We would have became the 51st State, so instead of the US having two French States, they'd have two. Yes, I hail from La Belle Province and I am not too pleased with the two we've had. One was one too much. :(

The Bloc Heads are uneducated because if they had educated themselves about Quebec, then they'd realize that the British came over FIRST and that Quebec isn't a French word. Those are two prime examples on how uneducated they are.

Did they REALLY think that Ottawa would have given us money if we did separate?? HELL NO!! They would have LAUGHED at us: you've made your bed, now lie in it.

What many probably don't know is that many "non" votes were rejected. "Non" would have won by a landslide, like say, 75% non and 35% oui.

Remember my fellow Canucks, with the last elections we had? Not us, but the whole country? Did you see the results here? The Bloc Heads were leading for a time BUT only here. No other province or territory have a political party like the PQ (Partie Quebecois). See how smart they are? We have the worst party in the country.

Worry not about the NHL. We're broke (and when I say "we", I mean Canada. I'm Liberal), so don't be so shocked to see more teams leave. I won't be. I doubt that the Flames will go back to Atlanta, though. The US has the money to buy the teams. Mind you, I care not for sports.

What the Bloc party was looking at was the "here and now", not the big picture. Eric Lapointe is so contradicting. he makes me laugh. He's a spearatist (he's a French singer) and yet, in one video he did, he wore a Canadiens jersey.

These days, the separatists are FINALLY waking up (I have French aunts and uncles who are hard-core separatists, but not anymore). They're realizing that they're wasting their breath for nothing. The supposed promises that they were given are no more. DUH!! :rolleyes:

Our PM is another story.

Now that the Liberals are back in power, my fellow Canucks will see that not all of us are freakin' idiots.

[TimTwoFace]

The Bloc Heads are uneducated because if they had educated themselves about Quebec, then they'd realize that the British came over FIRST and that Quebec isn't a French word. Those are two prime examples on how uneducated they are.

To be honest, I didn't know that either. Just what is the origin of the word "Quebec", anyway?

-Tim