NewsTracker Answers for week of May 21, 2012

Q: Quebec’s government passed an emergency law last week restricting student demonstrations and shutting some universities, as the government sought to end three months of protests against tuition increases. Where is Quebec on this map?

Circle the area on this map

Q: Students have been protesting proposals to raise university tuition 80 percent over seven years, or a hike of $254 per year. Quebec has the lowest tuition rates in Canada. The province of Quebec is Canada's . . .

A. Largest by area

B. Largest by population

C. Most densely populated

D. All of the above

A. Quebec is Canada's largest province by area, occupying a territory nearly three times the size of France or Texas, and most of it is very sparsely populated. But, Quebec is Canada's second most populous province after Ontario.

Q: Most of Quebec's population live in urban areas in the southern part of the province. Most of the student protests occurred in Quebec's largest city of . . .

A. Quebec City

B. Toronto

C. Montreal

D. Vancouver

C. With a metropolitan area population of 3.8 million, Montreal is Canada's second largest city behind Toronto in Ontario. Metropolitan Toronto has about 5.5 million people.

Q: Some critics compared the new anti-protest law with the War Measures Act passed in 1970 to deal with Front de liberation du Quebec radicals who were demanding . . .

A. Quebec independence

B. Government overthrow

C. Francophone 'workers' society'

D. All of the above

D. From 1963 to 1970, the group was was responsible for over 160 violent incidents, which killed eight people and injured many more. It was by far the most radical, violent and aberrant expression of long-held desires of many French-speaking residents for a separate nation or special status for Quebec.

Q: The leader of the provincial government that passed the anti-protest law is called . . .

A. Governor

B. Premier

C. Chairman

D. Provencal

B. The Premier of Quebec is usually the head of the party winning the most seats in the National Assembly of Quebec and is normally a sitting member of the National Assembly. Like the rest of Canada, Quebec has a parliamentary system of government.