Six days before the nail-biting 1995 Quebec referendum that nearly tore the country apart, Jean Chrétien told his ministers to keep their cool.
The prime minister acknowledged that day that Quebecers might vote to separate from Canada on Oct. 30. He told his cabinet it wasn't the time to discuss the consequences of a vote for independence, but if it happened, "no one should panic or act precipitously."
The sombre message, delivered behind closed doors, is coming to light through newly disclosed federal cabinet minutes obtained by The Canadian Press.
In the months before the vote, Chrétien had expressed confidence about the campaign. But 30 years after the referendum, the meeting minutes show how the tone of the conversations around the federal cabinet table shifted dramatically as Canada confronted a national unity crisis.
The documents, released by the federal government through access to information legislation, offer a glimpse behind the scenes during a critical moment in Canada's history. They paint a picture of a campaign that was abruptly thrown off course, of a prime minister who urged his cabinet to stay calm, and of a last-minute scramble to keep the country together.
During that meeting just before the vote — on Oct.
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