What English Canada can Learn from Quebecers
It is healthy for a nation to have active, spirited discussions about culture, identity, social cohesion, and integration.
Our Francophone brothers and sisters in Quebec are having an important conversation right now. In fact, they’ve been having it for years. As an Anglophone Canadian, I believe there’s something helpful we can learn from them.
Quebecers are making a serious effort to determine their cultural identity. They’re asking, what does it mean to be a Quebecer? What are Quebec’s values? What does it look like to successfully integrate newcomers into Quebecois society?
These questions have led to new provincial legislation, Bill 84, an Act respecting national integration. The National Assembly of Quebec passed Bill 84 in May. The legislation has been celebrated and criticized across the political spectrum for taking strong positions on language, secularism, and social cohesion. You can read the bill here.
Many English-speaking Canadians reading this might recognize that similar legislation in Quebec has previously acted as lightning rods. Bills 21 (2019) and 96 (2022) attracted strong support and opposition within Quebec and across Canada.
Whatever your personal views are on these bills, and I can understand why you might have very strong views for or against, my hope is that all Canadians can recognize the value of the conversation that Quebecers are having right now. It is healthy for a society to have active, spirited discussions about culture, identity, social cohesion, and integration. It is good for a nation to make efforts to define itself.
My hope is that English Canada will join this important conversation. Over the last several months, Canadians have been discussing national sovereignty, primarily in the context of a changing global economic landscape. For us to truly live up to our potential as a nation, we must also recognize that we are more than just an economy. We are a people, who governments and businesses must serve and be accountable to.
To encourage all Canadians to have this important conversation about our culture and identity, I have launched a new survey. What does being Canadian mean to you?
Tell me what you think. www.jamiljivani.ca/survey