They moved because they were easily able to do so. The economic decline in Quebec, and particularly in Montreal, which, heavily aided by the sovereignty movement, gained full steam in the 1970s, prompted many Anglo Quebecers to pursue employment opportunities outside the province. For Francophone Quebecers, and especially those not fluent in English, this option wasn't as attractive. Nor was the sense of urgency as acute for them. Two of my my best friends are displaced Anglo Quebecers (one bilingual and the other not) who moved to Ontario in their 20s to (successfully) pursue their careers. The trend is echoed in the westward movement of people from the Atlantic provinces during the same period, albeit without the added push of ethnic nationalism.