Le 20 mai 1980

[August1991]

This post is an indulgence for me. For the past few days, Radio-Canada has been talking about the 25th anniversary of the first referendum in Quebec, on 20 May 1980. Today, they played numerous recordings of all the main speeches. Levesque, Trudeau, Ryan, Chretien.

Hearing these voices, years later, has made me nostalgic.

I was living in Quebec City when I voted in the first referendum. I remember standing in the booth with the ballot paper in my hand and reading the first part of the question in French and then switching to English for the second half. Afterwards, I recall walking down the rue St-Jean on a sunny spring day.

Levesque had a beautiful voice for radio and he was so damned honest. Trudeau's French was better before he entered federal politics but my God, how well he could express such intelligence. Chretien was a buffoon. In 1980, his style was a schtick but listening to it now, it's clearly empty.

I heard once again Levesque talking about what this adventure meant and Trudeau saying that he and all Liberals would put their seats solennellement en jeu to change the way Canada worked.

They played Trudeau's speech the night of the 20 May. It was truly gracious and when I hear now criticism of Trudeau, I often recall that speech. I guess he was a shy man who could only express his humanity with his head, not his heart.

Levesque famously said in his speech that night, À la prochaine.

Levesque was a democrat and Trudeau a federalist.

----

I realize that some on this forum were too young, not even born, or a continent away to understand the sense of my post.

So, maybe what I mean is that this country Canada has a history. And we have important political issues to decide. As a country, our greatest strength is that we manage our affairs in a civilized way. Canada should not aim to be a just society but rather a civilised society.

However Canada's future plays out, let us do it as civilised people.

[Bakunin]

This post is an indulgence for me.  For the past few days, Radio-Canada has been talking about the 25th anniversary of the first referendum in Quebec, on 20 May 1980.  Today, they played numerous recordings of all the main speeches.  Levesque, Trudeau, Ryan, Chretien.

Hearing these voices, years later, has made me nostalgic.

I was living in Quebec City when I voted in the first referendum. I remember standing in the booth with the ballot paper in my hand and reading the first part of the question in French and then switching to English for the second half.  Afterwards, I recall walking down the rue St-Jean on a sunny spring day. 

Levesque had a beautiful voice for radio and he was so damned honest.  Trudeau's French was better before he entered federal politics but my God, how well he could express such intelligence.  Chretien was a buffoon.  In 1980, his style was a schtick but listening to it now, it's clearly empty.

I heard once again Levesque talking about what this adventure meant and Trudeau saying that he and all Liberals would put their seats solennellement en jeu to change the way Canada worked.

They played Trudeau's speech the night of the 20 May. It was truly gracious and when I hear now criticism of Trudeau, I often recall that speech.  I guess he was a shy man who could only express his humanity with his head, not his heart.

Levesque famously said in his speech that night, À la prochaine.

Levesque was a democrat and Trudeau a federalist.

----

I realize that some on this forum were too young, not even born, or a continent away to understand the sense of my post.

So, maybe what I mean is that this country Canada has a history.  And we have important political issues to decide.  As a country, our greatest strength is that we manage our affairs in a civilized way.  Canada should not aim to be a just society but rather a civilised society.

However Canada's future plays out, let us do it as civilised people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

all the important politician of the last 45 year in canada and quebec came right after the Duplessis (union national) years, maybe something similar will happen after the (Chretien Trudeau) liberal years... new young politicians and great evolution.

[ScottBrison]

Quebec has given this country so much. I wish they didn't want to leave so badly, I mean we have our arguments in this country. The East ribs the West, the West gets mad and yells at the East, etc.

I live in Nova Scotia, and have never been to Quebec, I don't speak French or have any French lineage. So I guess I'll never understand why they want to leave so much.