MONTREAL (CBC) - A group of students at the University of Ottawa has started the first Bloc Québécois student club outside the province of Quebec.

Tristan Dénommée, a third-year political science student originally from Quebec, founded the club in September as a way of promoting the Bloc's separatist ideas on campus.

"The Bloc is an official party in Canada, and we have the right to express ourselves," Dénommée said. "If I can inform students about my cause, it could be a good thing, because most anglophone Canadians don't understand the mentality of French separatist people."

As an official campus club, the group gets $1,000 in subsidies and access to other resources, including free room rentals. Dénommée has recruited 25 members so far but also encountered some resistance from students who don't believe their student fees should support a separatist political group.

"Personally, I don't like it if my money goes to a Conservative party [club]," Dénommée said. "If you want it to be fair for yourself, you can just create your own club, with your own opinion, and reimburse yourself that way."

Arlaine MacLennan, clubs co-ordinator for the university's student federation, said she's received no complaints about the club being approved.

"They're a political club, and they want to promote Bloquiste ideas on campus, just like there are many other political clubs for other political parties," MacLennan said.

In order for a club to be officially recognized by the student federation, it has to have a minimum of 15 members, 75 per cent of whom have to be University of Ottawa students. MacLennan said there are roughly 200 registered clubs on campus that fall into a range of categories, including philanthropic, political, religious, cultural, academic and recreational.

Dénommée said his club plans to hold debates with other campus political clubs next semester and also hopes to invite Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe to speak on campus.