France lost the battle of 1812: Quebec knows they won the war
I am sharing an article I wrote in 2013 about my views on Quebec in Huffington Post. Nothing has changed other than the fact that Quebec feels more entitled than ever before. At the end, I have shared more of Quebec’s “special status” and continue to wonder why we bend the knee to Quebec.
Some statistics. There are 10 provinces in Canada and three territories. The population of Canada is 44 million. There are 9 million Quebecois and for comparison, 16 million in Ontario.
And, in my opinion, Quebec is the most antisemitic province in Canada.
Just to get you warmed up. Some provinces receive money from the Federal Government. Equalization payments. Equalizing what? I don’t know.
The total amount of Equalization payments in 2024–2025 is $25.3 billion, which amounts to 4.7% of total federal expenditures.1 At present, seven provinces are eligible for the transfer: Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Quebec receives the largest Equalization payment, accounting for 52.7% of the total amount of Equalization payments in 2024–2025.
OK. Now, here is the article.
Is Quebec Good Enough for Canada
The secular fundamentalism as practiced in the province of Quebec is destructive to the bi-lingual, multi-ethnic fabric of Canada. Quebec’s narrative of uni-lingualism, uni-culturalism and uni-ethnic absolutism is a throwback to tribalism that flourishes in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Tribal societies are closed, intolerant of others, and implement laws which emphasize an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Quebec has a history of tribalism. During both World Wars, Quebec opposed conscription. May 1917, Prime Minister Borden asked liberal leader, Wilfrid Laurier, to back conscription. Laurier feared losing Quebec and voted no. When conscription was finally passed in August 1917, every French-speaking MP was opposed. There were protests in Quebec City against conscription that left five dead. French Canadians felt no loyalty to the British Empire. After all, the British had conquered the French in Canada. That Quebec was part of Canada didn’t seem to register.
In 1942 the Ligue pour la défense du Canada campaigned against conscription with 72.9% of Quebec residents saying “no.” The rest of Canada voted “yes” by 80%. This time, the French Canadians felt a lack of connection to France; politically, culturally and demographically on top of their lack of loyalty to the British. The Québecois, instead, turned inwards, away from any conflict in Europe, away from Canada.
During the reign of Nazi terror Canada effectively closed the doors to Jewish refugees because of the anti-Semitism promoted in Quebec by “journalists” in Le Devoir, La Nation, L’Action Nationale, L’Action Catholique; politicians like Wilfred LaCroix, C.H. Leclerc, H.E. Brunelle and organizations like St. Jean Baptiste Society. Rather than lose Quebec, the sitting Liberals sacrificed the Jews.
The Quiet Revolution of the 1960s may have removed Catholicism but not the tribalism which is now called secularism. In 1976 talk of separation of the French tribe of Quebec from the rest of Canada elicited concern from all those not “native French-speaking citizens,” and fear from the Jewish community. They had experienced the tendency for “nationalism” to be exclusive and intolerant of others.
And then Parizeau put all their fears into words right after the referendum:
“It’s true, it’s true that we have been defeated, but basically by what? By money and ethnic votes, essentially.”
Subtext: Only the real French people belong in Quebec.
Here we are in the 21st century and not much has changed in Quebec — except the language used to obfuscate the closed attitude and lack of tolerance for others. In Spring, 2012, Quebec was in a tizzy. A chicken processing plant was certifying Halal chickens. Apparently, killing chickens in a manner that makes them edible by Muslims is an infringement on secular living. Spring lamb from Australia also tends to be halal. Quebec seems to have a problem with kosher as well. Do the Québecois fear Muslims and Jews are trying to convert them through the consumption of food?
In November 2012, Quebec radio talk-show host Jacques Fabi encouraged a woman to spew hate against the Jews. She compared Israelis to dogs and claimed that the Holocaust was “the most beautiful thing that happened in history.” Not only did he not stop her, he commiserated with her about the Jews. One must “wear white gloves when talking about this nice Jewish population of Montreal.”
Today, we are faced with a province that employs words and phrases like “Quebec values,” “reasonable accommodation” and “secularism” in order to spread fear and hate of others within their province. Laws against head-coverings for children in amateur sports.
Ticketing cars for illegal parking during Jewish, Muslim, Sikh or Hindu holy-days when it’s never been a problem. And in Tuesday’s National Post we read about La Ronde, a park owned by the American Six-Flags Entertainment Corporation, refusing to allow Muslim and Jewish families to bring food into the park for the simple reason that the park doesn’t provide food they can eat.
In Quebec it isn’t reasonable to make room for these differences and we know this because 19,000 Quebecois signed an on-line petition demanding that “these people” not get special rights. None of the requests would have adversely affected secularists, unless the “secularists” come from Quebec.
It is Orwellian for Quebec to call its behaviour “reasonable accommodation.” There’s nothing reasonable behind the actions taken by this government and there’s no accommodating those who are different, who aren’t white, French-speaking citizens claiming to draw a line — even a crooked one from their pure-laine ancestors to today.
Quebec’s leadership is pushing the limits of democracy, slowly eating away at freedoms given to other citizens in Canada, verging on fascism. Tribalism in Quebec is no different than tribalism practiced anywhere else in the world. It is a closed society, one language, one religion, one race, one tribe; that encourages fear of the other, enabling it to make restrictive laws to the point that it incites hatred.
It’s time to demand that Quebec follow the laws of the rest of Canada or we should hold a referendum to decide if Canada wants Quebec to remain in the Dominion.
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Quebec has always felt special. They love the not-withstanding clause. Seems they use it, and some might suggest, abuse it.
“The sole purpose of the notwithstanding clause was only for those exceptionally rare circumstances when a province wanted to bring in a specific benefit or program provision for a part of their population — people of a certain age, for example — that might have seemed discriminatory under the Charter.” – Former Ontario Premier, 1971-1985
“The clause was designed to be invoked by legislatures in exceptional situations, and only as a last resort after careful consideration. It was not designed to be used by governments as a convenience or as a means to circumvent proper process.”– Canada’s, Saskatchewan’s and Ontario’s Attorney Generals, 1981
But, invoking the notwithstanding clause became a regular habit of Québec’s Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) government, which used it in 2019 to prohibit certain public sector employees from wearing religious signs on the job (Bill 21 – a provincial law enforcing state secularism, banning public sector employees in authority positions from wearing religious symbols, and utilizing the notwithstanding clause to bypass charter challenges), and in 2021, to protect its language reforms bill (Bill 96 – Quebec’s Bill 96 is a 2022 law that amends the Charter of the French Language to make French the sole official language of Quebec) from Charter challenges. In both instances, the CAQ justified its use of the clause by arguing that parliament, and not the judiciary, adequately represents the “people of Québec”. “The courts”, according to Simon Jolin-Barette, the Minister in charge of both bills, “are there to interpret”.
But wait.
Yet, today, the Federal Government worries that French is not being protected enough.
… the Department of Canadian Heritage said the new rules are intended to address what it describes as the declining use of French across Canada.
“The decline of French in Canada is cause for concern,” the department wrote. “The proposed regulations would foster the use of French and advance the equality of status and use of French in Canadian society.”
The federal government is proposing sweeping new regulations that would require thousands of federally regulated private businesses outside Quebec to provide services in French, marking the first time bilingual obligations would be imposed on many private-sector employers.
The bilingual requirements would apply in Edmonton, Winnipeg, all of New Brunswick, and several communities in Ontario and Nova Scotia
Edmonton grain millers, Winnipeg telecom providers and bankers in Yarmouth, N.S. must speak French under the new rules.
Draft regulations released by Heritage Minister Marc Miller would require banks, airlines, telecommunications companies, grain elevators, interprovincial trucking firms and other federally regulated businesses with more than 100 employees to offer services in French if they operate in designated regions with significant francophone populations…
The federal government acknowledged the new requirements could create challenges for employers and employees, particularly those who do not speak French. (No kidding!)
“The new linguistic obligations could complicate the onboarding and adaptation of unilingual English or non-French speaking employees within federally regulated private businesses, potentially limiting their opportunities for career advancement,” the regulatory analysis states. (Really? Ya think? But that’s OK, right. It’s all in the name of pleasing Quebec).
The department also estimated the changes would have a negative net impact during the first two years of implementation as businesses absorb compliance costs before any anticipated benefits materialize. (As if Canadian companies weren’t already suffering in this economy).
No implementation deadline has been announced. However, the government noted similar language requirements imposed on airport authorities in 2025 carry fines of up to $25,000 for non-compliance.”
Please note, Quebec is a province that has one official language – French. If you do not speak French, driving through Quebec can be quite an experience. Signs on roads about detours or closures are only in French. Good luck.
The Rest of Canada speaks English, although New Brunswick has two official languages. Why does the Rest of Canada have to provide French when English is NOT required in Quebec? English, the language of the victor of the war of 1812.
And last, but not least, seems if ideas to improve the life of all Canadians by making use of our abundant natural resources…well, if Quebec does not make money from it, it probably won’t happen.
November 2025:When asked about a possible oil pipeline, Quebec Premier François Legault told Radio-Canada that “there is an opening, but only if the environment is respected and it is profitable for Quebec.”
July 2026:The previous Energy East project, first proposed in 2011, would have built a pipeline to bring Alberta crude oil to Saint John. It enjoyed enthusiastic bipartisan support in both Alberta and New Brunswick, but it was abandoned in 2017, partly because of widespread opposition in Quebec, including the government of former premier François Legault.
Why does the Rest of Canada bend the knee to Quebec?
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
Diane Weber Bederman
