« Spoiled children of a parasitic province. »
Our contribution analyzes opinion pieces, namely editorials and columns, published in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and the National Post between March and September 2012. On the whole, the perception of the Maple Spring is rather negative, with editorialists and columnists interpreting the demands of the striking students as a foolish pursuit of narrow interests and the whim of spoiled kids. Moreover, in the course of discussing this event that shook Quebec in the spring of 2012, commentators also passed judgment on the “Quebec model” and on the particularity of Quebec within the Canadian federation. Several reviewers also compared the Maple Spring with upheavals that have swept certain European countries, such as Greece. In all cases, Quebec’s difference does not draw sympathy. The public policy permeating the province is seen, at best, as irresponsible and whimsical, and at worst as being artificially maintained at the expense of Canadian taxpayers. In that context, the striking students are portrayed as spoiled children of a parasitic province.