Cartier and Confederation: Knowledge and Commemoration Jack Jedwab Association for Canadian Studies September 2014

Methodology The Association for Canadian Studies commissioned Leger Marketing to conduct an online survey of 1007 Quebecers between June 17 th and 19 th, 2014 and a second follow up oCanadians between July 8 th and July 10 th, 2014

Cartier’s Birthday Is there a party planned? Next year there will be much attention and fanfare directed at the 200 th birthday of Sir John A. Macdonald. September 6 th marks the 200 th birthday of George-Etienne Cartier (generally seem as the Quebec counterpart/founder to Macdonald in the enactment of Confederation. Yet there is little buzz about the event. The Government of Canada has identified it as a milestone on the road to Canada’s 150 th anniversary. But that along with the 1864 Quebec Conference do not appear to be major points of historic reference in Quebec. On either event there is no need to break out the party hats and noisemakers Next year there will be much attention and fanfare directed at the 200 th birthday of Sir John A. Macdonald. September 6 th marks the 200 th birthday of George-Etienne Cartier (generally seem as the Quebec counterpart/founder to Macdonald in the enactment of Confederation. Yet there is little buzz about the event. The Government of Canada has identified it as a milestone on the road to Canada’s 150 th anniversary. But that along with the 1864 Quebec Conference do not appear to be major points of historic reference in Quebec. On either event there is no need to break out the party hats and noisemakers

Canada’s 150 th Look Ahead or Look Back? As we shall observe below Quebercers know little about the Confederation arrangements or Cartier. The road to the 150 th provides an opportunity to fill some of the void. But in the case of Quebec there may be a tendency to mark the 150 th by looking ahead rather than looking back. As we shall observe below Quebercers know little about the Confederation arrangements or Cartier. The road to the 150 th provides an opportunity to fill some of the void. But in the case of Quebec there may be a tendency to mark the 150 th by looking ahead rather than looking back.

Largest plurality of Quebecers unaware of whether Confederation was a good deal The 1867 constitution was a good agreement for Quebec TotalMaleFemale Francoph one Non- francoph one NET AGREE 31%37%25%19%25%32%24%37%45%27%47% Strongly agree 10%14%6%5%7%12%8%11%13%6%23% Somewhat agree 21%23%20%14%17%20%17%26%31%21%25% NET DISAGREE 29%34%24%29%23%27%33%32%31%34%13% Somewhat disagree 17% 19%14%18% 17%19%20%11% Strongly disagree 12%17%7%10%9% 15% 12%14%2% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 40%28%50%52%53%42% 31%25%39%40%

Plurality of Quebecers think Quebec was an equal partner in Confederation but most under 35 simply don’t know Quebec was a respected and equal partner in the 1867 Canadian Confederation TotalMaleFemale Francopho ne Non- Francopho ne NET AGREE 37%43%31%29%22%36%33%41%53%33%52% Strongly agree 15%18%11% 13%10%20%21%11%28% Somewhat agree 22%25%20%19%12%22%24%22%32%22%24% NET DISAGR EE 29%33%24%28%25%29%32%33%24%31%17% Somewhat disagree 19%21%16%21%15%22%18%23%14%19%15% Strongly disagree 10%12%8%7%11%7%14%10% 12%1% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 35%24%45%42%52%35% 25%23%35%31%

More young Quebecers pick Trudeau than Cartier when asked about the key figure in Quebec’s entry into Confederation Who is the key figure in Quebec's entry into Canadian Confederation? Quebec Total FrancoNon-Franco Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine 1%3% 1%0% 1% George Etienne Cartier 11%6%14%10%6%14%17%12%11% Louis Joseph Papineau 7%2%4%6% 13%8%2% John A. Macdonald 14%15%14%10%15% 12% 19% Wilfrid Laurier 16%10%12%8%21%25%16%17%12% Louis Saint Laurent 2%0%1%2% 1%2%1%2% Pierre Elliot Trudeau 9%12% 15%9%3%4%8%10% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 41%51%40%48%40%36%35%41%

Most Quebecers think the Constitution recognizes the British and French as founding peoples Quebec The 1867 Constitution recognized that Canada was founded by the British and French Total Franco Non- Franco NET AGREE 47%42%41%49% 45%52%44%59% Strongly agree 17%13%15%20%17%16%21%14%29% Somewhat agree 30%29%26%29%32%30%31%30% NET DISAGREE 20%16%26%18% 24%20%23%11% Somewhat disagree 15%12%18%15%13%18%14%17%9% Strongly disagree 5%4%7%2%5%6% 1% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 32%42%33% 32%30%28%33%30%

Those most attached to Canada are most likely to believe that the 1867 Constitution recognized that Canada was founded by British and French Attachment to Canada The 1867 Constitution recognized that Canada was founded by the British and French Very attached Somewhat attached Not very attached Not at all attached Total Strongly agree29.5%12.1%6.2%15.4%17.3% Somewhat agree28.0%34.3%28.3%29.0%29.8% Somewhat disagree11.1%13.6%23.0%18.1%15.1% Strongly disagree2.5%2.8%6.0%17.3%5.3% I don't know/ I prefer not to answer 28.9%37.2%36.4%20.1%32.4%

Those with the most knowledge of Quebec history are the most likely to believe that the 1867 Constitution recognized that Canada was founded by British and French I have a good knowledge of Quebec history The 1867 Constitution recognized that Canada was founded by the British and French Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree I don't know / I prefer not to answer Total Strongly agree 35.3%14.6%10.3%21.4%0.00%17.3% Somewhat agree 22.2%35.6%31.7%15.5%4.7%29.8% Somewhat disagree 17.4%16.6%11.2%5.9%14.2%15.1% strongly disagree 11.7%4.8%2.5%02.1%5.3% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 13.3%28.2%44.2%57.1%78.9%32.4%

Those most knowledgeable about Quebec history are the most likely to choose Cartier I have a good knowledge of Quebec history Which is the key figure in Quebec's entry into Canadian Confederation? Strongly agreeSomewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagreeTotal Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine 1.3%1.2%0.5%0%1% George-Etienne Cartier 27.7%10.5%3.2%2.1%11.4% Louis Joseph Papineau 7.2%7.9%3.8%0%6.6% John A. Macdonald 14.2%15.6%11.3%8.0%13.5% Wilfrid Laurier 16.5%17.6%14.3%10.2%16% Louis Saint Laurent 1.4%1.7%2.2%0%1.6% Pierre Elliot Trudeau 10.3%8.3% 16%8.8% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 21.2%37.0%56.1%63.6%41%

Pride in Quebec doesn’t imply knowledge of Quebec I am very proud of Quebec's history Which is the key figure in Quebec's entry into Canadian Confederation? Strongly agree Somewhat agree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree Total Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine 0.5%1.2%1.5%2.9%1% George Etienne Cartier 13.2%12.3%9.8%8.5%11.5% Louis Joseph Papineau 10.8%5.6%1.5%0%6.6% John A. Macdonald 15.5%13.4%13.5%17.6%13.5% Wilfrid Laurier 17.2%18.3%13.4%8.9%16.0% Louis Saint Laurent 3.3%1.3%0% 1.0% Pierre Elliot Trudeau 4.6%10.4%9.4%22.5%8.8% I don't know / I prefer not to answer 35%37.5%50.6%39.6%41%

Quebecers far less likely to have learned something about Confederation in high school I learned something about the 1867 Confederation in high school Canada TotalAtlanticQCONMB/SKAB BC NET AGREE 65%73%54%70%68%66%65% Strongly agree 29%35%17%32%30%41%29% Somewh at agree 36%38%37%38% 25%36% NET DISAGREE 23%22%36%19%20%17%16% Somewh at disagree 12%13%20%9%13%8%9% Strongly disagree 11%8%16%10%7%9%7% I don't know/I prefer not to answer 12%6%10%11%12%17%18%

Quebecers agree that 150 th Anniversary is an opportunity for governments enhance public’s knowledge of history Quebec NET AGREETotal FrNon-Fr In 2017 during the 150th anniversary of Canada the federal government should invest to help us learn more about our history 59%53%55%59%51%57%77%56%72% In 2017 during the 150th anniversary of Canada the government of Quebec should invest to help us learn more about our history 61%49%53%66%55%59%75%59%66%