Canadians in Southland Turn Attention to Northern Vote

As Canadians in the province of Quebec voted on whether to set themselves on the path to independence Monday, Canadians in Los Angeles were waiting nervously, watching television and wondering if their nation might actually split.

With as many as a million Canadian-born residents in the Los Angeles area, the region has perhaps the largest concentration of Canadians abroad, according to Roz Wolfe, senior officer at the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles.

Even among Canadians who have lived here for years, the referendum thousands of miles away in the French-speaking province brought out strong emotions on both sides of the separatism question--although only Quebeckers who have lived outside their home province for less than two years were eligible to cast a ballot unless they could prove that they will return.

“I’m a French Quebecker. I’m not a Canadian,” said Solange Beaulieu of North Hills, who came here six years ago. “Personally, I hope it does separate.”

“I’m a Canadian first,” said Shirley Wilson, president of the local Women’s Canadian Club, who came to the United States from Montreal 42 years ago. “I hate to think of Canada being broken up.”

Cultural identity is central to the debate, and many Canadians say the referendum highlights deep divisions between French and English-speaking Canadians that have persisted for decades--even in cities as far away as Los Angeles.

Officials here from the Canadian Consulate and the provincial government of Quebec watched the incoming results separately Monday.

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Some English-speaking Canadians said they were alarmed and disappointed that polls said the vote would be close--an indication of friction in a country otherwise known for its acceptance of different cultures.

“It’s an emotional issue, and big decisions about the whole economy of Canada shouldn’t be based on emotion,” said Carole Main, of Palm Springs, who was born in Montreal.

Even if a “yes” vote for sovereignty prevails, though, many local Canadians find it hard to believe that Quebec might break away.

“This isn’t quite as straightforward as some people think,” said Michael Fry, a professor of international relations at USC who is from Canada. “This is a vote to improve Quebec’s hand with Canada. The referendum is about negotiating a new deal.”