Quebec is the odd province out: mostly Francophone where the other provinces are more than 90% English-speaking, and in their view unfairly persecuted for their difference. Quebec-based intellectuals were attacked for their political beliefs, the entire region was accused of anti-semitism and racism (or worse), and the Washington Post tried to show even French Canadians don’t like their province with an article summarized thusly: “French Quebec is a culturally deprived, insecure community whose existence is an accident of history, one which shouldn’t have happened, says a French-Canadian writer.” A serious movement towards secession developed as a result, but a Supreme Court decision negated it.

On this day, August 20, in 1998, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that Quebec cannot unilaterally seceded from Canada, though a clear vote on a secession referendum should form the basis of negotiation. Above all, the court’s unilateral decision held, secession could only come by way of a constitutional amendment.

The court ruled that the unilateral secession under international law is only allowed for colonial or occupied states — which pleased the Canadian government. But it also ruled that the question of secession was primarily a political one, and so any such referendum would need to be negotiated, if passed — which pleased Quebec.