What happened in the Quebec referendums of 1980 and 1995?
- Quebec adopted English as its official language
- Quebec became independent
- Quebec joined the United States
- Quebec sovereignty was defeated
Answer: Quebec sovereignty was defeated
The movement for Quebec sovereignty was defeated in a referendum in the province in 1980, and again in a second referendum in 1995. The autonomy of Quebec within Canada remains a lively topic that continues to shape the country.
Learn more: Canada and Quebec
- The Quiet Revolution was an era of rapid change in Quebec in the 1960s. Many Quebecers sought to separate from Canada.
- In 1963 Parliament set up the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism.
- The Official Languages Act (1969) guarantees French and English services in the federal government across Canada.
- In 1970 Canada helped found La Francophonie, an international association of French-speaking countries.
- Quebec sovereignty was defeated in a provincial referendum in 1980 and again in a second referendum in 1995.
- In 1982 the Constitution was amended to entrench the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This was done without the agreement of Quebec.
- The autonomy of Quebec within Canada is still a lively topic.