The last two weeks of June mark a lucky time for Quebecers. The time sees two holidays where most people get the day off, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (Fête nationale) and Canada Day.

Holidays are great, and we get two back-to-back.

Given all that is going on, having the time to spend with your . . .

friends, loved ones and community is vital for your wellbeing and should be taken full advantage of. It’s great that the fireworks, music, parades and other celebrations are back in full force now that restrictions have been lifted.

Despite the good times, we should keep in mind that these holidays have a meaning beyond giving people an excuse to party. They are meant to push and reinforce nationalism. This can be seen clearly with the juxtaposition of Sainte-Jean-Bapiste Day and Canada Day. One is framed as a holiday for Quebec’s francophones and the other is framed as a holiday for anglophones. The federalist/sovereigntist divide is just under the surface.

Nationalism can be a good thing, in the sense that it provides a sense of meaning beyond that of the individual, a reason to support cultural development and provide a sense of community. Yet, it can also lead to uncritical support of governments, xenophobia and closing yourself off from different cultures and experiences.

As with many things, people should embrace the good of nationalism and scorn the bad, as the bad historically has led societies down some pretty dark roads.

For example, as a part of its darkside, nationalism provides a great excuse to pass laws that increase the authority of the state and the wealth of economic elites.

It seems clear that Bill 96 and Bill 21 both represent this side of nationalism, with the CAQ using the legislation to rile up nationalist sentiment in Quebec against minorities in order to serve its immediate political interests of getting reelected and the longer term interest of increasing the powers of Quebec’s government.

However the misuse of nationalism is not limited to Quebec.

The recent passage of Bill C-11 in the House of Commons provides an example of how nationalism, this time Canadian nationalism, can be used as an excuse to push through laws that could have some pretty serious consequences down the line.

Bill C-11’s ostensive goal is to ensure that Canadian content is promoted on streaming services like Spotify or Netflix and ensure that the Canadian media companies can survive the loss of advertising revenue that has accompanied the rise of companies like Facebook and Google.

Both of these goals are about protecting “Canadians”- at least superficially. Canadians need to be exposed to other Canadians to maintain their own culture and we need a domestic media to keep ourselves accurately informed about local, provincial and national issues. Both these goals are justifiable, yet as with anything, the details are important.

Critics of the bill like UOttawa professor Micheal Geist or the organization Open Media warn that the Bill C-11 will give the federal government broad powers to censor content it doesn’t like and provide subsidies to giant corporations like Bell Media and Post Media, among other concerns.

Problems like this are an example of why people should be skeptical when something like the nation is invoked. It begs the question: Is nationlist rhetoric about supporting communities or is it about empowering the government and the already wealthy? Historically it has often been the latter.

While Bill C-11 still has to go through the Senate for review, and if it does pass its precise impact on the Canadian media landscape is unknowable; the point is that nationalist explanations are being used as a pretext to pass legislation that will likely further enrich some of the wealthiest companies in Canada and give dangerous powers to the federal government.

Returning to Saint-Jean-Bapiste and Canada Day, it’s good to keep in mind that all the flag waving celebrations of the nation can have a darkside. While being proud of your community and heritage is great, we must be on guard that those sentiments these celebrations are meant to encourage aren’t exploited so a few can benefit.

Keep these holidays about having fun with your friends and family and connecting with your community. Stay skeptical about political actors claiming to act in the nation’s interest.

Brett Thoms