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82-406: The idea to build the guitar was conceived by Taylor in the months preceding the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty after a chance encounter with Rizsanyi, who was then attempting to build guitars using wood from local sources rather than more conventional exotic woods. While the impending referendum focussed on the political relationship between the province of Quebec as a francophone minority and

164-572: A distinct society . The Accord, after fierce debate in English Canada, fell apart in dramatic fashion in the summer of 1990, as two provinces failed to ratify it within the three-year time limit required by the constitution. This prompted outrage among Quebec nationalists and a surge in support for sovereignty. While the Accord was collapsing, Lucien Bouchard , a cabinet minister in Mulroney's government, led

246-493: A "No" victory was achieved. In response to the referendum, aboriginal peoples in Quebec strongly affirmed their own right to self-determination. First Nations chiefs said that forcing their peoples to join an independent Quebec without their consent would violate international law, violating their rights to self-determination. Aboriginal groups also demanded to be full participants in any new constitutional negotiations resulting from

328-697: A Québécois accent made her ignorant of the subject. Pursuant to the Referendum Act , both committees were required to contribute to a brochure sent to every voter describing their positions. The official "No" brochure, written by the Quebec Liberals, stated that Quebec was a distinct society, and that Quebec should enjoy full autonomy in areas of provincial jurisdiction. Parizeau, while speaking in Hull, challenged Chrétien to tell voters that, if "No" won, Ottawa would withdraw from all provincial jurisdictions, prompting

410-522: A call from a viewer in Montreal on CNN 's Larry King Live , said that, if the "Yes" side were successful, the fact that the referendum had succeeded would be recognized by France. At a federalist rally of about 12,500 people which was held at the Verdun Auditorium on October 24, Chrétien introduced a focus on Quebec's emotional attachment to Canada, promised reforms to give Quebec more power, and in

492-532: A coalition of six Progressive Conservative members of parliament and one Liberal MP from Quebec to form a new federal party devoted to Quebec sovereignty, the Bloc Québécois . Following these events, Bourassa said that a referendum would be held in 1992, with either sovereignty or a new constitutional agreement as the subject. This prompted a national referendum on the Charlottetown Accord of 1992,

574-475: A general market publisher of non-religious titles. The Methodist Church first established its publishing operations in 1829 with the launch of the weekly newspaper The Christian Guardian . The paper's first editor was Egerton Ryerson . One month later, the church published its first book, starting at first with religious works and later branching out into educational and literary titles. Prior to 1919, however, its general interest books were published under

656-472: A great model for the rest of the world, and has been a great partner of the United States, and I hope that can continue." While the statement provided relief in sovereignist circles for not being a stronger endorsement of the "No" position, the implication of Clinton, who was popular in Quebec and the leader of the province's most important trading partner, endorsing Canadian unity had strong reverberations in

738-441: A margin of 54,288 votes, receiving 50.58% of the votes cast. Parizeau, who announced his pending resignation as Quebec premier the following day, later stated that he would have quickly proceeded with a unilateral declaration of independence had the result been affirmative and negotiations failed or been refused, the latter of which was later revealed as the federal position in the event of a "Yes" victory. Controversies over both

820-469: A more startling announcement, declared that he would support enshrinement of Quebec as a distinct society , and that he would support reforms to the Canadian constitution. The sudden reversal of Chrétien's long-standing position on the issue, along with Chrétien's wan complexion and atypically nervous appearance, sparked considerable comment. Charest further emphasized his commitment to constitutional reform if

902-568: A number of actions in the Quebec Superior Court , which were consolidated under the application of prominent lawyer Guy Bertrand . Bertrand asked for interim and permanent injunctions against the holding of the referendum. The Federal Attorney General declined to intervene, and after failing in a motion to strike the application, the Quebec Attorney General unilaterally withdrew from the hearing. The Quebec government moved

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984-454: A number of years, including several early works by Alice Munro , although it later shifted to concentrate exclusively on educational and business non-fiction titles. The company's headquarters, located at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, were purchased in 1985 by CHUM Limited , becoming the home of the company's television broadcasters such as Citytv and MuchMusic . As of 2024, it remains

1066-463: A protest in which novelist Graeme Gibson draped the flag of the United States around the statue of Egerton Ryerson on the grounds of Ryerson Polytechnical Institute ; Gibson led protesters in a rendition of " I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy " after climbing down from the statue. A royal commission was also established to review government rules around foreign ownership in the publishing industry. The company continued to publish Canadian literature for

1148-418: A rallying point for sovereigntists and the public at large. Bouchard thought a proposal lacking a partnership would doom the project among soft nationalists (such as himself) who worried about the economic consequences of separation. As polls showed Parizeau's approach as highly unlikely to even exceed 40% support in a referendum, leaders of the movement engaged in a heated public debate. After Parizeau moved

1230-674: A referendum on sovereignty during the first year of its term in office. The PQ won a majority government with 44.75% of the popular vote, just ahead of the Liberals' 44.4%. In preparation for the referendum, every household in Quebec was sent a draft of the Act Respecting the Future of Quebec (also referred to as the Sovereignty Bill ), with the announcement of the National Commission on

1312-459: A series of constitutional amendments that included the proposals of the Meech Lake Accord as well as other matters. The Accord was rejected by a majority of voters both in Quebec and English Canada. In the 1993 federal election , the Liberals returned to power with a majority government under Jean Chrétien , who had been Minister of Justice during the 1980–81 constitutional discussions and

1394-422: A similar local vote, asking voters, "Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign?" , with 96% voting No. Five days before the vote, United States President Bill Clinton , in response to a question asked by CBC News reporter Henry Champ , while recognizing the referendum as an internal issue of Canada, gave a minute-long statement extolling the virtues of a united Canada, ending with "Canada has been

1476-403: A standard, consistent brand for the company, and chose to honour Ryerson for his founding role. Fallis selected Lorne Pierce as chief editor of the company, a role Pierce held until 1960. Under Pierce's editorship, the company was a prominent publisher of educational textbooks , using the profits from this line of business to publish literary work by many of Canada's most important writers of

1558-408: A televised address by both leaders. Parizeau emphasized that he believed this might be the last opportunity for sovereignty for the foreseeable future, while Johnson chose to forecast the uncertainty that a "Yes" vote could provoke. Johnson's campaign focused on the practical problems created by the sovereignty process, emphasizing that an independent Quebec would be in an uncertain position regarding

1640-641: A vague response from the "No" campaign. On October 21 in Longueuil , Johnson, hoping to defuse the issue, ad-libbed a challenge to Chrétien to declare his position on distinct society recognition. When presented with the request, Chrétien, in New York for a United Nations meeting, responded, "No. We're not talking about the Constitution, we're talking about the separation of Quebec from the rest of Canada." The remarks in direct contradiction to Johnson were portrayed in

1722-654: The African Guitar Summit , K'naan and many others - at public and private events across Canada. The instrumental "Voyageur" by Don Ross from his "Upright and Locked Position" album (2012), was written for and composed on the Six String Nation guitar. In 2013 Jim Henman, a cofounder of Canada's April Wine, was asked to perform a few of his tunes on the Voyageur at his Toronto show and in 2019, an Ontario singer-songwriter composed and recorded an EP of 6 songs drawn from

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1804-709: The Canadian Constitution and institute what would eventually become the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms . During tense negotiations in November 1981, an agreement was reached between Trudeau and nine of the ten provincial premiers by Trudeau, but not Lévesque. The Constitution Act of 1982 was enacted without the Quebec National Assembly's approval, after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against

1886-704: The Cree right to self-determination in keeping their territories in Canada. On October 24, 1995, the Cree organized their own referendum, asking the question: "Do you consent, as a people, that the Government of Quebec separate the James Bay Crees and Cree traditional territory from Canada in the event of a Yes vote in the Quebec referendum?" 96.3% of the 77% of Crees who cast ballots voted to stay in Canada. The Inuit of Nunavik held

1968-523: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and not be able to control the Canadian dollar. Prominent business figures such as Power Corporation president Paul Desmarais and Bombardier Inc. head Laurent Beaudoin spoke that they believed a "Yes" victory could spell doom for their Quebec business interests. The initial campaign for the "Yes" was led by Parizeau, with Dumont campaigning separately in rural areas. In addition to

2050-557: The Reform Party or its leader, Preston Manning . This would go unchallenged by Ottawa for the majority of the campaign, but created much frustration within the governing Liberals in Ottawa. Prominent Chrétien adviser Eddie Goldenberg believed that the "No" campaign at some points was more focused on the future election position of the Quebec Liberals rather than the referendum itself. The campaign officially began on October 2, 1995, with

2132-427: The "Yes" side and to announce an intention to negotiate in good faith. The next day, Montreal radio station CKOI broadcast a prank call by radio announcer Pierre Brassard, impersonating Chrétien, to Elizabeth II , Queen of Canada , asking her to make a televised address championing national unity. The Queen appeared to reluctantly agree to the request and talked to Brassard for 17 minutes before her staff identified

2214-683: The Bloc Québécois won 54 seats with 49.3% of Quebec's vote. The result made the Bloc the second largest party in the House of Commons , giving it the role of Official Opposition and allowing Bouchard to confront Chrétien in Question Period on a daily basis. In Quebec, the 1994 provincial election brought the Parti Québécois back to power, led by Jacques Parizeau . The party's platform promised to hold

2296-453: The Canada Day main stage on Parliament Hill, the guitar was played by J. Knutson (2007), Ron Hynes (2008), Shane Yellowbird (2009), Wayne Lavallee (2010) and the guitarist accompanying Kardinal Offishall (2016). Over the years it has been played by hundreds of musicians - including Feist , Bruce Cockburn , Stompin' Tom Connors , Gordon Lightfoot , Rob Baker , Catherine MacLellan ,

2378-464: The Canadian federal government representing an anglophone majority, Taylor sought to represent additional stakeholders within the national debate including multicultural and indigenous communities as well as francophones living outside of Quebec. Over a period of eleven years, Taylor researched and gathered contributed materials for the guitar from every province and territory in Canada. A few materials were contributed directly by individuals to Rizsanyi. It

2460-420: The Canadian government, and promised a second referendum to ratify the results of any negotiation. Parizeau believed a second referendum was unnecessary and would only encourage the remainder of Canada to use delaying tactics. The draft initial act featured a question only asking for the authority to declare Quebec sovereign. Pursuant to the partnership agreement with Bouchard and Dumont, the referendum question

2542-634: The Federal Progressive Conservative Party , would be prominently featured, as he and the PCs had closely and productively cooperated with the Quebec Liberals in the Meech Lake negotiations. Fearing missteps by politicians not used to Quebec that had occurred during the Meech Lake and Charlottetown debates, Johnson and the campaign heavily controlled appearances by Federal politicians, including Chrétien. Johnson bluntly banned any appearance by

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2624-578: The Future of Quebec to commence in February 1995. The commission was boycotted by the Liberal Party of Quebec , the Liberal Party of Canada , and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada . The primary issue of debate within the sovereignty movement became on what terms sovereignty would be put before the electorate. Parizeau, long identified with the independantiste wing of the party,

2706-672: The Methodist Church's merger into the United Church of Canada in 1925, the imprint specialized in historical, educational and literary titles. In 1970, the United Church Publishing House sold its trade publishing arm to McGraw-Hill , whose Canadian division was renamed McGraw-Hill Ryerson . All outstanding shares of McGraw-Hill Ryerson were acquired by McGraw-Hill Education in 2014. The UCPH still publishes religious titles under its own name, but no longer operates as

2788-480: The Quebec government that its consent was not necessary for constitutional change. New Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Quebec Liberal premier Robert Bourassa sought a series of constitutional amendments designed to address Quebec's concerns. In the Meech Lake Accord , the federal government and all provincial premiers agreed to a series of amendments that decentralized some powers and recognized Quebec as

2870-669: The September sitting of the National Assembly two days forward to be sure that parliamentary immunity would prevent MNAs from being summoned to testify. Justice Lesage of the Court found that secession could only legally be performed by constitutional amendment pursuant to Section V of the Constitution Act, 1982 , and that a unilateral declaration of independence would be "manifestly illegal." Lesage refused to issue an injunction to stop

2952-637: The Six String Nation team on the journey to Haida Gwaii in February 2006 to obtain the wood from the Golden Spruce was Geoff Siskind, acting in the dual capacity of videographer and audio recordist, the latter for a documentary by renowned CBC radio documentarist Steve Wadhams. Wadhams' experimental audio documentary based on these and other recordings, along with interviews with Jowi and music commissioned from Don Ross , aired in 2007. An interview on Shaw TV Vancouver's "Urban Rush" show on September 29, 2009 included performances by Barney Bentall . The project

3034-421: The building of the guitar and its subsequent travels was aborted by CBC Television Arts and Entertainment part way through the development process just months before construction on the guitar began on April 30, 2006. At that point, CBC Newsworld producer Deborah Smith stepped in to propose a more modest project called "A Canadian Guitar", which played several times on the now defunct network. Accompanying Jowi and

3116-546: The declaration, but ultimately the Federal government decided to participate. In a dramatic reading at the Grand Théâtre de Québec on September 6, the final version of the Sovereignty Bill was unveiled. The bill would be tabled in the National Assembly awaiting the result of the referendum. The question in the 1980 referendum, in an attempt to build a broad coalition, had sought only the authority to negotiate sovereignty with

3198-493: The drafting. Daniel Johnson stated it was confusing and at the very least should have contained the word "country." Prominent federalists argued that the referendum question should not have mentioned "partnership" proposals, because no Canadian political leaders outside Quebec had shown any interest in negotiating a possible partnership agreement with an independent Quebec, and arguably no entity capable of undertaking such negotiations actually existed. Other federalists argued that

3280-426: The economic uncertainty that worried swing voters. Polls in the first week were highly disappointing for the "Yes" camp, as they showed them behind by 5–7 percentage points among decided voters, with an even larger gap if "undecided" voters were weighed toward the "No" side as would generally be expected. Parizeau, a general fixture in Quebec politics for decades whose strong views of sovereignty were well known among

3362-451: The electorate. The same night, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien gave a televised address to the nation in English and French. Broadly similar in both languages, Chrétien promoted the virtues of Canadian federalism to Quebec, touched on the shared values of the country, warned that Parizeau would use the referendum result as a mandate to declare independence from Canada (while explicitly not stating

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3444-665: The era, including Frederick Philip Grove , E. J. Pratt , A. J. M. Smith , A. M. Klein , P. K. Page , Dorothy Livesay , Earle Birney , Louis Dudek , Hugh Hood and Marjorie Pickthall . The company also created the Ryerson Fiction Award , an award program for emerging writers which was active from 1942 to 1960. The company's sale to McGraw Hill in 1970 prompted an outcry from many writers and cultural critics, who believed Canadian ownership of its own book publishing industry to be essential in maintaining Canadian cultural identity . The sale occasioned

3526-486: The guest on episode 70 of the Trailer Park Boys podcast, published on SwearNet.com on December 2, 2016. During the episode, Mike Smith , as the character "Bubbles", played the song "Liquor and Whores" on Voyageur . The guitar is made from 64 pieces of wood, bone, metal, stone and horn, representing a variety of cultures, communities, characters and events from every province and territory of Canada. The guitar case

3608-638: The guitar was part of the Un Paese a Sei Corde international guitar festival in Orta San Giulio , Italy, where it was played by Pino Forastiere and Davide Sgorlon. In honour of the guitar, a fifty-cent coin was created by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2009. It is in the triangular shape of a guitar pick and features a hologram of the Six String Nation logo on the reverse set into a depiction of Voyageur 's sound hole and rosette. On December 11, 2015, Taylor

3690-504: The hoax (after a delay due to a Chrétien aide wrongly speculating to Buckingham Palace staff that it could be a genuine call). Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin , expressing anxiety to his staff about the referendum the week before, was told about a small rally planned in Place du Canada in Montreal for businesspersons on October 27. Asked by Federal advisor John Rae, Pierre Claude Nolin agreed to allow Tobin to invite Canadians outside Quebec to

3772-591: The independence of the province and the establishment of a nation state . Among these was René Lévesque , who founded the Parti Québécois with like-minded groups seeking independence from Canada. After winning power in 1976, the PQ government held a referendum in 1980 seeking a mandate to negotiate " sovereignty-association " with Canada, which was decisively defeated. In response to the referendum result, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said that he would seek to patriate

3854-595: The invitation of the National Capital Commission . Following its official introduction, it was played by Stephen Fearing and subsequently during the show by Kyle Riabko , Michel Pagliaro , Colin James , Jean-Francois Breau and Amy Millan . Earlier in the day, it had been played on ancillary stages by Colin Linden , Tom Wilson, Popo Murigande, Joel Fafard and members of La Volée d'Castors . In subsequent years at

3936-427: The margin for error was dramatically reduced. The "No" campaign continued to focus on the economic benefits of federation. Bouchard's speeches asked Quebecers to vote "Yes" to give a clear mandate for change, and that only the clarity of a "Yes" vote would provide a final solution to Canada's long-standing constitutional issues and a new partnership with English Canada for the betterment of both. Bouchard's popularity

4018-530: The materials and construction process mostly by Fizli and a selection from among the tens of thousands of portraits of people holding Voyageur taken at events in all provinces and territories of Canada by Nicholson - an ongoing project. Additionally, the project has been featured in a number of other published texts and workbooks including the grade 9 core French textbook "Tu Parles!" from R.K. Publishing and "Mathematics 10" for western Canada from McGraw-Hill Ryerson . A proposed television special and series about

4100-487: The name imprint of the individual person who held the position of book steward with the company at the time the book was published; the best known such imprint was William Briggs . Writers published in the William Briggs era included Robert W. Service , Charles G. D. Roberts , Wilfred Campbell and Catharine Parr Traill . Shortly after succeeding Briggs as steward in 1919, Samuel W. Fallis decided to create

4182-440: The official beginning of the referendum campaign. After the agreement of June 12, the "Yes" campaign would be headed by Jacques Parizeau. The official "No" campaign would be chaired by Liberal leader Daniel Johnson Jr. Making matters more complex, especially for the "No" camp, was the federal nature of Canada . The governing Liberal Party of Canada and its leader, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien were not strongly represented in

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4264-406: The partnership negotiation process, and a general plan of seeking "sovereignty" while requiring an economic and social partnership offer be negotiated and presented to the rest of Canada. Most importantly for Parizeau, the agreement also allowed the government to declare immediate independence if negotiations were not successful or heard after a successful referendum. The looming referendum prompted

4346-488: The planned referendum date to the fall, Deputy Premier Bernard Landry aroused ire by stating he would not want to be involved in a " charge of the light brigade ." During the Bloc's April conference, after a speech demanding a change in direction, Bouchard expressed ambivalence to a radio show about participating if a partnership proposal was not included. Mario Dumont , leader of the new Action démocratique du Québec , also stated that he would only consider participation in

4428-468: The populace, was under pressure to create a spark. In an unannounced ceremony on October 7 at the Université de Montréal , Parizeau made a surprise announcement: He appointed Bouchard as "chief negotiator" for the partnership talks following a "Yes" vote. The move came as a dramatic surprise to the campaign, promoting the popular Bouchard to the fore and simultaneously emphasizing the "partnership" aspect of

4510-508: The press as a blunt refusal. Chrétien's position was far more difficult than Johnson's: part of the 1993 Liberal election platform had been moving the country away from large-scale constitutional debates. Provincial governments were also far more hostile to the constitutional process than they had been in the decade prior, with even the federal government's typical ally, Ontario, being firmly against any pursuit of constitutional accommodation. French President Jacques Chirac , while answering

4592-428: The province outside of Montreal. Chrétien's involvement in the 1982 negotiations and his stance against the Meech Lake Accord made him unpopular with moderate francophone federalists and sovereignists, who would be the swing voters in the referendum. Lucienne Robillard , a nationalist former Bourassa-era cabinet minister, would serve as the federal Liberal representative on the "No" committee. Jean Charest , leader of

4674-494: The provincial vote counting and direct federal financial involvement in the final days of the campaign reverberated in Canadian politics for over a decade after the referendum took place. In the aftermath of the close result, the federal government, after unilaterally recognizing Quebec as a distinct society and amending the federal constitutional veto procedure, referred the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada , which stated that

4756-449: The question erroneously implied an agreement had been reached between Canada and Quebec regarding a partnership on June 12, 1995. Parizeau would later express regret that the agreement had to be cited in the question, but noted that the June 12, 1995 agreement had been sent to every registered voter in the province. Pursuant to Quebec's Referendum Act (enacted by the National Assembly prior to

4838-403: The question. Bouchard, already popular, became a sensation: in addition to his medical struggles and charisma, his more moderate approach and prominent involvement in the Meech Lake Accord while in Ottawa reminded undecided nationalist voters of federal missteps from years past. Politicians on both sides described his appeal as messianic and almost impossible to personally attack, in contrast to

4920-523: The rally, provided Quebec's referendum laws were adhered to. Tobin then encouraged fellow caucus members to send as many people as possible. Ryerson Press Ryerson Press was a Canadian book publishing company, active from 1919 to 1970. First established by the Methodist Book Room, a division of the Methodist Church of Canada , and operated by the United Church Publishing House after

5002-499: The referendum if a partnership was made part of the question. The final findings of the National Commission, issued April 19, included a statement that the public generally desired an economic partnership with Canada. Fearing Bouchard and Dumont would further dilute their position as the referendum wore on, Parizeau agreed to negotiate a broader approach, and would agree to a statement that included partnership with Dumont and Bouchard on June 12, 1995. The Agreement contained details of

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5084-444: The referendum of 1980), the campaign would be conducted as a provincially governed election campaign, and all campaign spending had to be authorized and accounted for under "Yes" (Le Comité national du OUI) or "No" (Comité des Québécoises et des Québécois pour le NON) umbrella committees. Each committee had an authorized budget of $ 5 million. Campaign spending by any person or group other than the official committees would be illegal after

5166-418: The referendum timetable. Quebec Attorney General Paul Bégin stated that he believed an extra-constitutional referendum was legal pursuant to international law . Quebec Liberal leader and "No" campaign chairman Daniel Johnson announced the following day that the ruling would not change the strategy of the "No" campaign. Some Federal officials questioned if their level of government could be involved after

5248-437: The referendum was launched by the provincial Parti Québécois government of Jacques Parizeau . Despite initial predictions of a heavy sovereignist defeat, an eventful and complex campaign followed, with the "Yes" side flourishing after being taken over by Bloc Québécois leader Lucien Bouchard . Voting took place on 30 October 1995, and featured the largest voter turnout in Quebec's history (93.52%). The "No" option carried by

5330-498: The referendum, as he believed that to do so could paralyze the workings of government and cause more disorder than the referendum being held. The Court opted for declaratory relief, declaring that the Sovereignty Bill and the referendum constituted a serious threat to Bertrand's Charter rights. Parizeau denounced the decision as undemocratic, stated that the Constitution Act, 1982 did not apply to Quebec, and refused to move

5412-510: The referendum. First Nations communities contributed significantly to the tense debate on a hypothetical partition of Quebec . The Grand Council of the Crees in Northern Quebec was particularly vocal and prominent in its resistance to the idea of being included in an independent Quebec. Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come issued a legal paper, titled Sovereign Injustice , which sought to affirm

5494-428: The response. Bouchard's French address recounted the previous animosities of the constitutional debate, specifically targeting Chrétien's career and actions, including showing a newspaper headline from the aftermath of the 1982 Constitution that featured Trudeau and Chrétien laughing. Bouchard then focused on the details of the partnership aspect of the proposal. He used his English address to ask Canadians to understand

5576-405: The result would be accepted), and announced that Quebec would be recognized as a distinct society and that any future constitutional reform that impacted Quebec would be made with the province's consent. The "Yes" side was provided airtime for a rebuttal in English and French. Lucien Bouchard was given the task in both languages, with the "Yes" campaign stating that a federal politician should give

5658-484: The stories embedded in the guitar, entitled "The Songs of Voyageur". Taylor and the Six String Nation guitar have appeared at festivals, schools, community, conference and corporate events in every province and territory of Canada. The guitar officially received the nickname Voyageur - as suggested by Lt. Col. Susan Beharriell - at a ceremony launching the 2008 Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg-St. Boniface. In 2009,

5740-477: The traditional themes of the movement's appeal to Quebec nationalism, the "Yes" campaign attempted to highlight the slim possibility of any future reform to Canada's federal system. Parizeau bitterly attacked business leaders for intervening in the referendum, calling it a betrayal of their Quebec customers and workers. While Parizeau's responses were highly popular with "Yes" stalwarts, it was generally seen that speeches against business leaders were only highlighting

5822-580: The unilateral secession contemplated in the referendum was illegal. Quebec, a province in Canada since its foundation in 1867 , has always been the sole majority French-speaking province. Long ruled by forces (such as the Union Nationale ) that focused on affirmation of the province's Francophone and Catholic identity within Canada, the Quiet Revolution of the early 1960s prompted a surge in civic and economic nationalism, as well as voices calling for

5904-437: The vote. Unwilling to believe Parizeau had given up his leadership role voluntarily, most in the "No" camp and Ottawa had assumed a coup had taken place, though the manoeuvre had been planned and voluntary. The dramatic events prompted many federal politicians to lobby for similarly dramatic intervention from Ottawa and the federal government, which were refused by the "No" committee, who believed that with Bouchard's introduction

5986-448: The well-worn figures on both sides of the referendum. "No" advisor John Parisella noted that at focus groups , when presented with statements Bouchard had made that they did not like, participants would refuse to believe he meant them. New polls eventually showed a majority of Quebecers intending to vote "Yes". "No" forces, including Johnson, were shocked by the development, which required wholesale changes in strategy three weeks before

6068-542: Was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Civilian Division) for his work on the project by Governor General David Johnston in a ceremony at Rideau Hall . The origins and process of the project as well as the encounters with people across Canada were chronicled in a book by Taylor in 2009, "Six String Nation: 64 Pieces. 6 Strings. 1 Canada. 1 Guitar." (Douglas & Mcintyre publishers) accompanied by photos by Doug Nicholson and Sandor Fizli, including photos of

6150-544: Was built by Rizsanyi in his workshop near Pinehurst, Nova Scotia, with assistance from Michael McConnell and fretboard inlay work by Sara Nasr. Work on the guitar was completed on June 15, 2006, and tested by musicians Dave MacIsaac of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Roger Howse of Newfoundland. Additional elements of metal, leather and fabric have subsequently been added to the case and strap. The Six String Nation guitar made its debut on Canada Day 2006 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa at

6232-503: Was changed to incorporate the partnership agreement. It was presented on September 7, 1995, to be voted on October 30, 1995. In English, the question on the ballot asked: Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign, after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership, within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Quebec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995? The question came under immediate fire from federalists, who had no input in

6314-1112: Was custom made for Six String Nation by Al Williams of Calton Cases Canada in Calgary, Alberta. The strap was made by Levy's Leathers of Winnipeg Manitoba. Additional pieces of significant material adorn both the case and the strap. Dinosaur Provincial Park John Ware 's cabin. Upper element of leaf motif. Wayne Gretzky . Bridge pin (1 of original 6). from Hand Hills Lake Stampede. Standoff Blood Tribe Buffalo Skull symbol. Columbia Columbia Haida Gwaii Kiidk'yaas , "The Golden Spruce". Columbia Goldwood timber mill. on either side of end block. Columbia Nancy Greene-Raine . Reinforcing strip #2 from top. Columbia DHC-2 Beaver Elements #3 and #11, clockwise. Columbia first Chinatown, Fan Tan Alley . Ukrainian Church . Rosette element #8, clockwise. schoolhouse to Louis Riel . Rosette, elements #5/13 French Frigate, Machault . & Labrador motor cabinet. & Labrador & Labrador & Labrador 1995 Quebec referendum The 1995 Quebec referendum

6396-404: Was opposed to the PQ's general historical preference for an economic relationship with the rest of Canada to be offered alongside sovereignty, as he thought this would encourage the Federal government to simply refuse to negotiate and cast the project as doomed, as had happened in 1980. As a practical matter, Parizeau believed that given the emotional circumstances of separation a special partnership

6478-451: Was spoofed on the December 4, 2014 episode (#300193905) of CBC Radio 's This Is That in a segment about the creation of a Canadian "unity shovel". Taylor has appeared in dozens of local and national radio and television interviews about the project, most notably in two full length interviews on TVOntario 's The Agenda with Steve Paikin on January 2, 2013 and November 8, 2016. He was

6560-523: Was such that his remarks that the Québécois were the "white race" with the lowest rate of reproduction, which threatened to cast the project as focused on ethnic nationalism , were traversed with ease. Bloc Québécois MP Suzanne Tremblay was less successful in this regard, and apologized after answering journalist Joyce Napier 's question of how minority francophones outside of Quebec would be helped by independence by stating that Napier's last name and lack of

6642-474: Was the second referendum to ask voters in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should proclaim sovereignty and become an independent country, with the condition precedent of offering a political and economic agreement to Canada. The culmination of multiple years of debate and planning after the failure of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown constitutional accords,

6724-425: Was unlikely, and that given free trade agreements and other multilateral institutions it was unnecessary. Parizeau's stance created opposition in the sovereignty movement, which coalesced around Bloc Québécois leader Lucien Bouchard. A popular and charismatic figure, Bouchard had come close to death from necrotizing fasciitis and lost his left leg. His recovery, and subsequent public appearances on crutches, provided

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