Today, some Quebecers celebrate their "Fête nationale". Growing
up in Montreal during the 1950's I always looked forward to the St. Jean
Baptiste parade. It was a great family day which signalled the start of summer
holidays. At some point in the years that followed, the parade became a vehicle
for the separatist agenda. To the best of my knowledge, non-francophones have
never been encouraged to participate. If Quebecers are sincere in celebrating
their annual holiday as a home for all residents, they need to have events that
are reflective of that. The current approach simply reinforces the isolationist
mentality. While it may take some time before hard core nationalists remove
their self-imposed psychological fence that they have built between themselves
and the rest of Canada, we can only hope for an annual Quebec holiday that is
all-inclusive in nature and that recognizes the contributions made by all
segments of the population over the past 180 years.
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