Québec Separatism
Early
settlers
in the land now known as
Canada came mainly from France and Great
Britain. The two countries spent many years
fighting for control of Canada. Today, Canada is
a place where both British and French people live
alongside each other. Québec still has strong ties
to France and has its own laws based on its French
heritage
. Since the 1960s, some Québec leaders have
pushed for the province to
separate
from the rest of
Canada. They want it to become a
sovereign
nation.
How do you think this would affect people in Québec?
What impact would it have on the other provinces
and territories?
Heritage
parts of a culture
that are handed
down over time,
such as traditions
In the provinces and Yukon, the premier
is the head of the
political party
that
gains the most
seats
during an election
(see pages 18–19). In Northwest Territories
and Nunavut, the premier is selected by
the other
elected
representatives. The
premier leads the executive branch in each
province and territory. He or she appoints
other high-ranking government workers to
their roles, such as the cabinet. The cabinet
is made up of elected representatives
called ministers. Each minister is the head
of a different department, such as
health or education.
Sandy Silver was
first elected to the Yukon
Legislative
Assembly
in 2011. He was appointed to the
role of premier five years later.
Sovereign
having power or
control over
oneself
Separate
to part from
something
Settlers
people who go
to live in a
new region
CASE
STUDY
9
