As you know, in Quebec there's a large percentage of the population which would like to be independent from Canada. In Quebec this is apparent in everyday life, as we people who live in Catalonia know very well. For instance:
- In Ottawa, signs are in English and below in French. In Quebec, they are in French and below in English.
- Montreal is the city in Canada with a larger population of arab origin, from Northern Africa or from the Middle East. The reason: they speak French.
- When you apply for permanent residency in Canada, if you do it in Quebec, most points are awarded to you if you speak French.
The possibility of Quebec separating from Canada is by no means remote. Canada is a young country, created in 1867, and it has undergone constant changes in history until today. Newfoundland-Labrador didn't join Canada until 1949. A new territory was created in 1999, the Nunavut. This means the Canadian borders haven't been the same for 500 years, they are changing even today. So, if one of these days there is a secession referendum and separatists win, Quebec will leave Canada.
But a crucial detail to understand the reality of a country with a separatist threat, and which many people don't know, is the following. Look at the above picture. As I said before, the left part is Ontario and the right one is Quebec. Well, the price of two exactly equal houses is 30% lower in Quebec than in Ontario. Why is that? Because many Canadians don't want to buy a house in the Quebecois side. They fear that if Quebec finally separates, they will be left in a different country, foreigners in their own house. And if demand is low, prices go down.
I would like to see what many Catalan independentists would think if they saw their apartment in Barcelona lose value, as much as 30%, because of the threat of Catalonia separating. I mean, it's good to be separatist, I am to a certain degree, but, are we aware that an independent Catalonia would have drawbacks, as well as advantages?
