Quandary Quebec

The 2021 English-language leaders’ debate set off a familiar news cycle about race in Quebec: Someone from another part of Canada characterizes a development in the province as racist. The francophone media responds with allegations of “Quebec bashing.” The premier issues a statement. Commentators from elsewhere shake their heads and feel morally superior, while those here close ranks in indignation.

Step away from the daily headlines, however, and any impression that Quebec’s intellectual scene is unanimous on issues like race and colonization quickly fades. While there is predictable left-right polarization, there are also subtle distinctions. Some are asking how Quebec’s particular history relates to transnational patterns of domination. And others wonder how conversations about race should be framed — in the first person or the third?

Mathieu Bock-Côté is the reigning right-wing provocateur on these issues. The journalist and sociologist has developed...