Here it goes:
http://sinoquebec.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=444193&page=1&pp=30
I've never been at that English corner. But, as a matter of fact, it looks quite interesting to me, that is, it looks like something that I've been yearning for. Probably I'll go check it out sometime later, if I've got a little time. I hope that it's not affiliated with some church or religious group and will remain in existence for long enough.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Short videos: iRobot Roomba Commercial; etc.
Video: iRobot Roomba Commercial
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm
"To date, more than 2.5 million Home Robots have been sold worldwide"
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm
Click "Video introduction" at:
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm
"To date, more than 2.5 million Home Robots have been sold worldwide"
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm
Click "Video introduction" at:
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm
Organized from my notes - Historic timeline of Quebec
Historic timeline of Quebec
Re: The Conquest (of Quebec)
A complete article:
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
{
"
Conquest
The Conquest (La Conquête) was a term used to designate the acquisition of Canada by Great Britain in the SEVEN YEARS' WAR and, by extension, the resulting changed conditions of life experienced by Canada's 60 000 to 70 000 French-speaking inhabitants and numerous native groups. Québec surrendered to British forces on 18 September 1759, a few days after the crucial Battle of the PLAINS OF ABRAHAM. French resistance ended a year later with the capitulation of Montréal. By the terms signed 8 September 1760, the British guaranteed the people of New France immunity from deportation or maltreatment; the right to depart for France with all their possessions; continued enjoyment of property rights; the right to carry on the fur trade on an equal basis with the English; and freedom of worship.
By the Treaty of PARIS, 10 February 1763, the French colony became a British possession. After the French Revolution (1789) many Canadians came to see the Conquest as a providential rescue from revolutionary chaos - an idea that was long influential. Later generations, viewing the past through the prism of their own political and constitutional preoccupations, also tended to see the conquest positively - not without reason - as leading to religious toleration and REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. They were less welcoming of the ethnic dualism that was the inevitable result of the marriage of English government and immigration with an established French colony of settlement.
Some modern historians, such as Michel Brunet, have seen the Conquest as a disaster, drawing attention to the monopolization of the higher levels of government and business by English-speaking newcomers as evidence that the Conquest made French Canadians second-class subjects and, ultimately, an ethnic proletariat. Others, such as Fernand OUELLET, downplay harmful effects, pointing to fairly continuous development of economic foundations, of institutions and of culture, little affected by the event. For the native peoples, the end of Anglo-French hostility meant a fateful decline in their value as allies and warriors, making them increasingly irrelevant to white society.
The Conquest must always remain a subject of debate, interwoven with and inseparable as it is from other influences on Canadian development. Its influence is also evident in the AMERICAN REVOLUTION, which was possible only when the American colonies no longer needed British protection from French forces in North America.
Author DALE MIQUELON
"
}
****************************
************************
http://maps.google.com/maps?f
Re: Upper Canada
"
Upper Canada
Upper Canada, the predecessor of modern ONTARIO, came into existence when the British Parliament passed the CONSTITUTIONAL ACT, 1791, dividing the old PROVINCE OF QUEBEC into LOWER CANADA in the E and Upper Canada in the W along the present-day Ontario-Québec BOUNDARY. The Act also established a government which would largely determine the colony's political nature and which, in practice, strongly influenced its social and economic character.
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
"
The Province of Upper Canada was a British colony located in what is now the southern portion of the Province of Ontario in Canada. Upper Canada officially existed from 1791 to 1841 and generally comprised present-day Southern Ontario and until 1797 it included the Upper Peninsula of the State of Michigan. Its name reflected its position closer to the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River than Lower Canada was, the same relationship between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
******************************
Re: Lower Canada
"
The Province of Lower Canada (French: Province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791-1841). It covered the southern portion of the modern-day Province of Quebec, Canada, and the Labrador region of the modern-day Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
******************************
Re: The Patriotes (of Quebec)
"
Patriotes
The Patriotes was the name given after 1826 to the PARTI CANADIEN and to the popular movement that contributed to the REBELLIONS OF 1837-38 in Lower Canada. The primarily francophone party, led mainly by members of the liberal professions and small-scale merchants, was widely supported by farmers, day-labourers and craftsmen. Its more distinguished leaders included Louis-Joseph PAPINEAU, Jean-Olivier Chénier and Wolfred Nelson.
Saint-Eustache, Battle of
The Patriotes who had taken refuge in the village church were smoked out and killed by the British soldiers in the Battle of Saint-Eustache (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-6032).
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
*************
Re: The Quiet Revolution (of Quebec)
"
Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution (Révolution tranquille) was a period of rapid change experienced in Québec from 1960 to 1966. The vivid, yet paradoxical, description of the period was first used by an anonymous writer in the Globe and Mail. Although Québec was a highly industrialized, urban and relatively outward-looking society in 1960, the UNION NATIONALE Party, in power since 1944, seemed increasingly anachronistic as it held tenaciously to a conservative ideology and relentlessly defended outdated traditional values. In the election of 22 June 1960 the Liberals broke the hold of the Union Nationale, taking 51 seats and 51.5% of the popular vote as compared to the latter's 43 seats and 46.6% of the vote. Under Jean LESAGE the Québec Liberal Party had developed a coherent, wide-ranging reform platform. The main issue of the election was indicated by the Liberal slogan, "It's time for a change."
Lesage, Jean
His party came to power in 1960 and introduced the many reforms collectively called the Quiet Revolution (courtesy "La Presse").
In 2 years the Lesage government managed to carry out or plan many reforms. Everything came under scrutiny, everything was discussed; a new age of open debate began. The government attacked political patronage and changed the electoral map to provide better representation for urban areas. To reduce the size of secret electoral funds, it limited authorized expenditures during election periods. It also lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Lesage attempted to put the public purse in order by promoting a dynamic provincial budget and by raising loans. From 1960-61 to 1966-67, the budget grew from $745 million to $2.1 billion. The spectacular development of government institutions and the vastly increased role of the state in the province's economic, social and cultural life unleashed forces that would have major consequences.
The pressures exerted by the BABY BOOM generation, which had now reached adolescence, created a dramatic situation and pushed Québec's weak educational system to the breaking point. The government introduced new legislation on education and established a commission of inquiry on education, which was chaired by Mgr Alphonse-Marie Parent. The resulting Parent Report tackled the entire system. In recommending the creation of a department of education, it questioned the role of the Catholic Church, which controlled the public Catholic school system. The church resisted recommended changes, but without success. The Parent Report contributed significantly to creating a unified, democratic, modern school system accessible to the entire population.
The desire to modernize was also evident in the social sphere. Upon taking power, the government decided to participate in the federal-provincial hospital-insurance program. In 1964 it introduced 3 major pieces of legislation: an extensive revision of the labour code; Bill 16, which abolished a married woman's judicial handicap by which her legal status was that of a minor; and a pension plan.
The government's most spectacular accomplishment in economics was the nationalization of private electricity companies, an idea that was promoted in 1962 by René LÉVESQUE, minister of natural resources. The government decided to go to the electorate on this issue, and on 14 Nov 1962 the Liberals won again, with 56.6% of the vote and 63 seats. The many objectives of nationalization included standardizing rates across the province, co-ordinating investments in this key sector, integrating the system, encouraging industrialization, guaranteeing economic benefits for the Québec economy through a buy-Québec policy, and making the sector more French in nature. HYDRO-QUÉBEC not only met most of these objectives but became a symbol of success and a source of pride for Quebeckers. Another major success was the creation in 1965 of the CAISSE DE DÉPOT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC. The caisse was made responsible for administering the assets of the QUÉBEC PENSION PLAN, which rapidly grew to several billion dollars.
The maîtres chez nous ("masters in our own house") philosophy that permeated the government and its reforms was bound to have an influence on FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL RELATIONS. The Lesage government demanded a review of federal policy and won a major victory following a stormy first ministers' conference in 1964. Lesage forced the federal government to accept Québec's withdrawal from several cost-sharing programs and to compensate Québec fiscally. The issue of special status arose when Québec was the only province to win acceptance of the right to withdraw. It was perhaps to calm the anxieties of English Canada and to show his good will that in 1964 Lesage agreed to the proposal for repatriating and amending the constitution by a method known as the Fulton-Favreau formula. However, because of the extreme reactions of various nationalist groups within the province, Lesage had to withdraw his support and to dissociate himself from the other 10 governments that had accepted the formula.
The Québec government also sought to stake out international rights. In 1961 it opened the Maisons du Québec in Paris, London and New York. However, when Québec signalled its intention to sign cultural and educational agreements with France, Ottawa intervened, asserting that there could be only one interlocutor with foreign countries.
These federal-provincial quarrels raised the question of the place of Québec and French Canadians in Confederation. In 1965, for instance, the Royal Commission on BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM noted that "Canada, without being fully conscious of the fact, is passing through the greatest crisis in its history. The source of the crisis lies in the Province of Quebec." FRENCH CANADIAN NATIONALISM, which was becoming more and more Québecois in nature, was exacerbated by this crisis. The number of separatist groups increased; some of them adopted more extreme positions and the FRONT DE LIBÉRATION DU QUÉBECTERRORISM. began to indulge in TERRORISM.
At the same time, other Francophones worried about this growth of nationalism. Among them were Jean MARCHAND, Gérard PELLETIER and Pierre Elliott TRUDEAU, who joined the federal Liberal Party and were elected to Parliament in 1965.
When the Québec Liberals again faced the electorate in 1966 they were confident of re-election. But the Union Nationale had renewed its image and attracted dissatisfied individuals among conservatives, nationalists and those who had voted CRÉDITISTE in the federal election. The party still had a solid base in the rural areas that were left largely untouched by the Quiet Revolution. On June 5 the Union Nationale won 56 seats against the Liberals' 50. However, the Liberals obtained 47% of the popular vote whereas the Unionistes, led by Daniel JOHNSON, obtained only 41%.
The Quiet Revolution has been the major reference point used by all Québec governments who have held power since the Liberal defeat in 1966, a fact which illustrates the importance of this episode in Québec's history.
Author RENÉ DUROCHER
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
********************
Re: The Québec Referendum (1995)
"
Québec Referendum (1995)
... the alienation of Québec, partly the result of acrimony generated by the debate over distinct society, brought the separatist PARTI QUÉBÉCOIS back into power. Premier Jacques PARIZEAU (The Premier mentioned here should be the then Quebec Premier, not the the Prime Minister of Canada. --Alex Wang) promptly promised that a referendum on Québec separation would be held some time during 1995. In preparation for the referendum, draft legislation was prepared and a series of public consultations was held. The referendum was originally scheduled for the spring of 1995 but was delayed until 30 October 1995. The question posed in the referendum was as follows: "Do you agree that Québec should become sovereign, after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership, within the scope of the Bill respecting the future of Québec and of the agreement signed on 12 June 1995?"
...
... Ultimately, after an emotional and somewhat controversial campaign, the "No" side achieved victory by a narrow majority of 50.56%.
...
During the final days of the campaign, federal politicians announced their intention of meeting some Québec concerns. For example, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said that he would take measures toward recognizing Québec's "distinct society" and guaranteeing Québec a de facto veto over constitutional changes.
... In short, the possible separation of Québec remains, as it has over the past quarter century, a defining feature of Canadian politics, constitutional law and history.
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
**************
Re: The Bill 101 (of Quebec)
"
Bill 101
Bill 101, Charte de la langue française (1977), marked the culmination of a debate that had produced BILL 63 (1969) and BILL 22 (1974). It made French the official language of the state and of the courts in the province of Québec, as well as making it the normal and habitual language of the workplace, of instruction, of communications, of commerce and of business. Education in French became compulsory for immigrants, even those from other Canadian provinces, unless a "reciprocal agreement" existed between Québec and that province (the so-called Québec clause).
...
Thereafter, this language legislation was significantly modified following a series of court rulings that changed its content and reduced its scope. In 1980 the Supreme Court of Canada supported a judgement of the Québec Superior Court that struck down the section of the Charte which declared French the language of the legislature and courts. In 1984 it was ruled that the CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS (article 23) limited the bill's power to regulate the language of instruction (see BILL 101 CASE); parents whose children had been instructed in English-language elementary schools elsewhere in Canada were granted the right to have them instructed in English in Québec (so was made void the Québec clause). In the same year, the Court ruled that the compulsory exclusive use of French on public commercial signs was contrary to the freedom of speech right. The Bourassa government then introduced BILL 178.
This series of judgements caused dissatisfaction in nationalist groups and some relief among anglophones. As expected, such challenges to Bill 101 were not met with indifference by the Parti Québécois. In the years following the 1995 Québec referendum, however, the party leadership succeeded in blunting the most radical of nationalist views regarding Québec's language policies.
Author R. HUDON
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
(From Maclean's Magazine)
Article: Bill 101: 30 Years On
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
Re: The Conquest (of Quebec)
A complete article:
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
{
"
Conquest
The Conquest (La Conquête) was a term used to designate the acquisition of Canada by Great Britain in the SEVEN YEARS' WAR and, by extension, the resulting changed conditions of life experienced by Canada's 60 000 to 70 000 French-speaking inhabitants and numerous native groups. Québec surrendered to British forces on 18 September 1759, a few days after the crucial Battle of the PLAINS OF ABRAHAM. French resistance ended a year later with the capitulation of Montréal. By the terms signed 8 September 1760, the British guaranteed the people of New France immunity from deportation or maltreatment; the right to depart for France with all their possessions; continued enjoyment of property rights; the right to carry on the fur trade on an equal basis with the English; and freedom of worship.
By the Treaty of PARIS, 10 February 1763, the French colony became a British possession. After the French Revolution (1789) many Canadians came to see the Conquest as a providential rescue from revolutionary chaos - an idea that was long influential. Later generations, viewing the past through the prism of their own political and constitutional preoccupations, also tended to see the conquest positively - not without reason - as leading to religious toleration and REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. They were less welcoming of the ethnic dualism that was the inevitable result of the marriage of English government and immigration with an established French colony of settlement.
Some modern historians, such as Michel Brunet, have seen the Conquest as a disaster, drawing attention to the monopolization of the higher levels of government and business by English-speaking newcomers as evidence that the Conquest made French Canadians second-class subjects and, ultimately, an ethnic proletariat. Others, such as Fernand OUELLET, downplay harmful effects, pointing to fairly continuous development of economic foundations, of institutions and of culture, little affected by the event. For the native peoples, the end of Anglo-French hostility meant a fateful decline in their value as allies and warriors, making them increasingly irrelevant to white society.
The Conquest must always remain a subject of debate, interwoven with and inseparable as it is from other influences on Canadian development. Its influence is also evident in the AMERICAN REVOLUTION, which was possible only when the American colonies no longer needed British protection from French forces in North America.
Author DALE MIQUELON
"
}
****************************
Re: The Seven Years' War
"
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756-63, was the first global war. The protagonists were Britain, Prussia and Hanover against France, Austria, Sweden, Saxony, Russia and eventually Spain. Britain declined to commit its main forces on the continent, where it depended on the Prussians and German mercenaries to defend George II's Electorate of Hanover. Britain's war aims were to destroy the French navy and merchant fleet, seize its colonies, and eliminate France as a commercial rival. France found itself committed to fighting in Europe to defend Austria, which could do nothing to aid France overseas.
View of Notre-Dame de la Victoire
Richard Short's drawings show the devastation caused by the British bombardment of Québec during the siege of 1759 (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-357).
Hostilities began in 1754 in America's Ohio Valley when a Virginian major of militia, George Washington, ambushed a small French detachment. He was subsequently forced to accept humiliating terms dictated by the commander of the French force sent to bring him to account. The British then ordered 2 regiments, commanded by Major-General Edward Braddock, to America. Other regiments were to be raised in the colonies, and a 4-pronged attack was to be launched against the French at FORT BEAUSÉJOUR on the border of Nova Scotia, against their forts on Lake Champlain, and at Niagara, and against Fort Duquesne on the Ohio River.
...
France and Spain had organized a major expedition for the invasion of England, but the British naval victories at Lagos, Portugal, in August and Quiberon Bay, France, in November 1759 had ended that. The British, however, were now war weary and staggering under a colossal national debt. The war minister, William Pitt, was driven out of office in 1761 by the new king, George III, and peace negotiations began.
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
A View of the Taking of Quebec, 13 September 1759, published by Laurie and Whittle, 1759. The engraving shows the three stages of the battle: the British disembarking, scaling the cliff and the battle (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-1078).
...
Author W.J. ECCLES
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
**********************
Re: The Hundred Years War (between Britain and France)
"
The Hundred Years War: Overview
The Hundred Years War, lasting from 1337 until 1453, was a defining time for the history of both England and France. The war started in May 1337 when King Philip VI of France attempted to confiscate the English territories in the duchy of Aquitaine (located in Southwestern France). It ended in July 1453 when the French finally expelled the English from the continent (except for Calais). The Hundred Years War was a series of chevauchees (plundering raids), sieges and naval battles interspersed with truces and uneasy peace.
...
Summary of the War
From the beginning of the war (1337) until the battle of Orleans (1428-29), the English won many victories including the decisive battles of Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt. The English employed a new method of warefare with great success that combined forces of longbowmen with dismounted men-at-arms.
In 1429, at the siege of Orleans the French eventually gained the upperhand. Joan of Arc (即圣女贞德。 --Alex Wang) led a relief force which successfully defeated the English. The next 25 years of engagements saw continued French victories and the English retreat from all of France save Calais.
"
http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu
"
The Hundred Years' War (French: Guerre de Cent Ans) was a prolonged conflict between two royal houses for the French throne, vacant with the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. The two primary contenders were France represented by the House of Valois, and England, represented by the House of Plantagenet, with the conflict lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. The war was punctuated by several brief and two lengthy periods of peace before it finally ended in the expulsion of the Plantagenets from France, with the exception of the Calais Pale. Subtracting the two periods of peace from 1360–69 and 1389–1415, the war was fought for about 81 years.
The war was fought primarily over rival claims to the French throne. The House of Valois claimed the title of King of France, while the Plantagenets from England ultimately claimed to be Kings of France and England. The Plantagenet Kings in England, also known as the House of Anjou, had their roots in the French regions of Anjou and Normandy. Many French soldiers fought on both sides, with Burgundy and Aquitaine providing notable support for the Plantagenet side.
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
"
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756-63, was the first global war. The protagonists were Britain, Prussia and Hanover against France, Austria, Sweden, Saxony, Russia and eventually Spain. Britain declined to commit its main forces on the continent, where it depended on the Prussians and German mercenaries to defend George II's Electorate of Hanover. Britain's war aims were to destroy the French navy and merchant fleet, seize its colonies, and eliminate France as a commercial rival. France found itself committed to fighting in Europe to defend Austria, which could do nothing to aid France overseas.
View of Notre-Dame de la VictoireRichard Short's drawings show the devastation caused by the British bombardment of Québec during the siege of 1759 (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-357).
Hostilities began in 1754 in America's Ohio Valley when a Virginian major of militia, George Washington, ambushed a small French detachment. He was subsequently forced to accept humiliating terms dictated by the commander of the French force sent to bring him to account. The British then ordered 2 regiments, commanded by Major-General Edward Braddock, to America. Other regiments were to be raised in the colonies, and a 4-pronged attack was to be launched against the French at FORT BEAUSÉJOUR on the border of Nova Scotia, against their forts on Lake Champlain, and at Niagara, and against Fort Duquesne on the Ohio River.
...
France and Spain had organized a major expedition for the invasion of England, but the British naval victories at Lagos, Portugal, in August and Quiberon Bay, France, in November 1759 had ended that. The British, however, were now war weary and staggering under a colossal national debt. The war minister, William Pitt, was driven out of office in 1761 by the new king, George III, and peace negotiations began.
Battle of the Plains of AbrahamA View of the Taking of Quebec, 13 September 1759, published by Laurie and Whittle, 1759. The engraving shows the three stages of the battle: the British disembarking, scaling the cliff and the battle (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-1078).
...
Author W.J. ECCLES
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
**********************
Re: The Hundred Years War (between Britain and France)
"
The Hundred Years War: Overview
The Hundred Years War, lasting from 1337 until 1453, was a defining time for the history of both England and France. The war started in May 1337 when King Philip VI of France attempted to confiscate the English territories in the duchy of Aquitaine (located in Southwestern France). It ended in July 1453 when the French finally expelled the English from the continent (except for Calais). The Hundred Years War was a series of chevauchees (plundering raids), sieges and naval battles interspersed with truces and uneasy peace.
...
Summary of the War
From the beginning of the war (1337) until the battle of Orleans (1428-29), the English won many victories including the decisive battles of Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt. The English employed a new method of warefare with great success that combined forces of longbowmen with dismounted men-at-arms.
In 1429, at the siege of Orleans the French eventually gained the upperhand. Joan of Arc (即圣女贞德。 --Alex Wang) led a relief force which successfully defeated the English. The next 25 years of engagements saw continued French victories and the English retreat from all of France save Calais.
"
http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu
"
Hundred Years' War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Hundred Years' War (French: Guerre de Cent Ans) was a prolonged conflict between two royal houses for the French throne, vacant with the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. The two primary contenders were France represented by the House of Valois, and England, represented by the House of Plantagenet, with the conflict lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. The war was punctuated by several brief and two lengthy periods of peace before it finally ended in the expulsion of the Plantagenets from France, with the exception of the Calais Pale. Subtracting the two periods of peace from 1360–69 and 1389–1415, the war was fought for about 81 years.
The war was fought primarily over rival claims to the French throne. The House of Valois claimed the title of King of France, while the Plantagenets from England ultimately claimed to be Kings of France and England. The Plantagenet Kings in England, also known as the House of Anjou, had their roots in the French regions of Anjou and Normandy. Many French soldiers fought on both sides, with Burgundy and Aquitaine providing notable support for the Plantagenet side.
| Hundred Years' War | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Romantic painting of Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 House of Valois Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany |  House of Plantagenet Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
************************
http://maps.google.com/maps?f
Re: Upper Canada
"
Upper Canada
Upper Canada, the predecessor of modern ONTARIO, came into existence when the British Parliament passed the CONSTITUTIONAL ACT, 1791, dividing the old PROVINCE OF QUEBEC into LOWER CANADA in the E and Upper Canada in the W along the present-day Ontario-Québec BOUNDARY. The Act also established a government which would largely determine the colony's political nature and which, in practice, strongly influenced its social and economic character.
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
"
Upper Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
******************************
Re: Lower Canada
"
Lower Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
******************************
Re: The Patriotes (of Quebec)
"
Patriotes
The Patriotes was the name given after 1826 to the PARTI CANADIEN and to the popular movement that contributed to the REBELLIONS OF 1837-38 in Lower Canada. The primarily francophone party, led mainly by members of the liberal professions and small-scale merchants, was widely supported by farmers, day-labourers and craftsmen. Its more distinguished leaders included Louis-Joseph PAPINEAU, Jean-Olivier Chénier and Wolfred Nelson.
 |
| Papineau, Louis-Joseph (Daguerrotype) Complex and contradictory, Papineau was the first effective political leader of his people and a fitting symbol of their discontent (daguerrotype, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-66899). |
Saint-Eustache, Battle ofThe Patriotes who had taken refuge in the village church were smoked out and killed by the British soldiers in the Battle of Saint-Eustache (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-6032).
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
*************
Re: The Quiet Revolution (of Quebec)
"
Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution (Révolution tranquille) was a period of rapid change experienced in Québec from 1960 to 1966. The vivid, yet paradoxical, description of the period was first used by an anonymous writer in the Globe and Mail. Although Québec was a highly industrialized, urban and relatively outward-looking society in 1960, the UNION NATIONALE Party, in power since 1944, seemed increasingly anachronistic as it held tenaciously to a conservative ideology and relentlessly defended outdated traditional values. In the election of 22 June 1960 the Liberals broke the hold of the Union Nationale, taking 51 seats and 51.5% of the popular vote as compared to the latter's 43 seats and 46.6% of the vote. Under Jean LESAGE the Québec Liberal Party had developed a coherent, wide-ranging reform platform. The main issue of the election was indicated by the Liberal slogan, "It's time for a change."
Lesage, JeanHis party came to power in 1960 and introduced the many reforms collectively called the Quiet Revolution (courtesy "La Presse").
In 2 years the Lesage government managed to carry out or plan many reforms. Everything came under scrutiny, everything was discussed; a new age of open debate began. The government attacked political patronage and changed the electoral map to provide better representation for urban areas. To reduce the size of secret electoral funds, it limited authorized expenditures during election periods. It also lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Lesage attempted to put the public purse in order by promoting a dynamic provincial budget and by raising loans. From 1960-61 to 1966-67, the budget grew from $745 million to $2.1 billion. The spectacular development of government institutions and the vastly increased role of the state in the province's economic, social and cultural life unleashed forces that would have major consequences.
The pressures exerted by the BABY BOOM generation, which had now reached adolescence, created a dramatic situation and pushed Québec's weak educational system to the breaking point. The government introduced new legislation on education and established a commission of inquiry on education, which was chaired by Mgr Alphonse-Marie Parent. The resulting Parent Report tackled the entire system. In recommending the creation of a department of education, it questioned the role of the Catholic Church, which controlled the public Catholic school system. The church resisted recommended changes, but without success. The Parent Report contributed significantly to creating a unified, democratic, modern school system accessible to the entire population.
The desire to modernize was also evident in the social sphere. Upon taking power, the government decided to participate in the federal-provincial hospital-insurance program. In 1964 it introduced 3 major pieces of legislation: an extensive revision of the labour code; Bill 16, which abolished a married woman's judicial handicap by which her legal status was that of a minor; and a pension plan.
The government's most spectacular accomplishment in economics was the nationalization of private electricity companies, an idea that was promoted in 1962 by René LÉVESQUE, minister of natural resources. The government decided to go to the electorate on this issue, and on 14 Nov 1962 the Liberals won again, with 56.6% of the vote and 63 seats. The many objectives of nationalization included standardizing rates across the province, co-ordinating investments in this key sector, integrating the system, encouraging industrialization, guaranteeing economic benefits for the Québec economy through a buy-Québec policy, and making the sector more French in nature. HYDRO-QUÉBEC not only met most of these objectives but became a symbol of success and a source of pride for Quebeckers. Another major success was the creation in 1965 of the CAISSE DE DÉPOT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC. The caisse was made responsible for administering the assets of the QUÉBEC PENSION PLAN, which rapidly grew to several billion dollars.
The maîtres chez nous ("masters in our own house") philosophy that permeated the government and its reforms was bound to have an influence on FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL RELATIONS. The Lesage government demanded a review of federal policy and won a major victory following a stormy first ministers' conference in 1964. Lesage forced the federal government to accept Québec's withdrawal from several cost-sharing programs and to compensate Québec fiscally. The issue of special status arose when Québec was the only province to win acceptance of the right to withdraw. It was perhaps to calm the anxieties of English Canada and to show his good will that in 1964 Lesage agreed to the proposal for repatriating and amending the constitution by a method known as the Fulton-Favreau formula. However, because of the extreme reactions of various nationalist groups within the province, Lesage had to withdraw his support and to dissociate himself from the other 10 governments that had accepted the formula.
The Québec government also sought to stake out international rights. In 1961 it opened the Maisons du Québec in Paris, London and New York. However, when Québec signalled its intention to sign cultural and educational agreements with France, Ottawa intervened, asserting that there could be only one interlocutor with foreign countries.
These federal-provincial quarrels raised the question of the place of Québec and French Canadians in Confederation. In 1965, for instance, the Royal Commission on BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM noted that "Canada, without being fully conscious of the fact, is passing through the greatest crisis in its history. The source of the crisis lies in the Province of Quebec." FRENCH CANADIAN NATIONALISM, which was becoming more and more Québecois in nature, was exacerbated by this crisis. The number of separatist groups increased; some of them adopted more extreme positions and the FRONT DE LIBÉRATION DU QUÉBECTERRORISM. began to indulge in TERRORISM.
At the same time, other Francophones worried about this growth of nationalism. Among them were Jean MARCHAND, Gérard PELLETIER and Pierre Elliott TRUDEAU, who joined the federal Liberal Party and were elected to Parliament in 1965.
When the Québec Liberals again faced the electorate in 1966 they were confident of re-election. But the Union Nationale had renewed its image and attracted dissatisfied individuals among conservatives, nationalists and those who had voted CRÉDITISTE in the federal election. The party still had a solid base in the rural areas that were left largely untouched by the Quiet Revolution. On June 5 the Union Nationale won 56 seats against the Liberals' 50. However, the Liberals obtained 47% of the popular vote whereas the Unionistes, led by Daniel JOHNSON, obtained only 41%.
The Quiet Revolution has been the major reference point used by all Québec governments who have held power since the Liberal defeat in 1966, a fact which illustrates the importance of this episode in Québec's history.
Author RENÉ DUROCHER
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
********************
Re: The Québec Referendum (1995)
"
Québec Referendum (1995)
... the alienation of Québec, partly the result of acrimony generated by the debate over distinct society, brought the separatist PARTI QUÉBÉCOIS back into power. Premier Jacques PARIZEAU (The Premier mentioned here should be the then Quebec Premier, not the the Prime Minister of Canada. --Alex Wang) promptly promised that a referendum on Québec separation would be held some time during 1995. In preparation for the referendum, draft legislation was prepared and a series of public consultations was held. The referendum was originally scheduled for the spring of 1995 but was delayed until 30 October 1995. The question posed in the referendum was as follows: "Do you agree that Québec should become sovereign, after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership, within the scope of the Bill respecting the future of Québec and of the agreement signed on 12 June 1995?"
...
... Ultimately, after an emotional and somewhat controversial campaign, the "No" side achieved victory by a narrow majority of 50.56%.
...
During the final days of the campaign, federal politicians announced their intention of meeting some Québec concerns. For example, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said that he would take measures toward recognizing Québec's "distinct society" and guaranteeing Québec a de facto veto over constitutional changes.
... In short, the possible separation of Québec remains, as it has over the past quarter century, a defining feature of Canadian politics, constitutional law and history.
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
**************
Re: The Bill 101 (of Quebec)
"
Bill 101
Bill 101, Charte de la langue française (1977), marked the culmination of a debate that had produced BILL 63 (1969) and BILL 22 (1974). It made French the official language of the state and of the courts in the province of Québec, as well as making it the normal and habitual language of the workplace, of instruction, of communications, of commerce and of business. Education in French became compulsory for immigrants, even those from other Canadian provinces, unless a "reciprocal agreement" existed between Québec and that province (the so-called Québec clause).
...
Thereafter, this language legislation was significantly modified following a series of court rulings that changed its content and reduced its scope. In 1980 the Supreme Court of Canada supported a judgement of the Québec Superior Court that struck down the section of the Charte which declared French the language of the legislature and courts. In 1984 it was ruled that the CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS (article 23) limited the bill's power to regulate the language of instruction (see BILL 101 CASE); parents whose children had been instructed in English-language elementary schools elsewhere in Canada were granted the right to have them instructed in English in Québec (so was made void the Québec clause). In the same year, the Court ruled that the compulsory exclusive use of French on public commercial signs was contrary to the freedom of speech right. The Bourassa government then introduced BILL 178.
This series of judgements caused dissatisfaction in nationalist groups and some relief among anglophones. As expected, such challenges to Bill 101 were not met with indifference by the Parti Québécois. In the years following the 1995 Québec referendum, however, the party leadership succeeded in blunting the most radical of nationalist views regarding Québec's language policies.
Author R. HUDON
"
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
(From Maclean's Magazine)
Article: Bill 101: 30 Years On
http://www.thecanadianencyclope
Audio: (Quebec's) Passages To The Future
Features(Quebec's) Passages To The Future
A journey into the subtle and provocative ideas of historian Jocelyn Létourneau. As a leader of a new wave of Quebec intellectuals, he rejects melancholic myths that portray Quebeckers as victims of their past, trapped by unfulfilled political dreams. His ideas on the resilience of Quebeckers and the complexity of their history breathe new life into old debates about Quebec's identity, distinctiveness and destiny. In this series, Jocelyn Létourneau talks with Ideas producer Sara Wolch about his vision of the past, the implications of his thinking for students of history, and his hopes for the future of Quebec and Canada....
-->
http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/passages/
Articles and pictures: A New Bomber with No Pilot?; etc.
A New Bomber with No Pilot?
By Mark Thompson/Washington
Monday, Apr. 07, 2008
-->
http://www.time.com/time
-->
http://images.google.ca/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=Predators+aircraft&btnG=Search+Images
*********
"
Non-pilots to operate Army robot planes
Posted on: November 29, 2007
Military pilots aren't too happy with plans for the US Army to allow non-pilots to take control of their powerful drone combat aircraft such as the Sky Warrior. Ordinarily, Predators and Reapers are handled by a qualified and skilled pilot on the ground during landing and takeoff in the theater of war, while flying missions are controlled via satellite by pilots who normally reside in America. The US Army sees this move of not using qualified pilots to handle the flight of robot planes as a cost-cutting measure, leaving plenty of Air Force pilots feeling angry and worried about the Army's plans. After all, their argument lies in the fact that one needs to be a rater aviator before lethal force can be applied - something folks without wings on their chests were trained to do. War isn't a video game after all. What do you think?
"
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15
Article: How India 'Colonized' Britain
How India 'Colonized' Britain
By Simon Robinson
Friday, Apr. 11, 2008
http://www.time.com/time/world
Re: The Eaton Centre
"
Eaton's
Eaton's was once Canada's largest department store retailer. Founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant, Eaton's first advertisement read "We propose to sell our goods for CASH ONLY – In selling goods, to have only one price." In an era where haggling for goods was commonplace, this was a revolutionary business practice.[1]
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Please note that this Eaton is different than the famous Eaton College located in Eaton, Birkshire, UK.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q
--double_take
Eaton's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
| T. Eaton Co. Limited | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy, assets purchased by Sears Canada in 1999. Several stores were operated under a separate brand but all converted to Sears banner in 2002 |
| Founded | 1869 |
| Defunct | 1999 as an entity, 2002 as a brand |
| Location | Toronto, Canada (with stores across Canada) |
| Industry | retail (Department store) |
| Products | Over the years, everything from clothing to farming implements |
| Key people | Timothy Eaton, John Craig Eaton, Flora McCrea Eaton (Lady Eaton) |
| Peak size | 70,000 (peak) employees |
"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Please note that this Eaton is different than the famous Eaton College located in Eaton, Birkshire, UK.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q
--double_take
Essay - Canada is much more than a hotel
Well, it is true that there has been a saying going around that Canada is a hotel. But lately, the following essay published on The Globe and Mail might just indicate and usher in a reform of Canadian Citizenship and therefore repercussions in Canada's social life.
--double_take
Canada is much more than a hotel
TOM KENT
The Globe and Mail
April 25, 2008
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/canada-is-much-more-than-a-hotel/article680876/singlepage
+
"
Tom Kent has been associated with the School since 1992. An Oxford graduate in politics and economics, his varied career began in the "ultra secret" intelligence service of military cipher-breaking. In 1946 he entered editorial journalism with the Guardian (then less left-wing than now) and in 1950 became Assistant Editor of the Economist (then much less right-wing than now!). He also wrote from London for the Winnipeg Free Press and in 1954 moved to its Editorship.
...
"
-->
http://www.queensu.ca/sps
--double_take
Canada is much more than a hotel
TOM KENT
The Globe and Mail
April 25, 2008
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/canada-is-much-more-than-a-hotel/article680876/singlepage
+
"
Thomas Kent
Tom Kent has been associated with the School since 1992. An Oxford graduate in politics and economics, his varied career began in the "ultra secret" intelligence service of military cipher-breaking. In 1946 he entered editorial journalism with the Guardian (then less left-wing than now) and in 1950 became Assistant Editor of the Economist (then much less right-wing than now!). He also wrote from London for the Winnipeg Free Press and in 1954 moved to its Editorship.
...
"
-->
http://www.queensu.ca/sps
Article: Google Wants to Facebook Friend You
Google Wants to Facebook Friend You
Monday, May. 12, 2008 By JOSH QUITTNER
Kimberly White / Reuters
-->
http://www.time.com/time
Short audio: CBC: Quebec This Week (June 21-27, 2008)
"
CBC: Quebec This Week (June 21-27, 2008)
This week on the podcast we take you to a St-Jean-Baptiste celebration in Montreal. We join a tour guide who takes people to the city's secret downtown orchards and gardens to see interesting trees. Another interesting destination in this city has long been the Ritz Carlton Hotel. It's undergoing a major overhaul. They held an auction and we took a peak at what was available. And we talk to Sam Roberts. He is a major rock star who still lives in the city where he grew up: Montreal.
Right click to Download Quebec This Week (June 21-27, 2008)
[mp3 file: runs 17:54]
"
http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/podcast/
CBC: Quebec This Week (June 21-27, 2008)
This week on the podcast we take you to a St-Jean-Baptiste celebration in Montreal. We join a tour guide who takes people to the city's secret downtown orchards and gardens to see interesting trees. Another interesting destination in this city has long been the Ritz Carlton Hotel. It's undergoing a major overhaul. They held an auction and we took a peak at what was available. And we talk to Sam Roberts. He is a major rock star who still lives in the city where he grew up: Montreal.
Right click to Download Quebec This Week (June 21-27, 2008)[mp3 file: runs 17:54]
"
http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/podcast/
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