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'Non' to sovereignty in 1980 Quebec referendum
Broadcast Date: May 20, 1980
With the election of his Parti Québécois in 1976, René Lévesque sets Quebec on the path toward a referendum on the question of independence for Canada's second largest province by population. Four years later, on Tuesday, May 20, 1980, the people of Quebec reply with a resounding No. Faced with the fact nearly 60 per cent of voters have rejected his political dream of a sovereign Quebec, a tearful Lévesque addresses an arena full of supporters with the promise, "'Til the next time."'Non' to sovereignty in 1980 Quebec referendum
• While relieved by the result, Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, noted the 40.6 per cent of voters who sought an independent Quebec and said, "we have all lost a little in this referendum." Over the next four years, Trudeau's primary political objective became the repatriation of the Canadian constitution in an effort to appease Quebec.• Over 85 per cent of eligible voters participated in the referendum. A total of 2,187,991 people voted No to Quebec independence, while 1,485,851 voted Yes.
• In response to the referendum loss, militant Quebec separatists adopted the slogan "Ça va barder" – "There's going to be trouble."
Also on May 20:
1851: The first Canadian postage stamps are issued.
1920: Montreal radio station XWA broadcasts the first regularly scheduled radio programming in North America.
1971: Francis Simard is sentenced to life in prison for the 1970 murder of Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte.
1986: Sharon Wood and Dwayne Congdon, both of Canmore, Alberta, reach the top of Mount Everest. Wood is the first North American woman to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain.
2003: Canada's beef industry is plunged into crisis when it is revealed a cow slaughtered in January had mad cow disease.
'Non' to sovereignty in 1980 Quebec referendum
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News Special
Broadcast Date: May 20, 1980
Guest(s): René Lévesque
Duration: 11:17
Last updated:
March 20, 2008
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With all due respect to the late premier, his speech left a lot to be desired. Full of cliches and hints of sour grapes. When he uttered the words "a la prochaine fois" it clearly showed that he was indeed not fully accepting of the outcome. And while I realize Quebec sovereignists are a passionate people, those two individuals crying and hugging each other looked like they had lost their own kids for cryin' out loud. (pardon the pun)
Submitted by: Guy from Ottawa