Thousands Rally in Montreal to Keep Canada United : Secession: Patriotic display urges Quebec voters to reject separatism in upcoming referendum.

Thousands of people from across Canada streamed here Friday in a huge, patriotic demonstration intended to persuade Quebeckers to oppose separatism in next week’s referendum.

A crowd estimated at 100,000 to 150,000 jammed a public square, fronted by a thoroughfare named for Rene Levesque, the late founder of the separatist movement. They waved flags and broke spontaneously, in French and English, into the national anthem.

This was a remarkable outpouring in a nation where American-style flag waving is often seen as embarrassing excess.

“Canada has been called one of the best countries in the world, and the only way for it to stay that way is for us to stay united,” said Gerry Warner, a media consultant, in explaining why he traveled 14 hours overnight from Whitehorse, Yukon, to attend the rally.

“Quebec’s separation would be the beginning of a process that could lead to the disintegration of Canada,” he added.

On Monday, Quebec voters will be asked to endorse a measure giving the provincial government the power to declare independence after first trying to negotiate a new political and economic partnership with what would be left of Canada.

Latest polls show the separatist option leading by as many as six points among decided voters, with up to 16% undecided or declining to state.

Friday’s rally, with Prime Minister Jean Chretien as featured speaker, was aimed at those undecided voters.

While the majority of the crowd was from Montreal, the gathering also provided a forum for Canadians from outside Quebec, frustrated that the future of all of Canada is in the hands of a single province with a quarter of the population.

“I never thought it would come to this,” admitted David Molzahn, a bank manager from Kamloops, British Columbia, who, like many others at the rally, came on a very discounted “unity fare” ticket on one of Canada’s two major airlines.

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The impact of the event, attended largely by English-speaking Canadians, on Quebec’s 80% French-speaking electorate is uncertain. Most Quebeckers want constitutional guarantees that would forever protect their language and culture from the English-speaking majority; the rest of Canada is reluctant to grant powers to Quebec that exceed those of the nine other provinces.

Separatist leader Lucien Bouchard had heaped sarcasm on the event, which analysts and crowd members noted Friday could have a flip side in its “We love you” message sent to Quebec.

If the province votes for separation, after all, the rest of Canada may react like a spurned lover, damaging future relations and precluding any reconciliation.

“It can be a beautiful marriage or a bitter divorce. It’s up to them,” said Barry Fowler, an insurer from Windsor, Ontario, who traveled to the rally with a group of Jaycees and a half-block-long Canadian flag.

Lori Coulter, a consultant also with the Jaycees, was equally adamant: “If they vote yes, the walls go up.”

Continued links with Canada are a crucial campaign appeal for separatists, who have told Quebec voters that they will be able to keep Canadian passports and economic relationships with Canada.

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Separatist leaders Bouchard and Jacques Parizeau argue that it would be in Canada’s own interest to work out a deal with Quebec and that, in any event, financial markets would force Canada to the bargaining table.

Some independent analysts agree--to an extent.

They note that the Canadian dollar is likely to plummet in value if the separatists win, and that would translate into higher interest rates for consumers.

“There would be 10 million Canadians standing in front of both Parliaments facing 14% mortgages instead of 8%, and that would bring enormous pressure,” said Pierre Fortin, an economist at the University of Quebec at Montreal. (Trading in the Canadian dollar was so sparse and volatile Friday that Canadian banks halted trading among themselves at noon.)

Others, however, caution that the emotional reaction of Canadians should not be underestimated.

Michael Bliss, a University of Toronto historian, believes that Canadians would be prepared to endure economic hardship to punish Quebec for breaking up the country.

“I compare it to the United States and Cuba,” he said in an interview. “The attitude would be--’We’ll take your refugees, but we have no interest in dealing with your present regime.’ ”