Quebec in a tizzy over the Canadian flag on Journée des patriotes

KAMOURASKA, QUE.—I hope you, dear reader, had a good Victoria Day weekend. Here in Quebec, it was Journée nationale des patriotes, as it has been since 2003. And what better day to celebrate the rebels who fought the troops of the new Queen Victoria in the late 1830s? In any event, social media was on fire in Quebec this holiday with the “scandalous” appearance of the Canadian flag in a notice posted in a handful of windows at branches of the Caisses Populaire Desjardins. Photos of the notice began to pop up on social media, with grim-faced indépendantistes in the foreground. The notice said simply, “Journeé Nationale des Patriotes (National Patriots' Day): our offices will be closed Monday, May 20.” And beneath, a young man with a Canadian flag looking to the sky. The outrage was palpable: the Journal de Montréal blared a headline equivalent to a declaration of war: “The Canadian flag used to underline National Patriots’ Day at Desjardins.” Then provincial Minister of Culture and Communications Mathieu Lacombe weighed in: “While we await Desjardins' explanations, let's agree that this visual is inappropriate. It shows a lack of understanding of the significance of National Patriots' Day.” In other words: where was the Quebec flag? He added, “I see it as yet another illustration of the need for a Musée national de l'histoire du Québec (Quebec History Museum),” throwing gasoline on the fire of a recently announced Coalition Avenir Québec government project: a museum focusing on the history of the Quebec “nation” with exclusive reference to the accomplishments of francophones. The next to denounce this lèse-majesté was Marie-Anne Alepin, the president of the nationalist Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society, who said, “This is proof we have a lot of educating to do around this holiday.” Then she elaborated: “The Fête des Patriotes is a celebration of the people of Quebec and the patriots. The Canadian flag is another country.” It is actually Alepin who could use a little education. First of all, les Patriotes were not exclusively francophone—one-third were anglophone, including the key leaders: Edmund O’Callaghan, Thomas Storrow Brown, and the Nelson brothers, Wolfred and Robert. Second, their fight—according to the 92 Resolutions drafted in 1834—was for a bilingual, secular Lower Canada, with cabinet responsible to the legislature. The resolutions, drafted by Louis-Joseph Papineau, begin with a greeting from the “loyal subjects of the King.” It should be noted William Lyon Mackenzie was also preparing his own, brief rebellion in Upper Canada. Within a few years, the Patriotes were fighting British soldiers and Canadian reservists. In short order, the British took the upper hand, Papineau fled, a dozen rebels were hanged, and dozens more were exiled to Australia and the United States. Out of this struggle came Lord Durham’s report, calling for the assimilation of French Canadians and the union of Lower and Upper Canada. However, the French Canadians resisted, and Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine became joint premiers of the united Canada, pushing for change, and paving the way for Confederation in 1867. The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society was founded in the fateful year of 1834, recognizing the maple leaf as its symbol. The maple leaf was later adopted by Canadian soldiers abroad, and graced our new flag in 1965. Then-prime minister Lester Pearson wanted to showcase the break with the United Kingdom, and a modern country about to celebrate its centennial. In Quebec in 1947, the independent and extreme nationalist member of the legislature for Kamouraska, René Chaloult, proposed a new flag for Quebec. It resembled a traditional church flag, with a white cross and fleur-de-lis, honouring the Bourbon kings of France. So Alepin might be reminded the Maple Leaf goes back to her organization, while the flag of the secular Quebec “nation” honours religion and French colonialism. Another country, indeed. I have long argued we proud Canadians should underline our own history, and celebrate the patriots who fought for democracy in Upper and Lower Canada. While Victoria was queen when Canada became a country, after 157 years, I think it’s time we moved on. However, now I wonder: if Canadians celebrate the Patriotes, will les Québécois dump them? It would all be funny if it weren’t so sad. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a town councillor in Kamouraska, Que. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times

Quebec in a tizzy over the Canadian flag on Journée des patriotes

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Quebec in a tizzy over the Canadian flag on Journée des patriotes

Social media was on fire in Quebec this holiday weekend after the Canadian flag appeared in a notice posted at Caisses Populaire Desjardins branches.

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