As a history buff I found this post over at Le Blog de Polyscopique to be fascinating (hat-tip Let It Bleed). It outlines has Quebec, through block voting, has managed to punch above its' weight throughout most of the history of Canada (including British North America). Declining birth rates may change that however.
As French-speaking Canadians continue their demographic decline, with the corollary that Canada becomes more and more an English-speaking nation, French-speaking Quebecers will find secession more and more to be an appealing option. In fact, there is no bigger long-term threat to Canadian national unity. Sovereignists are already using future demographic trends as an argument for secession. Though its rise and continued existence have not been caused by shifting demographics and though its behavior is often enigmatic, the most successful federal political party in Québec during the last decade is quite similar to what Morton called a "permanent opposition bloc in the House."
Among the post-Patriation constitutional modifications that have been discussed, I think that the most important one was the 25% clause of the much-maligned Charlottetown Accord which would have guaranteed Québec a minimal representation of 25% in the House of Commons in perpetuity. This could have, albeit artificially, solved the problem that now preoccupies us. Alas, such schemes have proved to be as unpopular in the 1990s as they had been in the 1850s. Absent such a provision, the main long-term challenge in maintaining Canada's national unity and stability will be the upsetting of the demographic balance between English- and French-speakers.
