According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, in 2021, among the 20 most listened to artists in Quebeconly three are from Quebec and none of them are in the top 10. Also, according to the same organization, in 2021 among the 20 most listened to digital tracks in Quebec, there is only one track in Quebec. The other 19 titles are from outside Quebec and 18 of them are in English.
According to a report by the Office québécois de la langue française, when it comes to francophones, “young people aged 15 to 34 are the least likely to practice their cultural activities in French”.
Anglo-Saxon cultural imperialism must end!
This imperialism endangers Quebec’s cultural future, Quebec’s cultural industry, world cultural diversity, Quebec’s differences, the survival of the Quebec nation, and so on.
It’s important to reverse the current trend to preserve Quebec’s difference. Québec culture should have a dominant place in Québec life and be the reference culture for them.
A cultural charter
Like the French language, Quebec culture needs government intervention to ensure its survival. It is for this reason that I am proposing to the Parliamentarians of Quebec to adopt a Charter of Quebec Culture.
The adoption of such a charter should allow Quebec culture to reclaim the place it always should have occupied, that of common culture.
For this, the charter of Québec culture must follow principles.
The first principle is to ensure the full development of Québec culture.
The second is to build an intercultural society. In particular, interculturalism enables the building and renewal of Québec culture through interactions between people of all backgrounds. The cultural contribution of the indigenous people, dating back more than 400 years, is a good example. Quebecers have incorporated Aboriginal cultural elements without even knowing it.
The third principle is the promotion of cultural diversity. The Quebec Culture Charter must advocate the supremacy of Quebec culture while securing a place for the cultures that make up the world. Quebecers should not only be exposed to Quebec and Anglo-Saxon cultures, but to some extent to all cultures in the world.
Necessary support
The fourth principle is to support Quebec’s cultural industry. The adoption of a Québec Cultural Charter is an opportunity to support an economic sector that ensures co-benefits for society as a whole.
Then the fifth principle is to forge a strong Quebec identity. Québec culture is part of Québec identity and as such must be an integral part of the lives of all Québec citizens in order for them to define themselves as Québecians and have the will to defend Québec differences.
Archival photo by Chantal Poirier
Jessie Gareau, Graduated from the Center collégial de Mont-Laurier in Human Sciences and currently a student at TÉLUQ University