Unity rally

May 27, 2017

Unity rally in Montréal, Ryan Remiorz. Canadian Press, 756604

1995 

Days before the 1995 Quebec referendum on sovereignty, the Quebec Business Council on the Environment called for a rally as a focal point for federalist voters. Minister of Fisheries Brian Tobin called on Canadians outside Quebec to join in this last event of the No campaign. On October 27, the event snowballed into a large demonstration, filling Place du Canada in downtown Montréal with an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 people from all over Canada. It was one of the largest political rallies in Canadian history. Many accused the organizers of unlawful campaign expenditures, which led to Quebec’s chief electoral officer investigating charges of overspending.

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