As Canadians rally round nationwide unity in response to American tariffs and threats of annexation, kindling a renewed sense of Canadian nationalism, Québec stands in solidarity with the remainder of Canada.
A February Angus Reid survey suggests a notable improve in Québecers’ emotional attachment to Canada and of their satisfaction in being a Canadian. These numbers elevated by 15 and 13 share factors to 45 and 58 per cent, respectively, in comparison with the findings in the same ballot carried out in December 2024.
A newer Angus Reid ballot has discovered Québec is probably the most anti-Donald Trump province in Canada.
Québec has joined the remainder of Canada in mounting a robust financial response within the commerce battle. Premier François Legault has supported boycotting American merchandise and shopping for native, diversifying exports and lowering obstacles to inter-provincial commerce.
With 41 per cent of Québecers responding that they’re much less prone to journey to the U.S., the province trails simply barely behind the 48 per cent share of Canadians with the identical intentions, based on a Leger ballot.
Canada’s provincial and territorial flags blow within the breeze in downtown Ottawa in June 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Québec’s distinct id
In gentle of those expressions of unity, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s competition that Canadians “are more united than ever” resonates with many in Canada and past. His alternative as chief, Mark Carney, advised Canadians in his victory speech that Trump is “attacking Canadian workers, families and businesses and we cannot let him succeed …. When we are united, we are Canada strong.”
Québec, nevertheless, with its distinct id inside Canada anchored within the French language and a singular tradition, faces specific challenges and priorities amid the present disaster.
As a sociolinguist and a discourse analyst with broad experience in Québec research, I deal with Québec id and its distinctiveness inside Canada. I’m notably occupied with how it’s constructed and expressed in public discourse, particularly within the media and the political sphere.
Canadian id had not been a distinguished matter of nationwide dialog for a while. In distinction, Québec id has lengthy been a key matter of public discourse, maintained and fuelled by the province’s media.
As Canadian society re-engages in defining its collective id, it’s particularly well timed to make clear what defines Québec id and the way the province is grappling with the present disaster.
My work analyzing identity-related public discourse has persistently proven that Québec stays dedicated to its personal imaginative and prescient of id and belonging. This imaginative and prescient is distinct from the Canadian strategy, which relies on multiculturalism and bilingualism.
The Workplace quebecois de la langue francaise in Montréal in November 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Interculturalism
In distinction to Canadian multiculturalism, which doesn’t acknowledge a nationwide or a majority tradition, Québec adheres to a mannequin for managing cultural variety referred to as interculturalism. Its overarching goal is to reconcile variety with a nationwide tradition rooted within the French language.
Crucially, beneath interculturalism, the tradition of the French-Canadian majority is now not thought-about the defining aspect of Québec id. As a substitute, Québecers of all backgrounds are referred to as on to take part in a typical civic tradition. On this mannequin, the French language serves because the frequent public language of civic engagement.
When nationwide id is anchored in a typical tradition, the hyperlink between them turns into very important. When one is threatened, so is the opposite. Conversely, reinforcing one is prone to strengthen the opposite.
The Québec state helps and promotes the French language and Québec tradition as pillars of Québec id.
However each English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Canada share the long-standing problem of resisting Anglo-American cultural domination as a way to keep a definite cultural id.
In Québec, the place language and tradition are central to id, the danger of annexation into the Anglo-American cultural sphere, or of extra tariff-driven cuts to the already underfunded cultural sector, places Québec id in critical jeopardy.
Anti-Trump protesters cease in entrance of america consulate throughout an illustration on Jan. 20, 2017 — the day of Trump’s first inauguration — in Montréal.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Ties between tradition and economics
This may help clarify why, in addressing the looming financial disaster, Legault has vowed to guard Québec’s language, values and id.
Economic system and tradition are deeply interconnected within the province — a coalition of regional arts festivals, for instance, has referred to as for an finish to directing funds towards U.S.-based firms concerned in organizing cultural occasions within the province.
Canadian and U.S. gamers shake palms following the 4 Nations Face-Off championship hockey recreation on Feb. 20, 2025, in Boston, Mass.
(AP Picture/Charles Krupa)
The Canadian hockey crew’s current win within the 4 Nations Face-off impressed an enthusiastic show of nationwide satisfaction by followers throughout the nation, together with in Québec.
The Québec authorities is in truth engaged on laws that will acknowledge ice hockey because the province’s official sport, one other show of the shared passions between Québec and the remainder of the nation.
The rallying round Canadian id, sparked by the specter of Trump’s tariffs and annexation, seems to be bringing Québec and the remainder of Canada nearer collectively. If that’s the case, is that this rapprochement stemming from a heightened consciousness of shared priorities, or from a rising mutual respect for the distinct ones? The approaching weeks and months ought to present the solutions.
