OTTAWA – Shortly after welcoming his friend Jack from Australia into his home, local man Stephen Christie found himself unable to properly satisfy his visitors’ many questions about Quebec and its relationship with the rest of Canada.
“He wanted to know a lot of things that I have never really thought about before,” said Christie. “Like, ‘how did our country come to be so divided along linguistic fault lines’ and ‘why did they look so offended when I tried to say Bon Jour’.”
“So wait, they insist on speaking a different language, they have an entirely separate entertainment industry and culture, and they keep trying to leave until you beg them to stay?” asked Jack.
After a few moments of deliberation, Christie responded with a prudent, “uhh… yeah. I guess so.”
Christie went on to try to explain the the long-standing traditions of Quebecois culture, the impact of the Lord Durham report of 1840, and the religious and economic implications of the Quiet Revolution, but eventually gave up and mumbled something about poutine and hockey.
At press time, this article will soon be written in French in 24 point font and with a special paragraph recognizing Quebec’s distinct identity within Canadian humour.
