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Quebec's relationship with the Queen

The Quebec government's condolences have been absent, but then again Quebec is not in charge of foreign policy, that's the role of the federal government.  Those who do not like the province, and there are a lot, have made a point that Quebec has been less than enthusiastic, most will forget Quebec's difficult relationship with the monarchy, and those who forget history can easily repeat it.

First thing, Quebec until the early 1980s was an Anglophone-run province, in 1976 the Parti Quebecois took power and made some fundamental changes, making Quebec a French stronghold surrounded by English speakers.  

First was that Quebecers had less education (think of the blacks of Canada), and were therefore conscripted by the British (1914) and then conscripted to join the Canadian army (1942) and often used as cannon fodder.  

When Canada repatriated its constitution from the British, the rest of Canada played the Quebec government in a way that was advantageous to the rest of the country and made the Quebec government look like fools..

So, three times when the chips were down French Canadians felt cheated, rightly or wrongly, and the Queen is the most important symbol of French Canadian subjugation is at the source of this relationship.  

Therefore, the idea that Quebec would have an official position on the passing of the Queen is a little hypocritical, Quebec was elegant enough to say nothing.  When you have nothing nice to say, best say nothing!

It was a civilized response to a difficult relationship.


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