Uncategorized

‘Nobody is afraid of the Bloc’

On his way out of town, Real Menard reflects on life in Ottawa.

“In 1993, the relationship between the Bloc and the other parties was more difficult,” says Ménard. “There were suspicions, and people didn’t really understand what the Bloc was, and we didn’t have a very friendly relationship at this time.”

With a referendum only two years later, tensions were high — something that has since cooled considerably.

“I think that now nobody is afraid of the Bloc,” he says. “People respect what we have done, people respect democracy, people vote for us. We are in the first polling position in Quebec, but this is not the same climate. It’s more comfortable, it’s more agreeable to work [in].”

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.