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Letter to Editor: Ottawa Citizen

Morgan Duchesney 2008

French Citizenship in Quebec?

A July 12, 2008 Ottawa Citizen article states that Quebecer Marie Mance Vallee is upset by France’s refusal to grant her French citizenship based on her claim that she can trace her French ancestors back 400 years to France. She was attempting to benefit from a new French law that allows anyone to claim French citizenship if, “… they can prove they have ancestors who were born in France.”

She seems to favour Quebec separatism and doesn’t wish to be identified as a Canadian. While she claims to be Quebecois, she says she has no identity. I suspect that Ms. Vallee, like many separatist enthusiasts, has rather naïve and fantastical notions entitlement about the reality of their proposed sovereign state. I wonder how the average separatist feels about the possibility of forfeiting all the federal transfer payment-funded social programs and benefits available to Quebec while it remains a Canadian province?

As justification for their refusal, the French government mentions the French defeat at the Plains of Abraham and France’s subsequent loss of its North American colonies. I will admit that debate exists about the details of this battle but the aftermath is historically clear.

Perhaps I will apply for Scottish citizenship. I can definitely trace my Fraser ancestors back to 1814 and a ship called the Hector that docked at Pictou, Nova Scotia. By the way, there is a separatist movement on Cape Breton Island. It seeks not to separate from Canada but simply to separate from Nova Scotia. We Cape Bretoners believe it was a mistake to allow Nova Scotia to join us in 1956. At least they paid for the Canso Causeway.

I love these letters – please keep printing them. At a time when Quebec separatism is tottering, we need these public reminders of its absurity to finally push it over the cliff.