Author: Michel Bolduc

For a decade or so, it’s become common knowledge that the Québécois enjoy a standard of living considerably lower than that of our American neighbors, from about 20% less, according to some, to as much as 45% less, according to others. The situation…

A year ago, Maclean’s published a cover story claiming Québec to be the most corrupt province. A supporting article to this cover story pointed to the province’s nationalist penchant as the reason for it.In reaction, Jean-François Lisée wrote an articulate piece challenging the magazine’s journalistic integrity:"I did try to find in last week’s issue the methodology used to grant Quebec its

Québec has a corruption problem and, despite the population’s remarkably constant demands, Jean Charest is stubbornly staying away from anything closely related to a public inquiry. Anyone who’s seen the result of the Gomery Commission on the Liberal…

Hmmm… what’s this [in French only]?… the city of Burlington, Vermont, just passed a resolution to heighten the presence of French?… interesting…

Turns out one of the municipal councilors thought that it was "an appropriate time to send a message across the border that we’re extending the hand of friendship." The majority agreed to it on August 8th and the resolution passed. It simply

I’m a staunch supporter of Québec’s Charter of the French Language (a.k.a. Bill 101). Its purpose is to give new stock Québécois the means to integrate with the provincial majority. Without it, a rift would build between the population and its min…

Saint-Jean celebrations in Montréal were kind of damp this year. Even though I live at walking distance from Parc Maisonneuve, I skipped the big event. Despite the weather, The Gazette reports that attendance at the show and the preceding parade was…

Some people believe that Québec owes Canadians and a quick look will lead most to agree. With 23% of the Canadian population, the province receives 55% of the country’s equalization payments and offers social programs that are unaccessible to other C…

Well… the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste is at it again. A national anthem for the Québécois? Click below to hear it or click here for a look at the lyrics.

I can’t say I find it very uplifting. I personally would’ve chosen a younger songwrite…

English speaking Canadians who believe national media suffice to have a thorough understanding of the political dynamics of our country rarely get the chance to read articulate points of view when it comes to the federalism vs. sovereignty debate. Art…

In The Marriage of Figaro (1784) the French dramatist Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais observed ironically, "The English, in truth, do add here and there some other words when speaking; but it is obvious that ‘God-damn’ is the foundation of their language" (III v).

French, like any language also has all-purpose words that can be used in many situations. Click below to learn more about th…

As any other language, French comes in all kinds of varieties. Most of the French spoken in North America is inherited from the early Norman settlers of the 17th century. Many of these men and women still spoke the Norman language, one of many Oïl l…

Today is a national holiday in Canada. For most of the country, it’s Victoria Day; some readers write me it’s just another opportunity to get plastered. For the Québécois, it’s la Journée nationale des patriotes. It was instated in 2003 by the P

Despite his political stance, Gilles Duceppe was considered an honest man by many Canadians outside Québec. Here’s a reaction to the sovereigntist leader’s resignation that captures the essence of this respect:This is bittersweet news to me as I saw …

Québec is a different political beast. After having flirted with a right-wing provincial government in 2007, it’s now giving massive support to a left-wing party in Ottawa. One thing’s for sure… the Québécois want change and it’s not Harper. Bu…

How much time does it take for a "united country" to enshrine the distinct character of a quarter of its population in its supreme law to make it feel at home?… ten years?… twenty years?… thirty years?… who knows… How many referendums does it take to call them neverendums?… two and the possibility of a third one.

The Québécois were offered the possibility to create their own cou…

Here’s a little gem I found on the comment page of an interesting analysis published in yesterday’s Globe and Mail:
One thing that is deeply misunderstood by people outside Quebec is that Quebec nationalism is not necessarily about independence, and th…

Anyone not familiar with Jacques Parizeau’s infamous statement about the ethnic vote in 1995 is new to Canadian politics: "True, we’ve been defeated… at the very heart of it, by what? By money… and ethnic votes… essentially."

This morning’s Globe and Mail publishes an interesting analysis on how the ethnic vote is being considered in the current election campaign: "In the eyes of the ma…

With the Conservatives at the helm since 2006, Québec now only contributes eleven members to the governing party in Ottawa. With the prospect of a Conservative majority government, and perhaps even less cabinet representation, the province seems to b…

I’ve always thought that a Harper majority government would contribute to the feeling of exclusion in Québec and would thus fuel the sovereignty movement. In yesterday’s Globe and Mail, Jeffrey Simpson put my thoughts into words.

In the words of Senator Jean-Claude Rivest: "The Bloc Québécois exists only because the other three parties are clueless."

Click here [Google translation] to read the whole story.