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Canadian Theme Unit

The Quebec Separatists

The Quebec Separatists
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.98

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    province, committee, election, clearly, beginning, caption, re-elected, country, business, night, against, power, jobs, government, meant, lived
     content words:    René Lévesque, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, French Quebecers, English Canadians, Rene Levesque, Sovereignty-Association Movement, Parti Quebecois, If Quebec, United States

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The Quebec Separatists
By Mary Lynn Bushong 		  
1     Caption: René Lévesque on provincial election night, October 29, 1973.
 
2     In 1867, a new country was formed. Four colonies were joined together: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. They formed the beginning of Canada.
 
3     The two main nationalities in the new country were French and English. The question was could the cultures get along?
 
4     In some ways, the differences helped. Most of the French people in Quebec lived off the land. Very few were businessmen. Many of the Scots and English in Quebec were involved in business and government.
 
5     That set a pattern that would cause trouble later. When the quiet revolution began, few French Quebecers had the skills to do modern jobs. They were used to being the labour while others were managers. They were getting tired of it.
 
6     During the "Quiet Revolution," the French people of Quebec decided to take back control of their own province. Their culture was their own. Their language was their own. Why should the English Canadians tell them what to do?
 
7     In 1967, Rene Levesque began a new movement. He called it the Sovereignty-Association Movement. He called it that for two reasons. First, he wanted Quebec to rule itself. Second, he wanted Quebec to associate with Canada.
 
8     In 1968, Levesque formed a new party. It was called the Parti Quebecois. He did not want Canada's government to have a say in what Quebec did. He wanted Quebec to leave Canada. He wanted it to be an independent country.
 
9     Levesque had one fear. If Quebec broke away from Canada, it might make the other provinces angry. They might boycott Quebec goods. That would really hurt Quebec, but it would not hurt Canada. Canadians could get things from the United States.

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