Our two national holidays have come and gone, but like most Montrealers I hardly noticed them, which is usually a sign that all’s well in Quebec.

The two days are barometers of our political times, so here’s my post-holiday review of Canada Day and St-Jean.

Canada Day has never been an overly patriotic or nationalistic day, one of many advantages of being Canadian.

Most Canadians traditionally celebrate by going to the country for the long weekend to smack bugs and jump in a lake.

But this year Canada Day was on steroids in much of the country as people belted out the anthem, unfurled supersized U.S.-style Canadian flags and wore T-shirts saying “Canada is not for sale” and “Never 51!”

Here in Montreal, the Canada Day parade was cancelled at the last minute, as usual. But a small informal “march” happened in Old Montreal that attracted so many sympathetic American and European tourists, they probably outnumbered us locals, who don’t always attend these things.

Canada’s new nationalism has also infected Quebec, where recent polls show most Quebecers are very proud to be Canadian, even more so than people in some other provinces.

Many francophones are suddenly feeling sappy about maple syrup, Mounties and moose, while humming the........

© Montreal Gazette