Marlene Jennings: We want a vacation to rejoice all Quebecers

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In all places in Canada besides Quebec, the statutory vacation we celebrated this previous Monday known as Victoria Day. Effectively, it was once known as that right here, too, however then it grew to become, first the Fête de Dollard, and now the Journée nationale des Patriotes.

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I started to mirror on why in Quebec this vacation has modified not solely in identify however in significance. And it struck me that deciding on Journée nationale des Patriotes  presents a possibility for us to embrace and rejoice the contributions to Quebec society of all Quebecers — not simply francophones. A have a look at the historical past of the rebellions of 1837-38 in Decrease Canada exhibits why.

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To briefly summarize, Decrease Canada (just about the territory of at present’s province of Quebec) had a various inhabitants of between 500,000 and 600,000, comprised of Indigenous peoples, French-Canadians (French settlers/colonizers and their descendants), British settlers/colonizers (English, Irish and Scottish) and their
descendants. French-Canadians had been the bulk as are at present’s francophone Québécois.

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Decrease Canada was below British rule after the Seven Years’ Struggle with France, culminating within the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Britain gained a lot of the French colonies in North America. The treaty stipulated that in Nouvelle France there can be an elected legislative meeting and an appointed legislative council (much like our current day Senate). Roman Catholics would profit from governmental, judicial and bureaucratic appointments. The Civil Code would proceed to be the official authorized code of Decrease Canada.

Nevertheless, by the 1830s there was a lot dissatisfaction with the class-based system of presidency in Decrease Canada. The Parti patriote, which advocated for basic reforms, started its transformation right into a paramilitary motion — La Société des Fils de la Liberté. This motion had a civil wing headed by Louis-Joseph Papineau and his right-hand man, Edmund Bailey O’Callaghan. The army wing was lead by Thomas Storrow Brown in addition to brothers Robert and Wolfred Nelson.

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Something strike you about this? The management of the Patriotes’ riot was equally French-Canadian and anglophone. The identical held true of the combattants patriotes.

The “Déclaration d’indépendance” proclaimed by the Patriotes was authored in 1838 by Robert Nelson. This doc is at present heralded by many francophone Quebecers on condition that it’s based mostly on democratic rules we nonetheless maintain so dearly virtually 200 years later. It’s the doc to which French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge referred in his tweet on Monday to mark the Journée nationale des Patriotes. Freedom of faith and non secular conscience, common voting rights (for males solely; keep in mind it’s the 1800s), separation of state and church — all these basic democratic rights and freedoms had been a part of the Patriotes’ declaration of independence.

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So how is it that in 2023, anglophones typically don’t acceptable the Journée nationale des Patriotes as their day of celebration? It was not simply francophones who led the Patriotes. Notions of democracy and particular person liberties and freedoms had been championed not simply by the likes of Papineau, but additionally by anglos just like the Nelson brothers. Anglophones had been among the many combattants patriotes who had been imprisoned and exiled. Their blood was spilled, too.

Let’s not blame others for this oversight. Additionally it is our accountability as stewards of our historical past to make sure all fellow Quebecers — anglophones, allophones and francophones — start to mirror on our respective place on this historical past. Maybe we might maintain a parade, just like the one marking St. Patrick’s Day, to rejoice all these heroic Patriotes — French-Canadian, English, Irish and Scottish. Wouldn’t that be a sight of surprise and unity?

So subsequent 12 months, when the Journée nationale des Patriotes comes round once more, my want is that Quebecers of all origins will come collectively to rejoice this nice vacation that marks such an necessary a part of Quebec’s historical past — the historical past of all of us.

Marlene Jennings is former president of the Quebec Neighborhood Teams Community and former Liberal MP. She sits on the boards of a number of group organizations.