Rene Lévesque, 1922 -1987, the fiery and uncompromising founder of Parti Québécois, was the Province’s premier from 1976 to 1985. It’s federal Canadian law that the nation is officially bilingual, French and English - just not in Quebec, where French dominates utterly. M Lévesque championed that and the political separation of the Province from the federation itself, a movement he likened to the American Revolution. In fact, in his first major speech outside of Canada, he made that very comparison in a talk delivered in New York City, but the reaction of the US papers and political elite was tepid at best. This only strengthened his resolve. Though he never achieved independence from Canada, there is a lasting - and dark - consequence of his Francophone quest.
© 2024 John Oliver
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