Category: Differences

A worrying rise in Québec Nationalism? La CAQ and la Meute

September 9, 2018 3 min to read

A worrying rise in Québec Nationalism? La CAQ and la Meute

Category : Differences

With the recent election (on October 1st 2018) of the nationalist Coalition Avenir Québec, is toxic nationalism on the rise in Québec too? The short answer is : no The full answer lies in what Québec Nationalism actually is. Unlike other forms of nationalism elsewhere, Québec Nationalism isn’t about being superior to other...

Why does Québec celebrate the Patriots instead of Victoria day?

May 23, 2017 3 min to read

Why does Québec celebrate the Patriots instead of Victoria day?

Category : Differences, History

Victoria Day is celebrated on the last Monday before May 25 across Canada… except for the province of Québec which celebrates since 2003 the National Patriots’ Day instead, and before that, Adam Dollard Des Ormeaux’s Birthday. Why? First, what is Victoria Day? It officially the celebration of Queen Victoria’...

Moving day and a province of renters. The frenzy of July 1st!

April 1, 2017 5 min to read

Moving day and a province of renters. The frenzy of July 1st!

Category : Differences

The apartment rental process is a lot different in Québec than, well, probably anywhere else in the world. Let’s see how and why. The first thing that surprises pretty much everyone, is that probably 90% of the leases start on July 1st, and that regardless of when you sign your lease, there is a 95% chance it will end on June...

CEGEPs: A unique education level born of historical reasons

December 23, 2016 4 min to read

CEGEPs: A unique education level born of historical reasons

Category : Differences, Education

Before the 1960s, the education system was managed by the clergy in what was known as the Classical system in classical colleges. Far from colleges, these were in reality high schools even if in some cases, they had dormitories and could house thousands of students. Universities such as the Université de Montréal or McGill Universi...

Is it fair Taxpayers from Québec pay 16.5% less federal income tax?

September 15, 2016 2 min to read

Is it fair Taxpayers from Québec pay 16.5% less federal income tax?

Category : Attacks on Québec, Differences

To be honest, put like that, it’s true that it doesn’t appear fair for Québec taxpayers (and only for Québec taxpayers) to get a 16.5% reduction in their Federal income tax. This program is called the Quebec Abatement and the few people outside of Québec who hear about it are generally outraged that Quebec doesn’...

Québec was colonized by France, Canada by England

September 15, 2016 1 min to read

Québec was colonized by France, Canada by England

Category : Differences, Main Articles, New France

From the very beginning, the people who initially formed Québec were very different from the people who colonized the rest of Canada. The ancestors of most of the Québecois arrived in Québec from France between 1608 and 1763. My direct paternal ancestor, for example, arrived in 1673, but 90 years later, the flow of French immigran...