The Canadian sovereignty referendum of 1995, officially known as the National Status Referendum was held on November 30, 1995 to determine whether the people of the Dominion of Canada wanted to declare sovereignty, and possibly independence, from the French Empire or remain a semi-colony thereof. "Non" won with 50.7% of the vote over "Oui," thus keeping Canada's status as a dominion of the Empire intact.
The referendum polarized Canadian society and was supported by the Parti Canadien, which controlled the National Assembly of Canada under Premier Jacques Parizeau, and was opposed by the French government, the Canada Uni political opposition, as well as the Governeur of Canada, Jean Chretien, who broke a tradition of apolitical governance to campaign actively against the poll. Though "Oui" trailed considerably at the outset, during the campaign the involvement of Chretien and the possible threat of the French Foreign Legion, stationed in Canada, taking military action in the event of a victory by the sovereigntists helped pull "Oui" close enough that the result was an open question on referendum night. The narrow loss led to Parizeau's resignation shortly thereafter, especially after the scandal when he declared that "money and ethnic votes" had defeated "the beating heart of the nation of Canada." He was replaced by Bloc Canadien leader Lucien Bouchard, another referendum leader on better terms with both Chretien and Emperor Albert II. In the late 1990s France and Canada would agree to reform their relationship, culminating with the Colonial Act of 2008 that devolved all home rule to Canada beyond some military matters. Canada would become independent in late 2013 as a result of the European Spring.