Québec's influence elsewhere in Canada and around the world

[wave46]

From a northeastern Ontario POV:

Quebec is relatively close, but yet somehow far away. It is mostly as a place for cheap beer runs or cheering for the Canadiens. I don't find that most here are really tied to it - a trip to Montreal seems more out of the ordinary than one to Ottawa, despite only being slightly farther away. Most people from this area tend to end up in Ottawa, but a few make it to Montreal. It is the exception to have family still in Quebec.

The 'close' part also has a linguistic element too - this area is about 25% francophone. There is a definite distinction that is held between Franco-Ontarians and Quebecers in this part of the province, despite a common language. The closest analogy I can think of is the difference between English Canadians and Americans - we're really similar in many respects and each could probably pass as a local as long as they didn't have a regional accent.

I'm not sure why this is - maybe we're just older and less exposed to migration patterns, so we've become more isolated.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Loco101

We often discuss differences between Quebec and the rest of Canada. But how is Quebec in general seen by you, by the people where you live and what influence does the province have on you and where you live?

The influence could be cultural, artistic, political, economic, business, societal and more. I'd like to hear from others before I answer.

If you live in Quebec, tell us what others thought of you or how you were treated when travelling in the rest of Canada or in another country when you said you are from Québec.

I have lot of things to say - big surprise. So I'll just start with the OP.

Generally speaking as someone who is "from Quebec" travelling in other parts of Canada, things are more relaxed than they've probably ever been in my lifetime.

Not that they were really bad before, but certainly when I was younger there were more tensions and it was more likely for people to either be nasty or make fun of you. This actually more often than not applied to francophones in general when I was a kid and we weren't even living in Quebec or even from there.

This change seems to have occurred since the turn of the 21st century. And it happened very quickly as I don't recall a discernable change for the better from the 70s-80s to the 90s. (Of course we all know what was going on in the 90s.)

As some others have pointed out there is a noticeable generational difference with younger people outside the province not being necessarily pro-Quebec or anything, but certainly they are overwhelmingly "chill" about Quebec being there and being the way it is.

Some obnoxious behaviour can still occur when these young people are drinking and out late at night - I am sure Gatineau, Montreal or Quebec City cops would probably have something to say about that.

[kwoldtimer]

For me, Quebec remains as it always has been, the "yin" to Ontario's "yang". More symbiosis than "influence", although that seems under increasing stress and no longer seems cast in stone.

[Acajack]

As for travelling outside Canada...

Initially in my youth I travelled as a "French Canadian" (but *not* from Quebec if the conversation got that far). For a couple of decades now I've been more identified to Quebec though - it fits more cleanly into perceptions people have.

For the most part, pretty much anywhere I've been Quebec/French Canada is viewed as an interesting curiosity by the vast majority of people.

In a few cases I've been able to tell that Quebec bashers/anti-French people from Canada had passed through there before me, as people would immediately view me as a shit disturber and ask me all sorts of ignorant stuff that they couldn't possibly have come up with themselves living where they did - especially before the age of the Internet.

But by and large the image we seem to have is that of the quirky outlier, the valiant resister - maybe a tad anachronistic but still worthy of respect.

Of course the reception in the Francophonie (especially in France) is a bit different, though it's very much along these same themes, only hyped up a few notches.

In France you sometimes get the "cousins from overseas" spiel, from people who obviously aren't related to you at all. You'll also get the brave besieged "village gaulois" imagery (as per the Astérix series of comic books).

That's us up there in the top left corner.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

There's a Quebecois manager at your work who interfaces with Quebec/French-speaking clients. He's a fiscal conservative, buttoned down type who drives a leased Audi SUV to work and lives in a white collar subdivision in Aurora. He embodies even more of a Toronto corporate stereotype than Anglo Torontonians ever could.

Speaking of stereotypes: in Quebec that's precisely the stereotype of the kind of Québécois who'd move to Toronto!

[esquire]

Quebec's perception in Manitoba has improved markedly since the era of heated constitutional politics back in the 80s when there was a tendency to regard the place as full of extortionists who wanted to impose their language/culture on the rest of us.

My impression is that these days, people here tend to think of Quebec more favourably. But there's no question that it's seen as distant and inscrutable... many Manitobans will be very familiar with Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, but I don't think many get into Quebec much past Montreal or at the most, Quebec City. It's parts unknown to quite an extent.

Culturally I don't think the influence is that strong with the obvious exception of Francophone communities in Manitoba. The language barrier is considerable. The most recognizable Quebec figures here are probably mainly federal politicians and athletes.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

It's been years, but in Western continental Europe people considered Quebec and Canada were the exact same thing, so, no difference. "I'm from Canada" and "I'm from Quebec" got you treated 100% the same way.

Note that I can't guarantee this is still true, in this day and age of ever-increading awareness of other places in our global village.

In France anyway, to a large degree "Quebec" is still often conflated with "Canada" as if they were the same thing.

Some posters here have mentioned conversations with the French who think Canada is all anglo and that even in Quebec itself, the French language is a secondary "boutique" thing.

"OMG! I mean, your first language is really French? Everything where you live is in French? No way?"

I suppose you might be able to find people in France who'd think this, but they're definitely a small minority.

To your average French person, Canada has the demographics of Quebec - mostly francophone but I guess people there are also somewhat aware that there are anglophones in Canada too, or at least a strong presence of the English language.

It's not a stretch to imagine that most French would expect Anglo-Canadians to be like Bryan Adams, Shania Twain or author Nancy Huston. Since these are the Anglo-Canadians they most often see - or at least those that are most clearly identified as "Canadian" over there. The Jim Carreys and Justin Biebers of the world being lumped in with Americans more often than not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEUCm18lPA4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JgoInar56U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXT6DkkP0Ic

[harls]

Originally Posted by Acajack

You'll also get the brave besieged "village gaulois" imagery (as per the Astérix series of comic books).

Pretty much no one outside of Quebec follows Asterix, or Lucky Luke, or all those other weird cartoons they show every December on 'ciné cadeau'.

A good part of my Christmases at my in-laws consist of sitting down in front of the tv and reciting lines from Asterix movies. I just sit and nod.

*edit - I mean outside of Quebec in Canada.. I've heard of Asterix before (mostly through my French teacher!), but it's almost a cult-like following here. Almost on the lines of Passe-Partout.

[niwell]

I don't think I've ever watched the cartoons, but I grew up on a steady diet of (translated) Asterix comics. Didn't even occur to me they were originally in French until I was much older.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by harls

Pretty much no one outside of Quebec follows Asterix, or Lucky Luke, or all those other weird cartoons they show every December on 'ciné cadeau'.

A good part of my Christmases at my in-laws consist of sitting down in front of the tv and reciting lines from Asterix movies. I just sit and nod.

*edit - I mean outside of Quebec in Canada..

Oh, I know. I mean, even Tintin is a stretch for most of this landmass.

Strangely enough, though... Astérix is quite popular in Australia for some reason.

Maybe it's all those punch-ups that the Aussies like!

[GlassCity]

I'd say the impression of Quebec, well okay, Montreal, is spectacular. Although most people with big city ambitions go to Toronto, Montreal has the image of constant excitement and flash. I'd say the primary image of the city people have is "fun." Quebec City has an image of the touristy old European city.

Quebec as a whole is a bit different. I'd say that most people I know just think of it as another province, but where people just happen to speak French. The issue of separatism remains buried somewhere in all this, but really it's not something that comes up often at all.

You will hear people make jokes about "Frenchies," but it seems to me to be just a matter of laughing at others because they're different, rather than because people actually have any negative perceptions of people from Quebec. I'll say that whenever someone from Quebec is identified at a party, not long after they're surrounded by people trying to practice their French.

I don't think most, if any, of my friends know what equalization is.

Overall, I think Quebec actually informs a decent amount of Canadian identity. From silly things like poutine to broader notions of federalism, I'd say that Quebec is an important part of the understanding of what "Canada" is to people. I don't mean to dwell on this because it's really not something that comes up often at all, but the fear of separatism stems from that, and not about losing land or cutting off Atlantic Canada.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Acajack

In France anyway, to a large degree "Quebec" is still often conflated with "Canada" as if they were the same thing.

Some posters here have mentioned conversations with the French who think Canada is all anglo and that even in Quebec itself, the French language is a secondary "boutique" thing.

"OMG! I mean, your first language is really French? Everything where you live is in French? No way?"

I suppose you might be able to find people in France who'd think this, but they're definitely a small minority.

To your average French person, Canada has the demographics of Quebec - mostly francophone but I guess people there are also somewhat aware that there are anglophones in Canada too, or at least a strong presence of the English language.

It's not a stretch to imagine that most French would expect Anglo-Canadians to be like Bryan Adams, Shania Twain or author Nancy Huston. Since these are the Anglo-Canadians they most often see - or at least those that are most clearly identified as "Canadian" over there. The Jim Carreys and Justin Biebers of the world being lumped in with Americans more often than not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEUCm18lPA4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JgoInar56U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXT6DkkP0Ic

This strikes me as surprising to the point of being hard to believe. Surely the average person in France knows that Canada is an English-dominated country? If not, then that's super cool. Funny how countries can have such totally different perceptions in different parts of the world, obviously past negative or positive.

[harls]

Oh yes.. Tintin as well.

http://fetes.telequebec.tv/cine-cadeau

Some other dubbed movies in there as well, just to keep things balanced.

And of course, Kirikou.. the naked African kid.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Oh, I know. I mean, even Tintin is a stretch for most of this landmass.

Strangely enough, though... Astérix is quite popular in Australia for some reason.

Maybe it's all those punch-ups that the Aussies like!

Moreso than Asterix, istm.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

This strikes me as surprising to the point of being hard to believe. Surely the average person in France knows that Canada is an English-dominated country? If not, then that's super cool. Funny how countries can have such totally different perceptions in different parts of the world, obviously past negative or positive.

I've encountered Americans who think Canada is predominantly French speaking.

[SignalHillHiker]

Same.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by esquire

I've encountered Americans who think Canada is predominantly French speaking.

That absolutely blows my mind. Though now that you mention it, it does ring a few bells.

Still, I don't understand how that's possible. Then again, it's a common theme of Canada. People learn about one part of it (French in Quebec, bagged milk wherever) and apply it to the rest of the country.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

That absolutely blows my mind. Though now that you mention it, it does ring a few bells.

Still, I don't understand how that's possible. Then again, it's a common theme of Canada. People learn about one part of it (French in Quebec, bagged milk wherever) and apply it to the rest of the country.

In my experience, those abroad who don't know Canada tend to fall into one of two camps. They either think everybody in Canada is bilingual, or are astonished upon learning that people in Quebec may speak only French.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

That absolutely blows my mind. Though now that you mention it, it does ring a few bells.

Still, I don't understand how that's possible. Then again, it's a common theme of Canada. People learn about one part of it (French in Quebec, bagged milk wherever) and apply it to the rest of the country.

Yeah, pretty much. Someone went to Montreal once 20 years ago, people spoke French, ergo Canada is a place where people speak French.

I wouldn't be too hard on the Americans, though. The reality is that people quite often don't pay a ton of attention to that sort of thing... think of countries you have visited in the past. How much did you look into the various demographic factors of the place? Especially the parts of the country that you didn't visit?

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by esquire

Yeah, pretty much. Someone went to Montreal once 20 years ago, people spoke French, ergo Canada is a place where people speak French.

I wouldn't be too hard on the Americans, though. The reality is that people quite often don't pay a ton of attention to that sort of thing... think of countries you have visited in the past. How much did you look into the various demographic factors of the place? Especially the parts of the country that you didn't visit?

I still feel like I have a decent grasp of the dominant languages in most Western countries. Plus, there's the whole America's little brother thing. I just assumed everyone would see the two as a monolithic anglophone bloc.