Quebec Youth & Sovereignty: Views from CEGEP Ahuntsic

Support for Quebec sovereignty appears to be gaining traction among younger generations, according to recent polling data. To explore this trend firsthand, a discussion was held with humanities students at Ahuntsic College in Montreal.

The hour-long conversation revealed a nuanced and often surprising range of viewpoints, touching on historical events, contemporary culture, and political ideologies. References spanned from the Night of the Long Knives to the repatriation of the Constitution, the rapper Kinji00, the October Crisis, and even former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Antoine Étienne arrived prepared with detailed notes and a persistent smile. As vice president of the college’s independentist committee, he expressed enthusiasm for the discussion. “This idea of sovereignty has been resonating in my head and heart for 10 years,” he said. “I urge federalists at the college to form a committee – we could create incredible events.”

Of the nine students participating, six identified as sovereignists, while three expressed federalist views.

While not a groundbreaking revelation, the distribution reflects a notable sentiment within this politically engaged group of young adults.

“I don’t consider myself Quebecois because of the racism I’ve experienced,” said Océane Dao, a student of Asian descent who identifies as a federalist. “Outside of Montreal, people are surprised that I speak French well. I was born here! I support protecting Quebec culture, and I’m grateful to live in Quebec. But I’m not treated like a Quebecois, so I struggle to identify with the culture.”

“I’ve always identified as Quebecois, I believe in protecting the culture and the French language,” said Romane Rondeau, a supporter of sovereignty. “Canada and Quebec also have different values, for example, the efforts we’re willing to make for the environment.”

“When it comes to culture, I agree with the sovereignists,” said Sami Weber, who identifies as a federalist. “But I feel more Canadian, and we have more political and economic advantages by remaining in Canada, including equalization payments.”

“Sovereignty is a realistic project that could benefit the majority of the Quebec people,” believes Flavien Filteau.

Increased discussion of sovereignty among young people is partly due to the efforts of independence advocates on social media and digital platforms. The song Fleur de lys by Quebec rapper Kinji00, dedicated to Quebec independence, has gained particular popularity. “It opened up discussions and convinced people,” Océane said.

Maude Vallée, a sovereignist, enjoys discussing Quebec’s future with her friends online. They’ve named their discussion group René – with a photo of René Lévesque. Federalists have also joined. “We’re able to have a discussion, we do more research,” she said. “It’s important to seek out nuance. It’s necessary to talk about politics in life; it leads to debates. Otherwise, we remain stuck in our echo chambers.”

In our group of nine students, the “yes” side held a majority.

However, this is not representative of all young people in Quebec, according to polls. In May, Léger polled support for “yes” among 18-35 year olds at 48%. Last summer, CROP polled it at 47%. Since then, it has declined. In September, support for “yes” was 38% among 18-35 year olds, roughly the same result as in the general population (35%), according to Léger.

Professor Sophie Roy, who teaches political science at Ahuntsic College and welcomed me into her classroom, recently organized a mini-referendum on Quebec sovereignty in three of her classes. The result? “No” overwhelmingly prevailed, with 73% of the votes (56 votes out of 77) against 27% for “yes” (21 votes).

After revealing the results, Sophie Roy asked her students why they voted “no.” The two main reasons? Identity (am I more Quebecois or Canadian?) and the debate over secularism. “In general, students are against Law 21,” Ms. Roy said. “They find that it targets certain religions too much, especially women. That shocks them.”

Young sovereignists are not all comfortable with the Quebec Liberal Party’s policies on secularism. Of the six young sovereignists present, only one agrees with the PQ’s approach on the matter. Three disagree. Two preferred not to answer.

“I’m a sovereignist, but I don’t think it will happen anytime soon because the project doesn’t include everyone,” said Flavien. “Young people who have a strong opinion on the subject [secularism and freedom of religion] will vote ‘no’ because they don’t feel included in the project. If we don’t succeed in including those people, we won’t succeed.”

With the upcoming election and the popularity of the Quebec Liberal Party (polling aggregator Qc125 gives a 99% probability of the PLQ forming a majority government in the 2026 elections), discussion of sovereignty is likely to increase.

How would these young adults like to see the future of Quebec discussed? Whether sovereignist or federalist, they would like it to be done with less fear-mongering, less polarization, more factual discussions, and more context.

“The more we move forward in the debate, the more polarization could increase on social media,” fears Laurence Blackburn Pelletier. “But there’s a lack of knowledge on the subject. The solution is in schools. The person who made me love politics is my teacher, Ms. Roy!”

All nine students believe that more politics and history should be taught in schools. According to them, all college students should have a politics course, just like French or philosophy.

“To make informed decisions, it’s more than necessary,” Romane concluded.