So I am Canadian, and live in Ontario. Basically it comes down to Canada's history. It was founded by mashing together a French Colony, and a British Colony (but... under the British system with as bunch of carve-outs and caveats to accommodate Quebec).
To make a very long story short: people in Quebec feel like their "distinct society" (based on their French roots) is constantly at risk of "dying out" and/or "being swallowed up" by the rest of the English-speaking majority.
Canadian's like Quebecers just fine. What we don't like is the bullshit complaining, and the Francophone supremacy and/or "separatist" sentiment that flares up every few decades.
So what Canadians don't like about (the views of some) Quebecers is... when they reject/deny their "Canadianness" It's when they try and say..."we are fundamentally different from the rest of Canada and Canadians.
Anglophone Canada's reaction to that is:
"shut the fuck up... we have already bent over backwards to make ALL KINDS of special provisions to try and ensure that your language, traditions and "special status as one of Canada's founding provinces". Canada is a multicultural country. While it was founded on both British, and French traditions... now Canada is it's own country. It is made up of all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds... including Quebecers. You aren't as special as you think you are."
But for the most part, I don't think Canadians generally have negative feelings/views of Quebec or Quebecers who aren't actively trying to call for Quebec to separate or bitching about being special.
I feel like there is a fair bit more negative feeling, and resentment coming the other way. This might be completely unfair, but I feel like insofar as there are negative feelings between English-and-French-speaking Canada... it's mostly one-way. Mostly bad feelings on the part of Quebecers towards the rest of the country. Maybe someone who lives in Quebec can speak on that. I guess I'm not equipped to say.
I have visited Quebec, when I was younger several times. I have only been to Quebec city. It was a completely positive experience in every way. Now, I do (or rather did) speak French fluently... although anyone would know right away I wasn't a native speaker). Anyone I met was kind and welcoming. I have no complaints.
However, I realize that Quebec city does not at all represent the rest of the province. But still... my first reaction to your question was "but we don't not like Quebecers..."
Well first of all, thank you for taking the time to answer this question with a detailed answer.
Indeed to understand part of the situation, the story is important. In reality until the end of the Seven Years War, North America was largely under French influence, the English having "only" 13 colonies. At the end of this war, indeed, North America was rapidly anglicized.
However, I think that Quebecers will never consider themselves Canadian. Canada is incarnation of the Anglo-Saxon world with its customs and culture. Quebecers who are not imbued with this Anglo-Saxon culture, have a totally different culture and vision of things. in the end Try to integrate oil and vinegar. Shake the bottle. After a while they will separate
You may be right. But that seems really silly to me. While Canada overall is undoubtedly modeled on the Anglaphone tradition... The mentality you've expressed here seems to be a good hundred-years out of date.
People from ALL KINDS of backgrounds, traditions, roots, cultures etc etc are welcomed as "Canadian" (despite the anglophone history and traditions). So, to me, it seems extremely arrogant (no offence, really!) for Quebec to feel that they are somehow different, or better, or deserve anything more than say, a Chinese-Canadian who values their roots and traditions. Quebec, to me, seems like the spoiled-brat of the Country. They have already been indulged in SOOOOO many ways. (official language, the entire goddamn Catholic School system, leniency to clearly and obviously contravene the Charter with various (what I would deem) "francophone-supremacist" laws, bi-laws and unofficial policies... meant to "protect the special distincness of Quebec".
So you might very well be right. But it's EXACTLY the sentiment you express here, that the rest of the country has little patience for. The idea that you're special. It's been done to death. It's the spoiled brat thing. You know what's hilarious. I had no idea I had such strong views on this until you happened to ask! 🙂
I am personally French. And I have never visited Canada (which I have no doubt is a great country). In this sense I do not know the specificities granted by the Canadian government.
It would indeed be desirable that there is a real unity and that Quebecers integrate into Canada. But again I don't think that is possible.
Quebecers are still attached to the Catholic religion? In France it is no longer the case for a long time.
I suppose that the Quebecers consider themselves as the founders of this Canada and that for them they were stolen their lands by the English and today more generally by the Anglo-Saxons lol.
I know that Canada is multi-cultural, but this multi-culturalism is deeply rooted in the Anglo-Saxon culture. If you want my humble opinion Canada and the Americans are happy to have so many cultures living in their countries, I just have the impression that you have community blocks that live quite separately but certainly not together.
Jeezz... at first I thought you were French, then I assumed you must be a Quebecer when you tried to give me the Canadian history lesson. So ok, you're French after all.
I mean... I still stand by the same sentiment. The idea that Quebec deserves anything special is outdated, arrogant, and unjustified in today's Canada. There is no reason they cannot be as Canadian as anyone else (how do you think people from all over the world... literally every other background find a home in Canada). It's just plain arrogance. And talking about "land stolen" or calling back to the founding of the country as justification for anything today is just silly in Canada, specifically. The entire country was founded on stolen lands, and if anybody has legitimate grievances for anything that happened around the founding of the country, it's our Native peoples.
I donno what to tell you, but you are basically expressing the exact sentiment (from France for some reason!!) that does indeed make the rest of Canada see Quebec as a spoiled brat.
Also, no, Quebec isn't still tied to the Catholic Church (see "quiet revolution"). Nevertheless, throughout the entire country there is a: 1. Public School System 2. Private School System 3. Public CATHOLIC School system.
Why? To accommodate Quebec during confederation.
We have a separation of church and state. We don't have Muslim schools, Jewish schools, Protestant schools, but we sure as shit have Catholic schools. Everywhere. (just one of the many unwarranted accommodations Canada has already made which has led Quebec to grow into the entitled-brat who feels they are special)
Ugh... I see where those separatists arrogant superiority complex comes from. Quit causing strife over here! 😏
Haha , remind me who it is who massacred the natives? 🤔
The French settlers collaborated with the Native Americans and there was a mix of culture between them and us. Let's just say the Anglo-Saxons became multicultiralist much later lol.
hahah, arrogant and contemptuous... hmm... I can't imagine where they might get that impression. 😋
To be honest, I have NO IDEA about the dynamic between Quebecers and the French. Although I understand that the language has grown so different that it can be difficult to communicate in the two "French dialects". But I would imagine that's not actually the case.
And... when it comes to crimes and atrocities against our Natives... everyone was horrible. English and French. (see... recent mass graves uncovered from the horrific "residential school system"... which was very much an English-French endeavor at genocide) I donno what they're teaching you over there about French-Canadian history... but they are equally guilty (albeit not of committing the exact same specific crimes). Having some native allies (and only SOME native allies, the British had theirs too... although they didn't work together in the same way) doesn't mean they were any more enlightened or multicultural (the proof of that is... in this insistence of being 'special' we still see today). Anyway, I had no idea I had such strong feelings. I've never sat down and thought about it. I more just roll my eyes at some of the separatist garbage I'll occasionally hear... and hope they're not stupid enough to ever actually separate (Nobody wins in that situation). Now I'm gonna stop thinking about my countries French/English relations. I've spent too long thinking about it already. Goodnight 🙂
It's good I understood, the bad guys are the French and the Quebecers. and the nice ones, not, the super nice ones, are the English-speaking Canadians with their multicultural and benevolent culture.
hahaha, whaaaaatt? How in the world is that your take-away from anything I said. I'll make it clearer. Canada has grown well beyond the "French-English" dychotomy. I don't think that the British were benevolent. Not at all. Not one bit. I think the entire colonial project was messed up through and through. But I also dont' see Canada as being British in the way you do. It seems just so silly for you to accuse me of somehow being "pro-british, and anti-french" in my views. You're entirely missing the point. Canada today isn't seen (at least by English Canada) as a country made up of an English tradition, and a French tradition (although, of course the country was certainly founded on both). It's seen as it's own country doing it's own thing. I wish I could somehow articulate just how silly it seems to me for you (or anyone) to try and frame my views in such an outdated way. I really can't even come up with some analogy. I can't be offended... because... I donno... it's just so silly. It fundamentally misses the mark on how Canadians see their country. Anyway, good night. 🙂
Above and beyond the language barrier and unpleasant history of the two countries un North America, there are some big cultural points of contention. Canada's kind ef culturally caught between the US and Europe, and will ofhen mowe towards one just to spite the other. They kind of missed the whole "we're supposed to be a democracy now" thing, and still have lese-majeste laws on the books. If you draw a mustache on the portrait of the queen on a Canadian dollar, you risk going to jail. I don't think you WILL- or I wouldn't've before last year, anyway- but you could. And it's important to note the the UK doesn't have those laws anymore- you know, the place she's actullay nhe queen OF?
Well I'm sure that you know that Quebec is part of Canada. If that was the case then Quebec would be an independent country instead of being a Canadian province. I guess there are only cultural and maybe some social differences between the Anglo- Saxon regions and the French speaking region. That being said I've never heard that didn't like each other.
Quebec is very homogeneous in its thinking. Keep it French and keep it Quebec. They almost separated from Canada about 30 years ago during a referendum where they voted on the matter of Quebec sovereignty that only just failed. They don't really think of themselves as Canadians, but Quebecers first. To them the interests of Quebec should come first over the rest of Canada. And a lot of anglophones resent this seeing as Quebec receives a great deal of help from the Canadian Federal government. But the French here aren't as bad as they're made out to be. I've spent time in Montreal and everybody there was friendly. I had no problems. They're okay in my book.
Most of Canada is an English-speaking country founded by the British, while Quebec is a French-speaking province founded by the French. The animosity between the two is the same as between England and France that has been going on ever since both fought over Normandy centuries ago.
Ever wonder why cars are driven on the left in England and on the right in France?
Probably the same "they're taking handouts from the government paid for by your taxes" nonsense that every divide in the history of divides has started over.
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