The series consists of records of the Canadian Unity Council's research and publications prior to the establishment of the Centre for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC) in April 1996. By 1994, a Communications Group had been established by the Council to gather together all information broadcast or published over the previous ten years on Quebec and Canada on political, economic, sociological, international and cultural matters. The Council set up a documentation centre to compile and catalogue past and recent publications and research, press clippings and other pertinent information on Quebec and the rest of Canada. The series contains several collections of source material directly related to Canadian unity and the consequences of Quebec separation including a report consisting primarily of newspaper clippings, a media survey, a selection of literature on Quebec separation, a bibliography on secession and Quebec independence, and a compilation of synopses of unity studies by various authors including content summaries and commentary. There is also a collection of economic and fiscal fact sheets surrounding the benefits of federalism and the impact of Quebec separation and a draft compilation of information sheets discussing the international implications of Quebec separation. The Council commissioned quantitative and qualitative studies from various research, marketing and communication firms such as IMPACT Research, CROP Incorporated, Environics Research Group Limited, Institut Gamma, Soucy D. Gagné et Associés, and Communication et Développement Robert Bernier Inc. Topics of study included Canadians' perceptions regarding their identity and sense of nationality, attitudes towards national and regional issues including Quebec independence and referendum issues, attitudes towards constitutional proposals, political tendencies, and western Canadian attitudes towards Quebec.
The Council commissioned qualitative studies of Quebecers' understanding of the differences between sovereignty and independence and the consequences of each using face-to-face interview and discussion group techniques. Group discussions and one-on-one interviews among profiled participants were based on pre-set questions and held in specific locations and regions in Quebec. The series includes verbatim records of these discussions. The series also contains material surrounding the second Quebec referendum (October 1995) including pre- and post-referendum polling data, implications for the referendum generated by televised debates, and statistical data on the results of voter registration for each electoral district. There is also a review of salient points gathered from recent post-referendum polls. In pursuing its educational goals, the Council prepared a document for the pre-referendum period entitled Direction, a series of 31 rebuttals from the federalist perspective. There is also a draft of a series of 16 regional arguments intended as a reference tool for the regional populations of Quebec. A report on the activities of the Quebec Council for the period 1994-1995 contains information on the publishing activities of the Communications Group. The series also contains information regarding La Bande FM, a Quebec-based group declaring themselves to be militant federalists. Material includes membership lists, brochures, a declaration of registration, a summary of the organization's position and correspondence. The series also contains editions of early serial publications of the Canada Committee, Option Canada Bulletin and Referendum Express. There are also editions of the Political Analysis Newsletter published by the Council.
See also the Centre for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC) series for related material.
