Thousands attend Canada Day fest in Montreal but it’s not a sign of stronger ties to country

Commentators have long observed Quebec's separation from the rest of Canada seems to have become de facto reality since the 1995 referendum.

Political realignment, a westward shift in the economic centre of gravity and the steady withdrawal of Quebecers from active participation in federal decision-making have played a role. But also seems to be a matter of benign neglect, mutual disinterest, like a married couple sharing the house but with separate bedrooms.

So the Globe and Mail story Monday reporting a big turnout for Canada Day celebrations on Montreal's Ste. Catherine Street might come as a surprise.

Thousands of people, most from visible minorities, turned out to wave the Maple Leaf and hold a parade in a multicultural celebration of Canada's national day.

"Quebeckers don't get many chances to freely express love for Canada," the Globe's Les Perreaux wrote. "Those who dare are often dismissed as cranks and extremists by the francophone nationalists who dominate Quebec's cultural and political life.

"Even this warm gathering would be dismissed in those quarters as a sign of the ghettoization and resistance to integration brought by 'Canadian-style' multiculturalism.

"But on this street on this day, Canadian patriots had their way."

Still, he noted, the crowd was much smaller than the one that turned out a week ago for the St. Jean Baptiste Day celebrations, which Quebecers consider their true "fete nationale."

[ Related: Twenty-two arrested after clashes with police at Fete Nationale ]

So no one should confuse Sunday's patriotic outpouring with some resurgent federalist groundswell in Quebec.

For renters in the province, July 1 is moving day, when apartment leases expire and Montrealers witness the phenomenon of thousands of people schlepping bags and baggage to new digs.

QMI Agency reported more than 80,000 Quebecers took part this year, far more than those who showed up at Canada Day celebrations.

As The Canadian Press's report on the day pointed out, many consider themselves Quebecer's first and Canadians second.

The province's relationship with the rest of Canada seems to be in limbo.

Despite the fact Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government acknowledged Quebec as a nation within Canada, the party's support in the province has shrivelled. That weakness led Harper to seek advice last week from former prime minister Brian Mulroney, even though they haven't been on speaking terms for years.

The provincial Liberal government, led by former federal Tory cabinet minister Jean Charest, is in danger of losing the next election to the separatist Parti Quebecois, despite the opposition party's own internal disarray.

A poll released last week suggested about half of the Canadian respondents outside Quebec don't care if the province separates, The Canadian Press noted. It's a far cry from Canadians' emotional outpouring on the eve of the razor-thin federalist win in the 1995 referendum.

But Quebecers aren't much interested in separating, apparently content to nurture a distinct culture under the Canadian umbrella while pretending it doesn't exist. The PQ is split on whether to hold another referendum on sovereignty if they win the next election.

"I don't think the Parti Quebecois is the inspiration it once was," longtime sovereigntist Robert Dufour told The Canadian Press.

"The PQ is more focused on a good administration that would benefit Quebecers, rather than holding a referendum (on sovereignty)."