It is significant that on both occasions, Quebec and English Canada voted on opposite sides. The conscription issue, in particular, divided the "two solitudes," while the outcome of the vote confirmed and even exacerbated the division.
The latest national referendum, held on 26 October 1992, dealt with a number of proposed constitutional amendments commonly referred to as the Charlottetown Accord. The Accord was defeated in all but four provinces.(39) The Accord was defeated in both Quebec and English Canada, but for different reasons in each case. Many Quebeckers voted no because they thought the Accord offered them too little, many English Canadians voted no because they thought Quebec was offered too much.(40) Thus far, national referendums in Canada have only served to confirm that there is, and perhaps always will be, a wide divergence of views on many subjects between Quebec and English Canada.
It has been suggested that the use of referendums would serve to strengthen......
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