The 15 resolutions adopted during the 1967 National assizes of the Estates General of French Canada

The 15 resolutions* of the 1967 National assizes of the Estates General of French Canada**

adopted by the delegates of the French-Canadian nation

held at Place des Arts, Montreal, from November 23 to 26, 1967

Preliminary resolution on the right to self-determination

Resolution	Quebec			Ontario			Acadia			West
	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.
Self-determination The Estates General of French Canada, gathered in assembly, affirm that: French Canadians constitute a nation. Quebec constitutes the national territory and fundamental political milieu of this nation. The French-Canadian nation has the right to self-determination and to freely choose the political regime under which she intends to live.	98 %	1 %	1 %	35 %	55 %	10 %	52 %	14 %	34 %	30 %	33 %	37 %

Resolutions emanating from the cultural workshop

Resolution	Quebec			Ontario			Acadia			West
	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.
Education and research Concerning Quebec: It belongs exclusively to Quebec... to legislate on all questions relative to education and culture in Quebec; to legislate on matters of subsidies, loans and bursaries for education, research and for the development of the arts and sciences in Quebec; to augment the teaching of French and the propagation of French culture among non-francophone Quebecers, so that Quebec fully participates to the world francophonie. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: Education, in all provinces, is a provincial jurisdiction. the anglophone provinces of Canada must grant to the French minorities the same treatment and the same rights granted by Quebec to its English minority.	97 %	1 %	2 %	86 %	5 %	9 %	80 %	2 %	18 %	88 %	6 %	6 %
Language status Concerning Quebec: The Parliament of Quebec must adopt radical and concrete measures to impose, in fact, the generalized use of French; English must not be taught in primary schools of Quebec, except in the schools of the anglophone minority; In the French schools of Quebec, the learning of a second language must be optional and it must begin in high school. Quebec must establish French as the sole official language in all organizations under its direct or indirect authority: ministries, boards, government-owned corporations, city councils, school boards, etc. City councils and schools boards in the majority anglophone will be permitted to use the English language during a short period of adaptation. The government of Quebec must endeavour to integrally refrancize the toponymy of Quebec taking under account the contribution of aboriginal human groups and certain historical events, and, in the future, having recourse to French must be the constant rule in toponymy, subject to common practice in international courtesy. Any sign on the public streets and any text intended for the public must be made in French. One will be allowed to add another language at the condition that French has priority. The Quebec State must make it mandatory that all companies dealing with the public must employ only people who can express themselves adequately in French. The Quebec State must take the appropriate legislative means so that French be the language of work in all industries and in business. The anglophone minority will enjoy, at all levels, education institutions at the condition that these be bilingual. The anglophones' grip on the schools and classes of other language minorities must cease immediately. Neo-Quebecers, Eskimos, and Indians have the right to French public schools or classes including teaching of their native language where a sufficient number of parents wish for it. Any federal, confederal, Canadian union or other should be entirely bilingual. In the civil service, in departments attached to it, French and English sectors should be created according to the region being served and one should required an adequate knowledge of both languages from functionaries and employees in the administrative echelons. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: In all provinces other than Quebec, the French language should benefit from a legislation that will ensure its full development everywhere. A French network of radio and television must serve all Canadian provinces outside Quebec. In New Brunswick, where 35.2 % of the population is French-speaking, the French and English languages should become official.	94 %	3 %	3 %	51 %	27 %	22 %	77 %	11 %	12 %	44 %	21 %	35 %
Radio and broadcasting Concerning Quebec: (In matters of radio) Quebec must create a sovereign regulation board. Quebec must take part to international conventions, particularly what relates to the assignment of radio frequencies. (In matters of broadcasting) Quebec must exercise an exclusive jurisdiction on its territory. Quebec must create a sovereign regulation board. Quebec must create its own broadcasting corporation (Radio-Québec). Quebec must freely participate to all radio exchanges with foreign countries particularly the other francophone countries. Quebec must exercise control over all the means of mass communication, which are tools of popular culture, notably through the following measures: by creating a film board that will define the standards for movie production, distribution and exploitation and will ensure a service to assist production; by creating a legislation and an organization to regulate production and broadcasting of audiovisual techniques; to favour the creation of an autonomous French press agency in Quebec. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: In matters of radio, in provinces other than Quebec, the jurisdiction must be exercised by an organization where the francophone and anglophone groups of Canada's diverse geographical regions will be represented on parity. Quebec must have jurisdiction over broadcasting on its territory. But in the other provinces, this jurisdiction must be exercised by an organization where the francophone and anglophone groups of Canada's diverse geographical regions will be represented on parity.	90 %	7 %	3 %	26 %	59 %	15 %	50 %	18 %	32 %	30 %	33 %	37 %
Relations among French Canadians Concerning Quebec: Before the desire of French Canadians to better assert the sentiment of belonging to the same nationality, it is appropriate to augment and institutionalize the exchanges between the groups forming the national community; Quebec, conscious of its responsibilities and not currently enjoying the constitutional means to assume them, must take the necessary measures to fully assume its role toward the French-Canadian nation. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: French-Canadians outside Quebec must be considered and must consider themselves as full members of the French-Canadian nation. Through the practical assistance of the public authorities, groupings and institutions, the exchanges with Quebec must be intensified in all the domains and especially in the cultural domain, in order to favour the radiation of the French-Canadian nation outside Quebec.	96 %	2 %	2 %	93 %	7 %	0 %	91 %	0 %	9 %	74 %	1 %	25 %

Resolutions emanating from the social workshop

Resolution	Quebec			Ontario			Acadia			West
	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.
Labour legislation Quebec must require exclusive jurisdiction in matters of unionism, including the accreditation of unions, the prevention and settlement of conflicts and the extension of collective bargaining. Quebec must have exclusive jurisdiction over the adoption and implementation of a true labour policy (training, "recycling", adaptation to technical progress, unemployment insurance, orientation). Quebec must require exclusive jurisdiction on transportation and communications. Quebec must require exclusive jurisdiction in matters of revenue.	83 %	10 %	7 %	26 %	52 %	22 %	31 %	31 %	38 %	27%	26 %	47 %
Population and immigration Concerning population: Quebec must give itself a planned population policy and a policy of immigration that enriches the culture and the economy of the nation. Quebec must hold exclusive powers to plan the population of its territory. Quebec must have exclusive jurisdiction for what relates to the implementation of a social policy favouring the increase of birth rate. Quebec must hold exclusive powers over all that pertains to migratory movements of its citizens. To strike out the assimilation of French Canadians to the anglophone milieu, outside Quebec, the following measures must be taken: make Quebec strong to increase its radiation in all French Canada; require that French minorities outside Quebec obtain the same treatment the English minority enjoys in Quebec; encourage by all means the return to Quebec of French Canadians living across its borders; create a French television broadcasting network throughout Canada; direct toward Quebec a greater number of students coming from French minority groups; conclude cultural accords between Quebec and French Canadians from the other provinces; establish French unilingualism in Quebec. To put an end to emigration of young French Canadians to the United States, the following measures must be taken: the implementation of an immigration policy that will attract or retain these youths in Quebec; the command over Quebec's economy by Quebecers; raising the standard of living and increasing the "recycling" of labour in Quebec; the creation of new jobs and new industries and accessibility to positions of command for French Canadians; recognition of French as language of work in Quebec; the development of education and teaching in Quebec. Concerning immigration: Quebec must legislate in matters of immigration to ensure the development of the nation. To this end, the following measures must be taken: the immediate creation of a Quebec ministry of immigration; the attribution to Quebec of an exclusive jurisdiction on the recruiting of immigrants necessary to the development of the country; the control over the admission of immigrants on the territory of Quebec; the conclusion of international accords with foreign countries in matter of immigration; the institution of a Quebec citizenship; the attribution to Quebec of an exclusive jurisdiction over the reception of immigrants wishing to settle in Quebec and medical control over immigrants in transit.	96 %	2 %	2 %	53 %	29 %	18 %	48 %	29 %	23 %	46 %	24 %	30 %
Social security and health care Concerning Quebec: Quebec must alone exercise jurisdiction in matters of social security in health care. Quebec must proceed by steps toward provisional administrative and financial accords, during the transitory period of the transfer of powers. As of the beginning of this transitory period, Quebec must require administrative control over all plans currently administered by the government of Ottawa. In consequence, during the same period, Quebec must endeavour in particular to settle the fiscal problems between Quebec and Ottawa. To accept federal subsides, even at very general conditions, constitutes a danger of Quebec's liberty of action. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: French Canadians outside Quebec declare themselves of the opinion that Quebec's retiring from joint programs in the field of social security is not likely to harm the rights of French minorities.	98 %	1 %	1 %	51 %	25 %	24 %	55 %	13 %	32 %	54 %	17 %	29 %
Family and family policy Concerning Quebec: Social legislation must be founded on the principle of compensation for family responsibilities. Quebec must hold exclusive competence in matters of social and family legislation. Quebec must recover all taxation powers it has temporarily ceded to the government of Ottawa. Quebec must alone legislate in matters of social and family benefits and must establish standards favourable to families according to the principle of compensation for family responsibilities, by opposition to the economic redistribution currently granted by the federal government. Quebec must establish measures favouring birth rate. Quebec must legislate in matters of housing, so as to respect the dignity of the human person and to satisfy the needs of Quebec families. The government of Quebec must particularly encourage the construction of cheap housing at low interest rates. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: The federal government must create a ministry of French-Canadians settled outside Quebec to ensure them the rights enjoyed by Quebecers. The rights and powers demanded and exercised to implement a sane family policy in Quebec must not become a pretext for the federal government to do hard to French Canadians settled outside Quebec. Questions relative to housing, birth rate and social security must be provincial jurisdiction and these must elaborate their own policies in this regard. The federal social legislation must be conceived on the principle of for family responsibilities in provinces other than Quebec. Quebec must put pressure on the federal government to set up a family policy likely to satisfy the needs of French-Canadians outside Quebec.	97 %	2 %	1 %	72 %	12 %	16 %	79 %	0 %	21 %	64 %	3 %	33 %

Resolutions emanating from the economic workshop

Resolution	Quebec			Ontario			Acadia			West
	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.
Financial and trade legislation Concerning Quebec: Quebec must hold exclusive jurisdiction in the field of financial and trade legislation. Laws relative to financial and trade activities in Quebec must value the particular genius of the nation, French culture, and be conceived to suit the economic needs of Quebec. Laws in matter of trade and finance must oblige all corporations doing business in Quebec to be registered there according to a Quebec law and the activities of these businesses must be regulated by Quebec regulation. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: French-Canadian trade missions must visit francophone countries other than Quebec and establish trade relations with them. One must not rely only on laws to ensure the command over the economy, but also on concerted efforts to create corporations and financial trusts with French-Canadian funds.	91 %	5 %	4 %	47 %	31 %	22 %	55 %	14 %	31 %	29 %	16 %	55 %
Economic development Economic planning in Quebec is not only useful but absolutely necessary to the blooming of the nation. Planning must take under account French-Canadian culture and the particular conception of man and society that prevails in French Canada. Quebec must not submit to any policy of economic planning executed by the government of Canada. Quebec must hold the exclusive constitutional jurisdictions needed to implement the economic development plan that takes into account French-Canadian culture and the particular conception of man that characterizes this culture.	94 %	4 %	2 %	35 %	36 %	29 %	58 %	10 %	32 %	27 %	33 %	40 %
Agricultural policy Concerning Quebec: Quebec must hold exclusive jurisdiction in matters of agricultural legislation. This jurisdiction must extend in a non-limiting fashion, to teaching, research, experimental farms, agricultural credit, trade accords, regional zoning and agricultural development. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: Quebec must establish close relations with other provinces in the fields of teaching, research, agricultural zoning and development, as well as trade accords on agricultural products.	98 %	1 %	1 %	82 %	9 %	9 %	69 %	10 %	21 %	57 %	3 %	40 %

Resolutions emanating from the political workshop

Resolution	Quebec			Ontario			Acadia			West
	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.	Yes	No	Abst.
Territorial integrity Quebec must safeguard the totality of its territorial integrity because it is an essential element of its economic and political sovereignty. Quebec must affirm its territorial jurisdiction up to the median equidistant coast lines crossing the Bay James and Hudson Bay, as well as the Hudson detroit, including in its territory the islands of the littoral and the coasts off Nouveau-Québec. A study must be done on the possibility of annexing the Baffin Island to Quebec. Quebec must assert its jurisdiction over the continental plateau and on underwater deposits off its coasts. Quebec must require that ports located on its territory become its property and fall under its jurisdiction. Quebec must claim exclusive jurisdiction with regards to all types of navigation on the St. Lawrence and its tributaries, such as the Saguenay and the Richelieu. Quebec must assert its rights on Labrador and claim it in its entirety. Quebec must obtain the complete repeal of the federal power of expropriation over its territory. Quebec must recover the parts of its territory that, in Western Quebec and especially in the Hull region, have passed under federal jurisdiction. Quebec must exercise its full jurisdiction over its air space.	96 %	2 %	2 %	58 %	26 %	16 %	62 %	6 %	32 %	33 %	23 %	43 %
Indefinitely extensible powers The Quebec State must cease to be subject to Ottawa's exercise of: the declaratory power, the spending power, the residuary power.	89 %	5 %	6 %	44 %	33 %	23 %	34 %	5 %	61 %	20 %	36 %	44 %
International relations Concerning Quebec: Quebec must assume the conduct of its relations with foreign countries on all matters. In particular: it must be able to negotiate and conclude treaties on its own in all domains and implement them on its own; it must be able to adhere, as full member, to any international organization; it must be able to maintain diplomatic and consular relations, bilateral and multilateral with any foreign State; it must be able to enjoy the full command over its foreign and defence policy. Concerning French groups settled outside Quebec: French Canadians settled outside Quebec respect the option of the Estates General on Quebec's future international relations. In the eventuality that this option becomes reality, here is what French Canadians outside Quebec require in matters of international relations: that the provincial governments where francophone citizens live also take part in the accord concluded between Canada and France in cultural matters and in any accord of the sort that could be signed with other francophone States in the future; that Quebec takes the measures needed so that Canadian provinces grant to francophone citizens a treatment that is equal to that which Quebec grant to its anglophone minority.	93 %	5 %	2 %	73 %	18 %	9 %	64 %	23 %	13 %	39 %	30 %	31 %

Notes

* Delegates voted on a total of 17 resolutions, two of which were rejected, one on fiscal policy, the other on banking and currency.

** Taken from "Chapitre VI : Les résolutions" in L'Action nationale, volume LVII, numéro 6, février 1968, p. 189-217