I’ve been poking around in the PQ post-mortems: posted links to some interesting articles in the Quebec election thread.
That’s interesting stuff, and I wonder why Quebec youth are now disassociating themselves with the independence movement: what changed?
Could the Internet and social media be educating the new generation to realities not immediately available at the time of the 1995 referendum, for example.
There’s no grievance to be had.
Remember that it is not that long ago, in historical terms, that French Canadians were treated as second class citizens in Canada. We’re not talking about abstractions like Charlottetown or the religious hatred bill, we’re talking about real day-to-day discrimination and significant differences in economic opportunity. The opportunities and treatment afforded Francophones were shitty. The independence movement got a lot of support because of that, and though it was generally no longer true past the early 1970s it remained a source of pain and mistrust.
Young Francophones today live in a country where not only is none of that true but it’s not even a comprehensible state of affairs. It’s akin to my father babbling about the price of a movie ticket in 1956, something that might be curious as a historical fact but not of relevance to my life.
That’s my thought as well. The PQ (an the provincial Liberals, when they’ve been in power) have done a very good job o eliminating the discrimination and prejudice Québécois suffered in their own province. That has gone far to eliminate the passion that fuelled the separatistes, in my opinion. Who knew that Camille Laurin, the father of Bill 101, would have helped save Canada in the long run? 
The other thing, I think, is the Internet and much greater global mobility. Kids in Quebec now grow up with much greater exposure to English as an international language, so bilingualism has much greater appeal. Couillard played on that when he praised bilingualism during the campaign. Pundits said he was taking a big risk, but he was borne out by the results.
I think this has a role in explaining the success of the NDP (at the expense of the Bloc) in the last federal election. After a couple of decades of the Bloc agitating for Quebec interests, and by and large being responsible, effective parliamentarians, two things had come of it. First, they’d demonstrated that Quebeckers can get what they want by working within the federal system. Second, having let sovereignty slip to the back burner and focusing on more traditional issues - the environment, economic policy, social programs, labour, etc., they’d basically become a left-of-centre social democratic party with geographically restricted scope. It seems like people noticed that similarity, and ditched the regional-interest party full of people worried about last generation’s grievances. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that a Quebecker was NDP leader at the time.
Speaking of shows becoming movies, there’s a Kickstarter right now for Corner Gas: The Movie, which has a week left and has already doubled its original fundraising target. So Dog River, SK will be coming to your local movie theatre around Christmas time. 
Now that’s how to vote your support for Canadian productions with your dollars!
Well, it’s election day in Ontario. I suspect that, once again, when it’s all over, I’ll be able to say, “Don’t blame me; I didn’t vote for them…”
Just votes - local school, a whole bunch of polls and done and home in 10 minutes.
Given everything I just went with the platform I agreed with the most and a pox on all of them.
There’s a separate Ontario election thread here.
CFL Players Association ratifies the new deal, just in time for the opening exhibition game at Taylor Field!
Red Blacks. (Hee hee hee.) Worst team name ever.
I feel sorry for Kevin Glenn, who was acquired by the Redblacks in the expansion draft to be their starter, only to be pushed aside when the Redblacks picked up Henry Burris when the Ti-Cats let him go.
Didn’t Tom Higgins see Henry let the ball just fly by him in the Grey Cup, then blame the centre instead of hustling his butt after it?
Kevin Glenn is by far the classier player, and far more dependable and consistent.
Jeez, you have a grudge against Burris or something? 
Very much so!
Right, I’ve been thinking about the recent elections in both Ontario and Quebec, and I think I see a pattern: Canadian voters are by and large moderate, not ideological, and are more tolerant of incompetence trending to corruption than they are of strong ideological positions by parties.
Both Hudak and Marois were running on ideological platforms that would change the status quo, against parties dogged with past incompetence/corruption, but were promising more moderate policies and pledging better governance.
In both case moderation, even tarred with corruption, won out.
I hate to be the pedant around here, but it’s spelled “REDBLACKS” (or “ROUGEETNOIR” en français).
You’re welcome.
They’re still looking for their first win in the franchise history: Riders 21 Redblacks 17.
I think the perception is that there’s about the same amount of “incompetence trending to corruption” no matter which party you vote for, so that’s not much of a discriminating factor.
It’s been about a year since the floods, Albertans, and it seems that rainy season is once again upon us. Stay safe!
It seems to be the Number One story on the news today - the river levels are rising again, and people are very nervous.
It sounds like it’s worse in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge area right now, though, rather than Calgary.