Evelyn Dumas 
     
    
   
   
    
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     the CADRE ........ .21 
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘ uébec 7 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Stanley Ryerson is a Marxist historian and resides in 
     
     Montreal. His latest book, 'Unequal Union’ is about to be 
     
     translated into French. He is presently writing a book on 
     
     Canadian nationalism. 
     
    

    
     The following, is a transcript of-part of a talk he gave at 
     
     the conference on Quebec nationalism, ’The Other Solitude', 
     
     held last June at Glendon College. 
     
    
   
   
    
     I’d like to talk about the unchanging elite structures 
     
     in Quebec. Although there are changes going on in 
     
     Quebec, and they are terrificaslly important, it would be 
     
     a massive illusion to think that the ‘reVolution tranquille’ 
     
     which was not so ‘tranquille’ was a revolution. 
     
    

    
     Or that the ancient elites whose background goes 
     
     back to a gentlemen’s agreement called the Quebec Act, 
     
     have been overthrown by an insurgent people. 
     
    

    
     The de-mystification of ‘la revolution tranquille’ is 
     
     in a sense relating to the problem of tie-mystifying a 
     
     certain aura of publicity that we experience - for 
     
     example, a canidate for the prime ministership mingled 
     
     with shoppers in plazas. That suggestion of participa— 
     
     tion was perhaps intended to imply that things were 
     
     really changing - even though Dominion stores continued 
     
     to be owned by Argus Corporation which in turn is. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Two anglophones l 
     
    
   
   
    
     elites and dissentin 
     
    
   
   
    
     Evelyn Dumas has been a frequent contributor to 
     
     'Canadian Dimension’. 'Le Devoir’, and the ‘Montreal Star'. 
     
     She has been on the Quebec labour scene for eight years, and 
     
     knows her field well. 
     
    

    
     The following is an edited version of a talk she gave the 
     
    
   
   
    
     same Quebec conference, from which the above Ryerson 
     
     transcript was taken. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The word nationalism in relation to Quebec is a very 
     
     confusing term. It runs all the way from the FLQ ter- 
     
     rorist to the person who puts Quebec first and foremost. 
     
    
   
   
    
     This confusion over what nationalism means is a major 
     
    
   
   
    
     political problem today. 
     
    

    
     Someone who defines the problems of Quebec in terms 
     
     of the majority there being French Canadian has one 
     
     step into the ‘house of nationalism’. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The nationalism in the trade unions in confused by 
     
     the fact that there are two legitimate unions — the 
     
     Quebec Federation of Labour and the Confederation of 
     
     National Trade Unions (CSN). The latter defines itself 
     
     as a coast to coast organization. In fact they are oper- 
     
     ating almost exclusively in Quebec. 
     
    

    
     These organizations have several levels'within these 
     
     groups. There is the top leadership who act as official 
     
     spokesmen; there’s the staff level; the federation level 
     
     and finally, the-re are the workers. 
     
    

    
     If it’s one thing that I have learned from eight years 
     
     of reporting on the labour scene, it’s that no one has 
     
     the right to say what the workers think. They make up 
     
     close to 80 per cent of the population and it is fair to 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
        
     
        
     
          
     
         
     
         
     
          
     
         
     
       
     
          
     
        
     
       
     
          
     
         
     
       
     
        
     
         
     
        
     
          
     
       
     
         
     
        
     
         
     
         
     
         
     
         
     
         
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     controlled by Edward Plunket 
     
     Bayview Avenue. 
     
    

    
     While there is fermentation, 
     
     lenge, my argument would be t 
     
     block of ‘la classe mercantil 
     
     elites which joined forces int 
     
     period, is still in power and o 
     
    

    
     The kind of changes that ‘ha 
     
     the framework of the system. 
     
     direction of urbanization from 
     
     Quebec now has been to for 
     
     per cent urban. This is a s 
     
     modernization with the strea 
     
     education and business institut 
     
     within the framework of a busi 
     
    

    
     What is new and what is chan 
     
     structure of Quebec has basica 
     
     modernization has come a que 
     
     the social order, and the ancie 
     
     established in 1760, modified 1 
     
     after the 1837 rebellion, 
     
     1867- This has taken place und 
     
     tion in a sort of ‘examen de c 
     
     nada, which was precipitated 
     
     tation’ in Quebec. 
     
    

    
     Whether the problems in Q 
     
     sense of ‘la nation Quebécoise 
     
     qui a sa vie et son étre en fran 
     
     of departure. 
     
    
   
   
    
     assume that there are as that 
     
     among them as among other 
     
     them all into one group. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Looking at different levels 0 
     
     I think we should look at the 
     
     powerful unionising drive whic 
     
     It included a great number 
     
     which is something new. In C 
     
     per cent of the white collar 
     
     Quebec, teachers, hospital 
     
     were organized for the first 
     
     organizations were revitalized. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The civil service leaders 
     
     more emphasis on nationalist' 
     
     blue collar workers. So, when 
     
     lem of nationalism Quebec asa 
     
     they are covering over the act 
     
     groups as Hydro Quebec and .t 
     
    

    
     On the part of the blue colla 
     
     tended to be quite wary of natio 
     
     nationalism had been more of 
     
     - and his political capital of re 
     
     Ottawa. 1 ' 
     
    
   
   
    
     So, there was a natural relu 
     
     to use any form of nationalis 
     
     the Quebec Federation of Labo 
     
     those people such as Emile B 
     
     to achieve what is now taken 
     
     tive autonomy from the Can 
     
     were branded as separatists. 
     
     taken for granted, and is an i 
     
     that has occured. '