READ THIS: Very well written. Its time we did something. 5 Mar 2014 The Gazette RICK BLUE Rick Blue is half of the musical-comedy duo Bowser and Blue. He is also a longtime resident of Beaconsfield. MONTREAL COULD BE LA BELLE PROVINCE It now seems that the idea of Montreal becoming an 11th province can be discussed openly in polite circles. And not only among the usual anglo suspects. The subject has been raised recently in the pages of La Presse and Le Journal de Montréal. It is finally dawning on many people of varying backgrounds that the political and cultural division that has been creating so much friction for the last 50 years is not between the people of Quebec and the government of Canada. It is between the people of Montreal and the government of Quebec. In that sense, the Charter of Values debate might have been a good thing. It has thrown into stark relief the differences between the values we hold as Montrealers and the values that are held by those who claim to represent the province as a whole, the Parti Québécois. Certainly this rift became undeniable when large well-respected educational and health-care institutions in Montreal actually implied civil disobedience if the new law were to be passed. Is there any doubt now that we who live in Montreal and those who live in the regions inhabit two different worlds? The division between Quebec and Montreal is not new. Back in the days when the Catholic Church ran the province, Montreal was always eyed with suspicion. It was seen as a place full of vice and foreigners. And, indeed, it was. But it was grudgingly tolerated by the Quebec government inasmuch as the economic contributions it provided were needed to prop it up. The division has always existed. Although, it always seemed to be, politically, the divide that dare not speak its name. But it is finally coming out of the closet thanks to the charter debate. Democratic Institutions Minister Bernard Drainville has proven beyond a doubt that the Québécois identity is not the same as the Montreal identity. Québécois might see themselves as Quebecers first, but Montrealers see themselves as Montrealers first. As Al Palmer, chronicler of our Sin City days famously said: “Montreal is not so much as a city as a state of mind. To live there is to love it.” When we travel and people ask us where we live, we are most likely to say: “Montreal,” rather than Quebec, or even Canada. Could Montreal survive as a province? Benoit Aubin of Le Journal has pointed out that with more than 4 million people, a new province of Montreal would have a greater population than Atlantic Canada. I don’t think there is any doubt about it. Montreal would thrive as a province. Imagine a truly bilingual world-class city that finally is allowed to live up to its full potential. Suburbs might decide to remerge! What a wonderful twist to our destiny this would be. Especially after all these years of decline. We have always been an oasis of creativity and joie de vivre. But we were once the most important business centre in the country. We could be again. We need a political party. And we need a visionary leader. We need a city-wide referendum on the sovereignty of Montreal. The clear question should be: “Do you believe the city of Montreal should be the 11th province of Canada? Yes or no?” Once we have won that referendum, our will shall be known. The many levels of bureaucracy that now control our destiny would at least be clear on that.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 00:54:38 +0000
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