English Canadian Nationalism in a Nutshell
by John "Der Überpseud" FitzGerald, publisher emeritus, NEW IMPROVED HEAD
Last week's article was intended to be the final one in the nutshell series, but since then I have spent some time in a town which seemed to be an example of many English Canadians' conception of the ideal Canada. This conception hasn't been discussed in the series, so here's an article about it.
The town I was visiting is a bilingual town in which all the French people and almost all the signs speak English. French people introduce themselves with anglicized or gaelicized versions of their names: Raymond becomes Ray, Brigitte Bridget.
The aboriginal peoples have been marginalized. The town borders a large reserve, but in five days I saw only one aboriginal person working in a business. I saw many loitering.
And that is how many English Canadians think Canada should be. The French can speak French as long as speaking English is what counts. Members of the First Nations can move among us (many from out of town were visiting for an aboriginal event and filling the hotels) as long as they do not threaten our economic interests. We've seen in Burnt Church what happens when aboriginal peoples threaten our economic interests.
As Jean Paré wrote several years ago, the one part of Canada which has shown that it thinks like a nation is English Canada. English Canadians want Canada to be an English country, with English as the official language, English laws, and English government. As another article has pointed out, Upper Canada was separated from Quebec in 1791 because the Loyalist settlers there wanted English institutions and law. When the two provinces were re-united it was so the English could try to absorb the French and establish the primacy of English institutions.
Small-L liberal English Canadian opinion holds that something must be done to satisfy Quebec's legitimate aspirations, but, when the liberals get down to brass tacks, that something always turns out to be precious little. Quebec rejected the Charlottetown "accord" as too niggardly, while English Canada rejected it as too generous.
At bottom many English Canadians simply consider themselves superior to French Canada and the First Nations. They believe that francophones and aboriginals should be grateful for whatever we allow them, and that as far as possible they are to be kept confined to their approved habitats. If they venture outside those habitats there will be as little accommodation as possible.
For example, while Ontario now provides government services in French as a matter of law, it does not do so as a matter of right. We wouldn't want to raise the possibility that French is actually the equal of English, so we grant French rights as privileges.
Farther west, of course, the attitude is even less accommodating. West of Manitoba French seems to be largely taken as an affectation which needlessly clutters up the back of the cereal box.
The amusing thing, of course is that if English Canadians had ever acknowledged that Canada is not just an English country they would have that distinctiveness from Americans they're so desperate to believe in. We would probably be more certain of our differences from Americans if we were bilingual, for example. However, we prefer a country in which two of the leaders of the four national political parties stood around like lumps during the leaders' debate in French during the last election campaign, then probably went home and wondered why their parties can't make any headway in Quebec.
Like Quebec nationalism, this form of English Canadian nationalism has its origins in actual historical circumstances. In 1791, for example, the Upper Canadians obtained a superior system of land tenure by breaking away from Quebec. Nevertheless, the doctrine of English ethnic superiority is now dysfunctional, and it is time to abandon it. However, before we can abandon it we must first admit to it.
English Canadian Nationalism in a Nutshell © John FitzGerald, 2001
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