From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 37 of 43
Québec Votes on Its Future
October 30, 1995
In 1995, Québec voters answered a question about their future with a yes or no. Should Québec become an independent country? The No side won by a very small margin.
Look together
What helps keep the vote secret in this picture?
An idea to try
Suggest two activities to do together. Each person marks their choice on a folded piece of paper. Count the votes and work out the difference between the two totals.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The October 30, 1995, referendum asked about Québec becoming sovereign after formally offering Canada a new economic and political partnership. The No side received 50.58% of valid votes, 54,288 more than the Yes side. The 1980 vote had asked for a mandate to negotiate a new agreement with Canada. The No side also received the majority then.
The Cree of Eeyou Istchee held their own referendum on October 24, 1995. The great majority of voters rejected separating their people and territory from Canada in the event of a Yes vote in the Québec referendum. Explain that a referendum lets people vote on a specific question.
Sources and illustration notes (3)
An imagined polling place in a gym. The privacy screen hides the voter’s ballot.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Élections Québec — 1995 referendumDate, question, result and margin.
- Élections Québec — 1980 referendumThe different 1980 question and its result.
- Grand Council of the Crees — Eeyou Eenou Nation, Summer 2004Cree referendum question, date and result.
Page prepared on November 7, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
Tax calculated at checkout. Terms of sale