The Quebec National Assembly adopted an all-party resolution last week marking the 50th anniversary of the election of Jean Lesage's government and the beginning of the Quiet Revolution.
The resolution described the spirit and actions of that era as changing the face of the Quebec state, and making it an economic and political force at the service of the only francophone nation in North America.
On June 22, 1960, the victory of Jean Lesage put an end to 16 consecutive years of Union Nationale government under Premier Maurice Duplessis. That administration was widely viewed as having done little to improve the economic condition of the province's francophones, and having proposed no reforms to improve their condition.
The Lesage government introduced several measures that had a profound impact on Quebec society and effectively addressed the economic situation of francophones and enhanced their presence in the upper strata of the economy.
In thinking back on that era, the "revolutionary" expansion of government will likely be the object of current attention. But the Quiet Revolution was perhaps the single most important catalyst for the debates over Quebec identity that persists to this day. One of the purposes of the expansion of the state was to strengthen public identification with Quebec. To do so, the provincial government assumed primary responsibility for the promotion of the French language and culture.
Since the 1960s, many non-francophones have felt left out of Quebec's identity debates. Undoubtedly the inevitable language and constitutional issues have been divisive. But our political debates are often characterized as pitting minority against majority Quebecers. Regrettably, elected officials too often make appeals to the solidarity of the majority, rather than to all Quebecers. Nonfrancophones frequently feel that their views are ignored and therefore they have little interest in Quebec politics.
The expanded bureaucracy that emerged since the 1960s significantly under-represents non-francophones; this too has made it difficult for them to identify strongly with the Quebec state.
It all seems so paradoxical when looking back on the Quiet Revolution, because Quebec's non-francophones voted overwhelmingly for Lesage's government, which introduced many of the reforms being hailed today.
Their support was an essential element in triggering the Quiet Revolution, a reality that must be acknowledged.
The political and economic contribution of non-francophones to the modernization of Quebec society is widely overlooked, and too often nonfrancophones are unfairly characterized as an obstacle to the province's progress.
On the language front, there is little acknowledgment of the wholesale acquisition of the French language by non-francophone youth, which has significantly contributed to the fact that not since Confederation have a higher proportion of Quebecers spoken the French language. Instead, the presence of non-francophones is often described as a threat to the French language, notably in Montreal.
Political discourse in Quebec ignores the many shared interests of all Quebecers, in such areas as education, economy, environment, and health care. Often, too, it overlooks non-francophones' contributions to the construction and improvement of our hospitals, universities, and cultural institutions. Quebec non-francophones are proud of their many achievements that marked Quebec society over the course of the 20th century.
Despite all the language and constitutional debates, most non-francophones, like most francophones, are proud to be Quebecers. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Quiet Revolution, we need to recapture some of thespiritof co-operation between francophones and non-francophones that contributed to the advancement of our society.
Non-francophones need to re-engage in discussion around the many economic and social issues that are crucial to the future of all Quebecers. But to do so, leaders need to work much harder to ensure that more non-francophone voices are represented around the tables where discussion takes place.
Recognizing the important presence of Quebec nonfrancophones will promote dialogue among all Quebecers, which is needed if we are to hope to succeed in meeting the challenge of the province's future social and economic revolution.
Jack Jedwab is executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies and is a member of the Quebec government's honorary committee to mark the 50th anniversary of the Quiet Revolution.