It could be argued, and I do so here, that separation, no matter whose decision it may be, would force any new Quebec government to begin harvesting these resources, thrusting itself into the vanguard of the world’s oil-rich nations and in the process relieve the ROC of a tremendous financial burden.
In fact, you can be almost certain the day Quebec does not have to share the riches from their oil and gas with Canadians is the day they’ll start to drill!
Far more riches lie beneath the feet of every Quebecer than they will ever be able to extract from Ottawa, a fact that will become a major selling point when the separatists begin their next round of referendum talk.
As I explained this to my wife the other day she remarked, “ Lowell, keeping billions of dollars worth of oil and gas in reserve for yourself while crying poverty so you can extract billions from the rest of the country is a little like having your freezer stuffed with filet mignon as you plunder the food bank every week!”
I think she’s got it exactly right!
Because of this and from the other facts and arguments I present here you will be hard pressed not to agree with me that now is the perfect time to wave a friendly goodbye to Quebec!
We will all be a lot richer—and I suspect, happier as well, when the inevitable occurs and we finally go our separate ways.
CHAPTER ONE
THAT WAS THEN
Hanging on my home office wall right behind me is a framed letter, dated June 12, 1969 from the Canadian Prime Minister’s office signed by Pierre Trudeau. It’s addressed to Terry Kielty, General Manager of Broadcasting Station CFRA, 150 Isabella Street Ottawa and states as follows:
Dear Mr. Kielty:
I would like to convey my congratulations to you and your colleagues at CFRA for your work in winning the ACRTF trophy.
I understand that the Association confers the award for the English language radio or television station that contributes the most comprehensive broadcasting “to foster the comprehension and support of the French fact’s importance to the achievement of Canadian unity”.
In their citation, the judges commented, “their editorials are a very good reflection of the French Canadian situation within Confederation”.
Veuillez accepter mes felicitations.
Sincerement,
Pierre Trudeau
Since I wrote and broadcast the editorials referred to, the trophy was presented to me in a little ceremony, held as I recall, in a local pizza parlour. (CFRA at the time was nothing if not frugal!) An artist’s bronze avante garde interpretation of the fleur de lis. The trophy, being particularly ugly, was long ago relegated to a dusty drawer someplace and can no longer be found. I blame my wife!
(ACRTF is the acronym for Association Canadienne de la Radio et de la Television de Langue Francis.)
Hanging on the wall just above my desk, in fact, staring me boldly in the face as I write this, is the now famous overhead picture of the Canadian Unity Rally showing a good chunk of the more than 100,000 who flocked to Montreal on October 27, 1995 to beg Quebec not to leave us. Prominent in the picture is a huge Canadian flag brought to the rally by a busload of patriots from Windsor. The flag is being passed along hand-to-hand over the heads of those jammed into the square. You’ve probably seen the picture. It’s become a Canadian icon.
The rally, as most of you know, is generally credited with persuading sufficient numbers of Quebecers to vote “Non” to tip the scales in favour of the narrow federalist referendum victory which followed three days later. Polls conducted only days prior to the referendum indicated support for the “Oui” side as high as 55%.
The referendum question, October 30, 1995 was as follows: “ Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?” (You can see why we need the Clarity Act!)
The result was 2,362,648 “No” votes (50.58%) compared to 2,308,360 (49.42%) for the “Yes” side. Voter turnout was 93.52%.
I have always been proud of the role I played in the conception, organization and promotion of that rally and for more than 50 years as a broadcaster, journalist, businessman and author and yes for many years a resident of the province; I have fought with every means at my disposal to keep Quebec within Confederation. I made sure both my daughters are fluently bilingual.
On the air and in previous books I have referred to Quebec separation as “stepping into a black hole of uncertainty and danger!”
No longer!
CHAPTER TWO
THIS IS NOW!
That was then! This is now!
In the years since the “Unity Rally”, as the scandals, the corruption, the constant demands, the continued discrimination against minorities piled up, one upon the other, I found myself increasingly frustrated until, one day, not long ago I awoke surprised to discover that I had come full circle and was now convinced that Quebec separation was inevitable and that, sadly, I just didn’t care anymore.
More than that.
I never thought I would say anything like this but here goes.
I have now become convinced that this is the perfect time to begin waving a friendly goodbye to Quebec. Perhaps even a bit more than just a friendly goodbye—a little friendly push might be just what the doctor ordered!
When you read here about the kind of sacrifices other countries have made in order to achieve independence you really have to wonder what stops Quebec from bucking up its collective courage and taking the courageous route that so many other countries have followed.
You are hard pressed today to find any more than a tiny handful of countries where more than one language and culture have been able to co-exist in separate clearly defined areas such as exists with the Province of Quebec.
Could it be that Quebec has allowed itself to be bribed into stepping back from the kind of independence that the people in places like the United States, Ireland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Balkan states, etc. even Scotland have fought and died for?
Why do I think now is the time to wave a friendly goodbye? Maybe even a friendly push?
Good questions. The answers are becoming more obvious every day.
Chief among those answers is—because finally the divorce can be amicable! If guys like me, who used to care very much about national unity, have lost patience with Quebec and are ready to throw in the towel, I suspect there are many others who feel exactly the same. A suspicion that, as far as I am concerned, has subsequently been proven accurate.
If you don’t believe me, read some of the comments that have poured across my desk in recent months from more than 90 different Canadians from coast to coast!
Quebec separation back in 1995 would have been a recipe for disaster. Perhaps even