Peter Stockland on the demolition of the sovereigntist movement in Quebec.

By Peter Stockland April 15, 2014

1 minute read

While the rest of Canada must still watch its Ps and Qs vis-à-vis Quebec, this week’s provincial election is much more than a sigh of relief for the country.

For the first time since the mid-1960s, for the first time in a half-century that is, the central political question at the heart of our Confederation has been definitively answered. The answer to whether Quebecers want to leave the federation and establish sovereign relations with what remains of Canada is unequivocally: “No.”

Not: “No, but maybe yes.” Not: “No, but give us some time to change our minds.” Not: “No, as long as you jump through the hoops we set for you until next time.”

The combined popular vote for the two parties that campaigned against the whole idea of sovereignty and staging another referendum was almost exactly the same percentage as pre-campaign polls that showed two-thirds of Quebecers rejected the option.

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