Hi, S_M!

Quebec has made periodic noises about secession for a while now, without any prompting from Americaphiles in English-speaking Canada. I hope they realize how foolish that would be. Canada is a fine nation on its own. It just hasn't been independent for very long, that's all.

Where I grew up, in upstate New York, the speculation on the dissolution of Canada went like this:

Quebec finally makes good on its secession threat, severing Canada into two parts, like Pakistan used to be.

The Canadians are too civilized to kill each other over the issue, so the secession is allowed to stand.

What's left of Canada, though still an economic force, has no political or geographic coherence, and so the various provinces gradually secede and join the US. The Maritime Provinces have more in common with New England than with the Yukon, so they go, forming a good-sized Northeast Maritime voting bloc in Congress. The Prairie Provinces have long had more in common economically and sociologically with the Dakotas and Montana than with Quebec or the Maritimes, so they secede and make common cause with the High Plains States. The Yukon and (what's the new territory's name again?) join up with the Alaskans, and British Columbia has been a cousin of the US Pacific Northwest and a colony of Hollywood for a long time anyway.

This will leave lonely Ontario, now the heart of Canada, as its rump as well. Perhaps it too will cave and join the US. Perhaps it will remain Canada. Perhaps -- and wouldn't this be a kicker? -- Ontario and Quebec, seeing their common interest, will form a federation, La Canada Nouvelle, in which the two linguistic groups are closer to equal in number.

In any of the above circumstances, French Canada will continue to be a small linguistic island in a large English sea. Their only hope of retaining their linguistic integrity is to raise the birth rate. Higher Hispanic birthrates are the major motivating force in the linguistic survival of Spanish in the American Southwest. No one can outlaw English anymore and make it work. The only way to stop its spread is to shout it down.

Chinese, anyone?

Regards--
Mary Anne