The Canadian experience of ethnic conflict in a democratic context has been one more complex than a casual observer might believe. There are a number of different political structures in place that have prevented a solution. The Quebec situation mirrors to a degree the situation of Canada as a whole, a country with a relatively loose confederation of provinces, regions with distinct interests and differing histories. At the same time, the Quebec situation differs in that the major difference is language, with the French speakers of Quebec desirous of a government separate from the English-speaking central government of Canada.
McGarry and O'Leary discuss regional and ethnic conflicts in terms of the two ways of coping with them--eliminating differences, or managing differences. At one time, it might have been hoped in Canada that the linguistic differences would disappear. We have seen efforts in the United States in recent years to avoid this sort of problem by insisting on English only at the level of government. In Canada, linguistic differences were essentially institutionalized through the means taken to manage differences, such as consociationalism. Many of the means taken elsewhere to eliminate differences have involved violence and forced mass movements, which Canada has avoided by undertaking to manage differences. The problem now is that much of the French-speaking population in Quebec is seeking a different solution--secession and self-determination.
Canada is a nation divided into separate entities around issues of regionalism and provincialism, and Canadians in general do not place their trust in the federal government but in the governments of the different provinces. Regionalism became a force early in Canadian history and was then entrenched with the creation of the Confederation. The Canadian Confederation was an attempt to create a strong central government, seen by some as necessary to help the cou...