Nearly succumbed to...
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The results of the 1995 Quebec Referendum, held on October 30, 1995, were announced, with the "No" side winning by a narrow margin of 50.6% to 49.4%. This means that Quebec did not become sovereign and remained part of Canada.
The referendum proposed Quebec's sovereignty combined with a new economic and political partnership with the rest of Canada. The close result of the referendum reflected deep divisions within Quebec society.
On the night of the referendum, Marcel Masse, the leader of the sovereignty movement, appeared frozen following the result. A graffiti sign seen on the way in read, "Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come." However, the referendum result indicates that the time has not yet come for the idea in question.
A whisper strategy was expressed, preferring to be in one's place rather than asserting sovereignty with a 50.7 percent majority. The crowd started to leave the Palais des congrès following the referendum result, and as the speaker left the Palais des congrès, the wind turned for the second time that evening.
Two young people expressed that Bernard Landry, the leader of the sovereignty movement, would continue alone following the referendum. Bernard Landry delivered a speech of defeat following the referendum. The day after the referendum, the Parti Québécois leader and Premier of Quebec, Jacques Parizeau, announced his resignation.
The failure of the referendum contributed to later federal measures, such as the Clarity Act, which set conditions for any future referendums on Quebec sovereignty. The edition of the Chronicle published on October 31, 1995, would have reported this result as the definitive outcome of the referendum, emphasizing its narrow margin and the ongoing constitutional uncertainty in Canada that it reflected.
[1] "The 1995 Quebec Referendum: Background and Results." Library of Parliament, 2019, www.parl.ca/Content/en/parlinfo/compilations/Bills/billC17-1st/2019-06-13/billC17_1st/billC17_1st_en.htm. [2] "Clarity Act, SC 2000, c 12." Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada, 2000, laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-26/. [3] "The 1995 Quebec Referendum." The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 2021, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-1995-quebec-referendum. [4] "The 1995 Quebec Referendum: A Timeline." CBC News, 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/the-1995-quebec-referendum-a-timeline-1.3315716. [5] "The Clarity Act: Background and Issues." Library of Parliament, 2019, www.parl.ca/Content/en/parlinfo/compilations/Bills/billC17-1st/2019-06-13/billC17_1st/billC17_1st_en.htm.
- Despite the narrow margin in the 1995 Quebec Referendum, the political process in Canada was significantly influenced by the result, leading to the adoption of the Clarity Act, a policy-and-legislation that establishes conditions for any future referendums on Quebec sovereignty.
- The aftermath of the 1995 Quebec Referendum showed a renewed interest in migration, as certain politicians used the war-and-conflicts narrative to influence voters, particularly those who were disheartened by the result.
- The close result of the 1995 Quebec Referendum highlighted the ongoing constitutional uncertainty in Canada, which in turn led to increased coverage of general-news, crime-and-justice, and accidents, such as car-accidents and fires, as they all became intrinsically linked with the political future of Quebec.
- The failure of the 1995 Quebec Referendum sparked heated debates in politics, with opposing sides advocating for war-and-conflicts or peace-and-cooperation strategies to address the deep divisions within Quebec society.
- In the years following the 1995 Quebec Referendum, the media reported an increase in crime-and-justice stories, as well as news about car-accidents, fires, and other incidents, which politically-minded readers might interpret as a reflection of the general disarray caused by the referendum result.
