Artists from L’Autre St-Jean speak.

Quebec needs to enter the 21st century, realize that the French are no longer oppressed and try to understand that there is a larg community that would rather have the 24th of June as a day of coming together and being pushed (as usual) apart. It seems clear to me that this festival needs to be put on a shelf and a newer kind of festival to celebrate Quebec’s diversity to include the indigenous and gypsy populations, to include the English and French, as well as the immigrants from all over the world. The way forward in this world is to create dialogue not rifts and from all I am reading here is reflective of a culture of blaming everything on a history that is not immediately relevant.

http://fanset8.blogspot.com/2008/06/bridging-solitudes.html

The event apparently symbolizes the “changing face of the city”, i.e. the fact that Westmount’s *more francophone* now (over 20% I think) which would explain where the impetus came for it in the first place. It’s sponsored by the same organization which sponsors and coordinates Fête Nationale events elsewhere in Montreal and the province, the Mouvement National des Québécois: http://www.fetenationale.qc.ca/les-grandes-celebrations/montreal.html

Now, if you insist on using your definition, can you please tell me a specific example of nationalism that isn’t ethnic? Canadian nationalism certainly wouldn’t work, since Canada explicitly promotes English and French as official languages and all public services are only available in those languages. Not to mention hockey as a “national sport” and other cultural features common to Canadian nationalism.

And sure, “racism” was perhaps not right term, but I don’t know of a word X such that X is to ethnicity as racism is to race. Since X is morally equivalent to racism, I don’t think confusing the two is a huge problem.

I`ve heard conflicting reports on this. On the one hand I heard in the media (francophone) that the band members happen to be anglo but speak French with typical Quebec accents. Whereas another report I heard (also from francophone media) said the guy could barely speak French to save his life.

Never actually heard an interview with any of the band members though.

Of course on Canada day, in Quebec, many people move on. Very interesting! All those couches and beds deposited on the streets. What memories must be discarded on this day :)