Issues of the right to self-determination, independence, separatist sentiments never lose their relevance. Against the background of intensified religious, linguistic and ethnic clashes in various multireligious and multiethnic States of the world, federal states that historically faced the struggle for independence on their territory are of particular interest. Canada has extensive experience in the development of the federation in conflict with one of the provinces - Québec. To date, the federal center has developed a fairly successful model of relations with the French-speaking province, but separatist sentiments remain a constant factor in the federal process in Canada. For centuries, the question of obtaining sovereignty of Québec somehow arises in the process of developing intergovernmental relations between the federal authorities and the province, as well as in the process of political struggle at the regional level. This article analyzes the historical aspects of the emergence of separatist sentiments in Québec, the development of the idea of independence in the modern society of the province, as well as the evolution of relations between the federal center and the government of Québec in the process of regulating the secession problem. The study of intergovernmental relations between Canada and the province of Québec seeks to show that such a sensitive issue as secession may be resolved if there is political will on the part of both the Federation and the region, as well as the desire to take concrete political, economic and legal steps and to come to a compromise.