1980s

• 1982 - Led by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
  Pierre Trudeau
  Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
  
  , the Canadian government moves to patriate the constitution
  Constitution of Canada
  The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
  
   on April 17
• June 9 – Following a court challenge to parts of Bill 101
  Charter of the French Language
  The Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...
  
   (the French language law of the Province of Quebec), the Supreme Court of Canada
  Supreme Court of Canada
  The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
  
   rules them unconstitutional.
• 1984 - Deranged federalist former soldier Denis Lortie
  Denis Lortie
  Denis Lortie is a former Canadian army corporal. In 1984, he stormed into the National Assembly of Quebec building and killed three Quebec government employees....
  
   goes on a shooting spree at the National Assembly
  National Assembly of Quebec
  The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
  
   on May 8 with the intention to kill René Lévesque. The assembly is not in session; however, there are 3 deaths and 9 injured.
• 1984 - Pierre Trudeau
  Pierre Trudeau
  Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
  
   resigns as Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
   after taking a "walk in the snow" to think it over.
• 1984 - John Turner
  John Turner
  John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
  
   succeeds Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
  , only to be defeated three months later
  Canadian federal election, 1984
  The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
  
   by Brian Mulroney
  Brian Mulroney
  Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
  
  .
• 1984 - Brian Mulroney
  Brian Mulroney
  Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
  
  , born in Baie-Comeau, Quebec
  Quebec
  Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
  
  , is elected Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
  .
• 1984 - René Lévesque
  René Lévesque
  René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
  
   accepts the beau risque
  Beau risque
  In Quebec politics, le beau risque is a political catch phrase describing the "risk" the Parti Québécois took in asking Quebecers to support Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney and accept the Constitution Act, 1982...
  
  of constitutional negotiations with the new Mulroney government. This leads to a serious split within the Parti Québécois
  Parti Québécois
  The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
  
  .
• 1985 - Exhausted by infighting within his party, René Lévesque
  René Lévesque
  René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
  
   resigns as premier and leader of the Parti Québécois
  Parti Québécois
  The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
  
  .
• 1985 - Quebec general election
  Quebec general election, 1985
  The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
  
  : Liberals win.
• 1987 - The Meech Lake Accord
  Meech Lake Accord
  The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
  
   is agreed to by federal and provincial governments. However, it was never ratified.
• 1987 - René Lévesque
  René Lévesque
  René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
  
   dies.
• 1987 - July 14th, Montreal is completely paralyzed by the heavy downpour of a series of thunderstorms during the Montreal Flood of 1987
  Montreal Flood of 1987
  The Montreal Flood of 1987 happened on July 14 of that year when a series of strong thunderstorms crossed the island of Montreal, Canada, between the noon hour and 2:30 p.m. Over 100 mm of rain fell during this very short period of time. The sewer systems were overwhelmed by the deluge and the...
  
  .
• 1988 - Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement is negotiated, with broad support from both sides of the political spectrum in Quebec
  Quebec
  Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
  
  .
• 1989 - A geomagnetic storm
  Geomagnetic storm
  A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a disturbance in the interplanetary medium. A geomagnetic storm is a major component of space weather and provides the input for many other components of space weather...
  
   in northern Quebec causes a nine-hour blackout
  Power outage
  A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
  
   in parts of province on March 13. Owing to a ripple effect in the transmission lines that feed Quebec-produced energy to New York State, ultimately to New York City; and combined with a number of localised problems there and in neighbouring New Jersey and Long Island, the storm hundreds of miles away in the wilds of northern Quebec also ends up blacking out New York City for several hours.
• 1989 - Quebec general election
  Quebec general election, 1989
  The Quebec general election of 1989 was held on September 25, 1989, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
  
  : Liberals are re-elected.
• 1989 - École Polytechnique massacre
  École Polytechnique massacre
  The École Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, was a hate crime perpetrated on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Twenty-five-year-old Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi, who had changed his name to Marc Lépine, armed with a legally obtained...
  
   on December 6.

1990s

• 1990 - The Oka Crisis
  Oka Crisis
  The Oka Crisis was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada which began on July 11, 1990 and lasted until September 26, 1990. At least one person died as a result...
  
  .
• 1990 - Angered by the imminent collapse of the Meech Lake Accord
  Meech Lake Accord
  The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
  
  , Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
  
   resigns as member of Parliament and cabinet minister in the Mulroney government and founds the Bloc Québécois
  Bloc Québécois
  The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
  
  .
• 1990 - The Meech Lake Accord
  Meech Lake Accord
  The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
  
   collapses as it fails to win unanimous ratification by the deadline. Support for Quebec sovereignty rises to high levels.
• 1991 - The Canadian government introduces the unpopular Goods and Services Tax
  Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
  The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
  
   (GST).
• 1991 - June 20: Bill 150 is passed, providing for a referendum on sovereignty in 1992; if passed by 50% plus 1 vote, it would lead to a unilateral declaration of independence. (The bill was later canceled and replaced by a referendum on the Charlottetown Accord
  Charlottetown Accord
  The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
  
  )
• 1992 - August 13: former Equality Party
  Equality Party (Quebec)
  The Equality Party was a political party in Quebec, Canada, that promoted the use of English in Quebec on an equal basis with French. Four Equality Party members were elected to Quebec's National Assembly in 1989, as part of an anglophone reaction to changes made by the governing Liberals to...
  
   Member of the National Assembly of Quebec
  National Assembly of Quebec
  The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
  
   (MNA) Richard Holden (politician)
  Richard Holden (politician)
  Richard B. Holden was a lawyer and member of the provincial legislature of Quebec, Canada. An obituary describes him as cynical and self-deprecating, a boulevardier and a maverick.-Personal life:...
  
   joins the Parti Québécois
  Parti Québécois
  The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
  
  
• 1992 - October 26: Country-wide referendum on the Charlottetown Accord
  Charlottetown Accord
  The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
  
  . The accord is rejected by the population of Canada and also specifically by the population of Quebec.
• 1993 - Brian Mulroney
  Brian Mulroney
  Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
  
   resigns as Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
   on February 24.
• 1993 - Jean Chrétien
  Jean Chrétien
  Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
  
  , born in Shawinigan, Quebec
  Quebec
  Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
  
  , is sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
  .
• 1993 - The North American Free Trade Agreement
  North American Free Trade Agreement
  The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
  
   (NAFTA) goes into effect.
• 1994 - After almost 40 years of preparation the new Civil Code of Quebec
  Civil Code of Quebec
  The Civil Code of Quebec is the civil code in force in the province of Quebec, Canada. The Civil Code of Quebec came into effect on January 1, 1994, except for certain parts of the book on Family Law which were adopted by the National Assembly in the 1980s...
  
   comes into effect on January 1.
• 1994 - Quebec general election
  Quebec general election, 1994
  The Quebec general election of 1994 was held on September 12, 1994, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Parti Québécois, led by Jacques Parizeau, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Daniel Johnson, Jr.....
  
  : The Parti Québécois
  Parti Québécois
  The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
  
   elected to office, led by Jacques Parizeau
  Jacques Parizeau
  Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
  
  .
• 1995 - October 24, the James Bay
  James Bay
  James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
  
   Cree
  Cree
  The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
  
   hold their own referendum on whether or not their territory should remain a part of Canada. Over 96% of the Cree vote in favour of retaining the relationship with Canada.
• 1995 - On October 30, another referendum on sovereignty
  Sovereignty
  Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
  
   is held. For the second time, the measure is rejected, this time by a slim margin of slightly more than one percent. See Quebec referendum, 1995.
• 1995 - Following the defeat of the sovereignist option, Jacques Parizeau
  Jacques Parizeau
  Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
  
   resigns and is replaced by the head of the federal Bloc Québécois
  Bloc Québécois
  The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
  
  , Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
  
  .
• 1996 - Severe flooding
  Saguenay Flood
  The Saguenay Flood was a series of flash floods that hit the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on July 19 and 20, 1996. It was the biggest overland flood in 20th century Canadian history....
  
   in the Saguenay region
  Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
  Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
  
   from July 18-21 devastates the region and proves to be one of Canada's costliest natural disasters.
• 1996 - Jean-Louis Roux
  Jean-Louis Roux
  Jean-Louis Roux, CC, CQ is a noted entertainer and playwright, senator, and briefly the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Canada.-Biography:...
  
   briefly becomes Lieutenant-governor of Quebec
  Quebec
  Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
  
  , but resigns after less than two months due to his now-regretted antisemitic political activity during World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  .
• 1996 - Death of Robert Bourassa
  Robert Bourassa
  Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
  
   on October 2.
• 1997 - An amendment to the Constitution
  Constitution of Canada
  The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
  
   provides for linguistic rather than confessional (Catholic and Protestant) school boards in Quebec.
• 1998 - A severe ice storm
  North American ice storm of 1998
  The North American ice storm of 1998 was a massive combination of five smaller successive ice storms which combined to strike a relatively narrow swath of land from eastern Ontario to southern Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada, and bordering areas from northern New York to central Maine in the...
  
   strikes Montreal
  Montreal
  Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
  
   and southwestern Quebec
  Quebec
  Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
  
   in early January, leaving parts of Montreal without power for up to a week; destruction of power lines and pylons leaves a "triangle of darkness" south of Montreal without power for three weeks.
• 1998 - Quebec general election
  Quebec general election, 1998
  The Quebec general election of 1998 was held on November 30, 1998, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Charest.After the narrow defeat of...
  
  : Parti Québécois is re-elected.
• 1999 - The Clarity Act
  Clarity Act
  The Clarity Act is legislation passed by the Parliament of Canada that established the conditions under which the Government of Canada would enter into negotiations that might lead to secession following such a vote by one of the provinces. The Clarity Bill was tabled for first reading in the...
  
   becomes a federal law.

2000s

• 2000 - September 28 - Pierre Elliott Trudeau dies
• 2000 - December 5 - Beginning of the Michaud Affair
  Michaud Affair
  The Michaud Affair was a political controversy in Quebec that began in 2000. It revolved around the comments of Parti Québécois supporter Yves Michaud, those of the Quebec Jewish community and the subsequent censure motion from the National Assembly of Quebec members of parliament.-CKAC...
  
  .
• 2001 - Discouraged at the lack of support for sovereignty among the population and a fractious PQ caucus, Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
  
   resigns as Premier of Quebec and retires from public life on January 11.
• 2001 - Rhéal Mathieu, who was a member of the former Front de libération du Québec
  Front de libération du Québec
  The Front de libération du Québec was a left-wing Quebecois nationalist and Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group in Quebec, Canada. It was active between 1963 and 1970, and was regarded as a terrorist organization for its violent methods of action...
  
   is convicted of the attempted firebombing of three Second Cup
  Second Cup
  Second Cup is Canada's largest Canadian-based specialty coffee retailer, operating more than 360 cafés across Canada. Its headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario. Founded in 1975 by Tom Culligan and Frank O'Dea, Culligan eventually purchased O'Dea's shares. After building it to a 150-store chain,...
  
   coffee shops in Montreal. Quebec Second Cup cafes took the name of Les cafés Second Cup afterwards.
• March 8 - Following the resignation of Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard
  Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
  
  , Bernard Landry
  Bernard Landry
  Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:...
  
   becomes premier of Quebec.
• 2001 - In April, Quebec City
  Quebec City
  Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
  
   hosts the Summit of the Americas
  Quebec City Summit of the Americas
  The 3rd Summit of the Americas was a summit held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on April 20--22, 2001.This international meeting was a round of negotiations regarding a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas...
  
  , attracting huge anti-globalization
  Globalization
  Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
  
   protests with activists from everywhere in the Americas. Simultaneously held is the Peoples Summit of the Americas.
• 2002 - The merger
  Municipal reorganization in Quebec
  The most recent episode of municipal reorganization in Quebec, Canada, was undertaken in 2002 by the Parti Québécois Government of Quebec, headed by Premier Lucien Bouchard and his successor Bernard Landry....
  
   of numerous cities and their suburbs (municipal fusions) into "megacities" goes into effect, creating the new megacities of Montreal
  Montreal
  Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
  
  , Longueuil
  Longueuil
  Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
  
  , Quebec City
  Quebec City
  Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
  
  , Lévis
  Lévis, Quebec
  Lévis is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec Bridge and the Pierre Laporte Bridge, connect western Lévis with Quebec City. The Société de transport de...
  
  , Saguenay
  Saguenay, Quebec
  Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
  
  , Sherbrooke, and Gatineau
  Gatineau
  Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
  
   among others.
• 2002 - The Action démocratique du Québec
  Action démocratique du Québec
  The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
  
   wins four by-elections and temporarily enjoys high scores in public opinion polls.
• 2003 - March: a court ruling legalizes same-sex marriage in Quebec
  Same-sex marriage in Quebec
  On March 19, 2004, the Quebec Court of Appeals ruled similarly to the Ontario and B.C. courts, upholding Hendricks and Leboeuf v. Quebec and ordering that it take effect immediately...
  
  .
• 2003 - Quebec general election
  Quebec general election, 2003
  The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...
  
  : April 14, Jean Charest
  Jean Charest
  John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
  
  , a strong federalist and leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, becomes premier of Quebec
  Quebec
  Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
  
  .
• 2003 - In December, through an initiative by Quebec Premier, Jean Charest
  Jean Charest
  John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
  
  , the Council of the Federation
  Council of the Federation
  The Council of the Federation is a council in Canada made up of the premiers of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories. Its main function is to provide a united front amongst the provincial and territorial governments when interacting with Canada's federal government...
  
   is formed by the Premiers of all Canadian provinces and territories.
• 2003 - Paul Martin
  Paul Martin
  Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
  
   becomes Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
  .
• 2003 - The sponsorship scandal erupts, possibly tarnishing the Jean Chrétien
  Jean Chrétien
  Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
  
   legacy.
• 2004 - Demerger referendums: Many of the cities created in 2002 are again divided. This includes many small municipalities in the western part of the island of Montreal
  Montreal
  Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
  
  .
• 2005 - Bernard Landry
  Bernard Landry
  Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:...
  
  , who resigned as leader of the Parti Québécois
  Parti Québécois
  The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
  
   in June, is replaced by 39-year old André Boisclair
  André Boisclair
  André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....
  
   after the leadership election of 2005
  Parti Québécois leadership election, 2005
  The Parti Québécois leadership election of 2005 was held from November 13 to November 15, 2005 to elect the new leader of the Parti Québécois, the main sovereigntist and social democratic political party in Quebec, Canada....
  
  .
• 2006 - Stephen Harper
  Stephen Harper
  Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
  
  's Conservative Party of Canada
  Conservative Party of Canada
  The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
  
   form minority government. Conservatives greatly reduce Liberal stranglehold on federalist vote in Quebec and make important gains by taking 10 new seats, mostly from Bloc in Quebec City area.
• 2007 - Quebec general election
  Quebec general election, 2007
  The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...
  
  , Liberals elected as a minority government. ADQ becomes official opposition. Parti Québécois reduced to third-party status.
• 2008 - Quebec general election, The Quebec Liberal Party narrowly forms a majority government. The Parti Québécois climbs back to become the official opposition and the ADQ falls hardly, far behind the Parti Québécois.