you had to do in order to get a nice new swimming pool at your house was throw a snit you’d be throwing snits all over the place. If we in the rest of Canada are willing to pour tens of billions of dollars into that province why would the province not rush to accept it all?
We still need Quebec. It’s part of Canada and I hope it always will be, but I do agree the time has come to stop the transfer payments to all provinces and insist that they get their acts together, their books in order and as the Scottish leader says—stand on their own two feet!
Sharon W.T., Kanata, ON
~ • ~
I’ve just dumped a few gallons of crazy glue in the Ottawa River. That should keep our provinces together!
Terry Toll, Campbells Bay, QC
~ • ~
Would I care if Quebec were to become an independent nation? Good question, and I’ve done a lot of thinking about it. I suspect that number one, separation is inevitable. I mean can you name me a single nation in the world that is able to successful encompass more than one language or even more to the point more than one distinct culture? Look at all the other countries that have hived off separate, independent nations. Ireland, Czechoslovakia, the Balkans, half of Africa, and now even Scotland looks like it wants to march off to its own bagpipes! Could it be accomplished without rancour, without violence? I think so. Good heavens, the Czech Republic and Slovakia managed to go their separate ways with no fighting and they had a much tougher job defining borders than we would today with Quebec.
And I must confess I agree with you that attitudes have changed in the rest of Canada. A few years ago we would have been mad as hell if Quebec voted to separate, but today I suspect most of us wouldn’t mind at all, although I’ve go to tell you down here in South Western Ontario we’re much more concerned about those damned big windmills they keep planting on our farms than we are about the fate of Quebec.
Gerald Poirier, Forest, ON
~ • ~
Lowell I could not care less if Quebec decided to leave Canada, just so long as I could still buy cheap beer and bring it back to Ottawa!
R.B. Ottawa, ON
~ • ~
Two or three years ago, I suggested to you that all of Canada should hold a referendum about Quebec separating. I predicted that such a vote across the country would result in Quebec separating. You seemed quite put out by the idea at the time. I still believe that there should be another referendum only with all Canadians voting. That way we’d finally get rid of that festering sore called Quebec, that’s sucking so much of our resources in an attempt to sustain it.
Ken McNairn, Ottawa, ON
~ • ~
Quebec: No it would not bother me at all. I say go. I am a separatist from Ottawa. So yes please go. They have already left culturally so all we have to do is count up the money they owe us. Imagine; we could have a foreign country on the other side of the river. We could use our passports to go to the casino. Good luck. I’ll get some maudit beer and poutine in celebration and update my passport.
Jeremy Swanson, Ottawa, ON
~ • ~
I don’t know what’s wrong with you people up there in Ottawa. Of course we would all care very much if Quebec were to ever leave Canada. My Canada always includes Quebec and you people who think otherwise should all be ashamed of yourselves.
Annie Green, Mississauga ON
~ • ~
I would support Quebec leaving, but not from the position of the advantage to Quebec and their aspirations. I say this only from the perspective of the weariness of their griping and the great cost to Canada. Not just financial cost, but the psychology of having always to deal with a spoiled child. Time to cut the child loose.
Doug K, Ottawa, ON
~ • ~
Mr. Green, I find your comments intriguing to say the least. I think you have not fully researched the implications of Quebec separation. As a resident of Atlantic Canada we have thought about it long and hard, probably more so than most Canadians. I believe it could mean the end of Canada. Probably not tomorrow but certainly within ten years (two election cycles) Note: This has nothing to do with party affiliation, but with geography and history.
Atlantic Canada would not survive. We would seek closer ties with the northeastern United States. If you know our history, the Atlantic Provinces have always had a special relationship with the northeastern U.S. This relationship would be strengthened and would lead to some sort of economic and perhaps political union with the U.S. In fact, I believe the U.S. would seek it.
I ask you what would happen to the French populations in New Brunswick, northern Ontario and Manitoba? While they are quiet today, I ask you would the West still support a bilingual country? I think we both know the answer to that question. Then these populations will become more vocal and more isolated.
I think the center of power will shift to the West. Ontario will feel more isolated. I think Ontario will probably move to go its own way very quickly.
No, Mr. Green, we need one another. What we need is a political leader be he or she Liberal, Conservative, NDP or some other, maybe Canada Party who will take on this problem. The last political leader who did was PM Trudeau and he was vilified. We need someone with a vision who thinks of all of Canada and not its individual parts. We need to look at this in our universities and resolve it or Canada, as we know it will disappear and the world will be a poorer place.
Michael C, Atlantic Canada
~ • ~
For those Canadians who still worry about Quebec separating from Canada and becoming an independent country, it has essentially already happened. The only real obstacle to full Quebec independence is that we insist that they pay their own bills. As you know the rest of Canada will pour almost $8 billion into that province as part of the Federal Government’s support via our famous transfer payments. What does the rest of Canada get in turn for this? You tell me!
Mark Kerr, Ottawa, ON
~ • ~
We are overdue in cancelling dual citizenships in Canada so I believe a week after Quebec separates would be the perfect time to do that. It would give more meaning to Quebecer votes then. I don’t want Quebec influencing us after they are gone.
Pete M, Brockville, ON
~ • ~
When Quebec separates in order to protect their culture, it will then become a precedent for the rest of Canada to take similar steps to protect our language and culture. It is insanity for people to dilute their own culture to the point of extinction. Quebec knows this and let us in the rest of Canada cheer their hopeful future which ultimately will be ours.
Mike Rowe, Nepean, ON
~ • ~
For some time I, and many others, have concluded that we should encourage Quebec to separate. However, it is the terms and conditions that are important to the rest of Canada as well as groups within Quebec such at the Cree Indians.
The
