Yves Boisvert is a columnist with La Presse.
Maybe Quebeckers aren't that "distinct" after all – or at least not quite the way we thought. That's the conclusion of veteran journalist Alain Dubuc, who has just published a book called Family Portrait, which examines "14 true or false myths" about the Québécois.
First of all, is there such a thing as a "Quebec model"? No doubt about that, you would think, based on what politicians and intellectuals of all persuasions have been telling us for 30 years.
But Mr. Dubuc is also an economist, and as such prefers to rely on data. True, Quebec has specific institutions, a little more state intervention and wealth redistribution. But fundamentally, the social security net and "centrist" balance between market and state is more or less the same across Canada, including Quebec.
Quebec likes to think of itself as a truly egalitarian society. Many even consider the province to be a "matriarchy." Sure, it was the last province to grant women suffrage (1940), but that's old history. Isn't Quebec the only province with a public child-care program? The province ranks second (behind Prince Edward Island) for participation in the labour market among women 25 to 44.
What's less known, however, is that Quebec women lagged far behind the Canadian average for most of the previous century. The arrival of women in the workplace was much faster in other provinces after the Second World War. Even 40 years ago, Quebec women ranked behind all provinces except those in Atlantic Canada.
They have caught up since, but as far as employment and earnings are concerned, Quebec women are pretty much on par with women elsewhere in Canada and other comparable countries. There's little distinct to write home about.
So let's talk about culture. A few minutes immersed in media are usually all it takes to encounter some original Quebec cultural or entertainment production. Céline Dion, Arcade Fire, Robert Lepage, Cirque du Soleil, countless filmmakers – they are the pride of the nation, shining on the stages of the world.
Yes, Quebec enjoys the highest per-capita public spending on culture of any province. But if it weren't for the federal contribution, this spending would be on par with Alberta.
More revealing are Quebec's cultural habits. Among the 50 most popular stage productions in Quebec, 86 per cent of the audience is for Quebec-produced shows. Good for the industry, especially if we don't judge the intensity of the "cultural effort" that goes into these productions, where stand-up comedy reigns.
The hard fact of the cultural matter is that the people of Quebec are not real cultural buffs. Numerous award-winning movies considered the pride of the milieu are hardly watched at all in the province's theatres. Reading habits are below the Canadian average, as are personal expenditures on culture and especially books – even though Quebec publishes a record amount of them.
Considering that, we can take some comfort in the good results produced by Quebec students in international comparisons. They fare pretty well, as Canadian students generally do. And year after year, Quebec teenagers rank among the very best students in the world in mathematics, outscoring students from every other province. This is all testimony to school systems doing their job properly. Looking back at graduation rates from 60 years ago, it's quite an accomplishment.
Notwithstanding a few bits of good news, the overall effect of Mr. Dubuc's reality check is a little depressing. Quebeckers are not so special. The province is poorer than average in many areas and a generous conclusion might be: "We can do much better."
Then again, studies show that Quebeckers are among the happiest people on Earth. The author argues this "surplus" of happiness might be an effect of public overspending.
But the actual "model" is unsustainable, and should be repaired before the next generation – a generation that we already know is more than capable of doing the math.