Editing Secession (section)

===Canada===
{{Main|Secessionist movements of Canada}}

Throughout Canada's history, there has been tension between [[English Canada|English-speaking]] and [[Francophone Canadians|French-speaking Canadians]]. Under the [[Constitutional Act of 1791]], the [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] (including parts of what are today [[Quebec]], [[Ontario]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]) was divided in two: [[Lower Canada]] (which retained [[Law of France|French law]] and institutions and is now part of the provinces of Quebec and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]) and [[Upper Canada]] (a new colony intended to accommodate the many new English-speaking settlers, including the [[United Empire Loyalists]], and now part of [[Ontario]]). The intent was to provide each group with its own colony. In 1841, the two Canadas were merged into the [[Province of Canada]]. The union proved contentious, however, resulting in a legislative deadlock between English and French legislators. The difficulties of the union, among other factors, led in 1867 to the formation of the  [[Canadian Confederation]], a [[Canadian federalism|federal system]] that united the [[Province of Canada]], [[Nova Scotia]] and [[New Brunswick]] (later joined by other [[British North America|British colonies in North America]]). The federal framework did not eliminate all tensions, however, leading to the [[Quebec sovereignty movement]] in the latter half of the 20th century.

Other occasional secessionist movements have included anti-Confederation movements in the 19th century [[Atlantic Canada]] (see [[Anti-Confederation Party]]), the [[North-West Rebellion]] of 1885, and various small separatist movements in Alberta particularly (see [[Alberta separatism]]) and [[Western Canada]] generally (see, for example, [[Western Canada Concept]]).