Roy Romanow, the former New Democratic Party (N.D.P.) premier of Saskatchewan, confirmed this week that in 1995, as Quebec prepared to hold a referendum on independence from Canada, a secret cabinet “‘constitutional contingencies’ committee” met to plot possible moves in case the result was a “yes.” One of those possibilities was for Saskatchewan to proceed with its own secession. The committee’s existence had just been revealed in excerpts, in the Canadian news magazine Maclean’s, of a forthcoming book by the journalist Chantal Hébert titled The Morning After: The Quebec Referendum and the Day that Almost Was.
The committee included Romanow (pictured at the top of this article), two or three cabinet members, and his minister for intergovernmental affairs, Ed Tchorzewski. “It would have been absolutely foolish to talk about it at the time,” Romanow told the Saskatoon Star–Phoenix this week, when asked about the need for secrecy at the time, adding, “You had to have the committee meeting in secret; otherwise, you’d have headlines [like], ‘Romanow considering pulling out.’ The key word is ‘contingency’—contingent on a successful vote for Quebec separation. What were our options?”
The flag of Saskatchewan |
For the most part, Saskatchewan has been very nearly the least separatist among Canada’s Anglophone provinces. Alberta is the most independent-minded, although their main separatist party, the Western Block Party (W.B.P.), hung up its hat (pictured above) earlier this year (as discussed at the time in this blog).
The 1995 referendum was a nail-biter for all Canadians. |
Related articles from this blog:
“Tense Standoff Eases as Gitxsan Nation Suspends Evictions from British Columbia Land; All Hinges on Aug. 25th Talks” (Aug. 2014)
“Deadline in British Columbia for ‘Eviction’ from Gitxsan Aboriginal Lands Arrives; Chiefs Plan ‘Direct Action’” (Aug. 2014)
“Gitxsan Chiefs in British Columbia Serve Eviction Notice on Fishermen, Railroads, Logging Industry across Vast Territory” (Aug. 2014)
“Deadline in British Columbia for ‘Eviction’ from Gitxsan Aboriginal Lands Arrives; Chiefs Plan ‘Direct Action’” (Aug. 2014)
“Gitxsan Chiefs in British Columbia Serve Eviction Notice on Fishermen, Railroads, Logging Industry across Vast Territory” (Aug. 2014)
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