Since the Confederation of Canada until today, the province of Quebec has always wanted become its own nation by separating from Canada. As a result, Canada’s scariest ever terrorist group, the Front de Libération de Quebec (FLQ), wrote the darkest chapter in Canadian history, The October Crisis. To end the terror, Canadian Prime Minister, Trudeau, was forced to invoke the War Measures Act (WMA) during his term in 1970 which was flawed with disapproval and controversy since it was the first time the Act was used during peacetime. However, despite the criticism, his decision to invoke the War Measures Act was reasonable because of the fear presented by the FLQ, the public and governmental demands, and the end result of the October Crisis. …show more content…
The manifesto stated that there are “100,000 revolutionary workers, armed and organized! ” This statement was one of the major factors in the implementation of the WMA. This is because the high number stated by the FLQ caused anxiety in Canadians especially the police as they were uncertain the number was accurate. The chief of the Montreal police, Marcel Saint-Aubin, stated that, the police of Montreal could not handle maintain peace and order in Quebec as well as so investigations regarding the FLQ. He asked for the federal government to interfere and send the military so the police and military can work together. This request from the chief of the Montréal police and the uncertain number of FLQ members is another reason for Trudeau’s implementation. Therefore, the fear caused by the FLQ was terrifying resulting in the WMA.
In 1970, despite the robust disapproval by separatists, civil rights activist and intellectuals , the majority of Canadians was largely supportive of Trudeau’s decision in invoking the WMA. As well as, the provincial and municipal governments of Quebec and Montréal, respectively, requested Prime Minister Trudeau for assistance in this outbreak. On November, 1970, Gallup, a public opinion polling company, surveyed Canadians, asking them, “In general do you approve, or disapprove, the government’s actions in bringing in the War Measures Act to handle the FLQ crises?...” After Gallup conducted the poll, their data shows
In further analysis, angry people are more likely to listen to militants and commit violent acts, building a tense environment for Quebec citizens to live in. According to CBC Digital Archives, in response to the FLQ and other revolutionary groups forming, “when innocent people became injured from terrorist attacks, the cry for police involvement became shrill.” (FLQ Backgrounder Web) It is evident in this statement that many separatists who resorted to acts of terrorism consequently stimulated anger and fear in Quebec. If the Quiet Revolution had not occurred and the feelings of separatism and rise of terrorist groups did not follow, fewer people would have been hurt by the violence, both directly and indirectly. All things considered, the encouragement of separatism also weakened English-French relations as Quebec left 30 large shared programs, though the other provinces did not have the right to do so. All things considered, “from the Quebec Act of 1774 to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada has protected the place of its French minority. If Quebec were to separate, that protection would be gone and the Francophone society would be assimilated by the wider world within a generation or two.” (Kheiriddin) In relation to this comment, many English Canadians viewed Quebec’s special status during the revolution as
The Quebec Referendum first occurred during the Quebec Sovereignty. The Quebec Sovereignty is the movement of Quebec declaring independence from Canada. Throughout Canadian history, the province of Quebec has always wanted to become independent from Canada. Most citizens of Quebec feel suppressed from Canada as French is not commonly spoken outside by Canadians outside of Quebec. “From the fall of 1967, when, as federal minister of justice, he had clearly articulated his position on these questions, to the 1980 referendum, his thinking and priorities had not changed: they embodied patriation of the constitution, equality between francophones and anglophones, a charter of rights, and an amending formula granting a right of veto to Quebec.” Pierre Trudeau had intentions in patriating the constitution with the French and English Canadian’s rights and freedoms. During the Quebec referendum in the year of 1995, the Parti Quebecois asked voters to vote on whether Quebec should become sovereign or not. As a result, the majority of voters voted against the Quebec Sovereignty Referendum. Pierre Trudeau strived to defeat the sovereignty movement and thus, established the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Trudeau was very passionate and ambitious in transforming Canada into an equal and humble society.
Pierre Trudeau is one of Canada’s most renowned Prime Ministers. He was in office April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and later on March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984,.¹ An event that Pierre Trudeau is well known for is the enactment of the War Measures Act during the October Crisis. This decision to invoke the War Measures Act during the October Crisis has led to a great deal of controversy on whether the act was justified. The October Crisis was a series of events in October 1970, these events began with the kidnappings of James Cross and later Pierre Laporte by the group known as the FLQ (Front de libération du Québec) the group’s main goals were to create an independent Quebec.2 The group resorted to terrorist acts in order to achieve those goals, this later led to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoking the War Measures Act. The War Measures Act was a federal statute adopted by parliament during WWI and has been used 3 times; during WWI, WWII and during the October Crisis. The act gives major power to the Canadian government to uphold security during times of great distress.3 Pierre Trudeau was justified in enacting the War Measures Act during the October Crisis. One reason that Pierre Trudeau was justified in invoking the War Measures Act is that the FLQ was essentially a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths and injuries of countless people. Since the group was formed in the early 1960’s, the terrorist group’s acts had only worsened from mailbox bombings to
“Just watch me” are the defiant words uttered by Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau in response to the Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ), a Marxist group who captained Quebec independence through indiscriminate political violence. His words are not those of an iron-fisted strongman, despite how strong and undetailed his comments were at the time, but those of a calculated and well-versed leader, whose decisions came at the behest of prominent Quebec politicians. The FLQ instilled a decade of social violence in the streets of Quebec by systemically championing the struggles of French minorities who perceived unjust treatment in everyday life. Their qualms quickly evolved from protest to a Marxist movement, which incorporated
The Front de Libération du Québec, or the FLQ was the main group that was responsible for the October Crisis. This group of French Canadians were violent to reach their goals. FLQ members were trained by revolutionaries who supported Che Guevara, and some were trained by Palestinian commandos. They’ve committed 200 violent actions, have robbed banks, and participated in bombings. Not only did they commit those actions but they also kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross and kidnapped Pierre Laporte. Laporte was found dead on October 17, 1970 which led to Prime Minister Trudeau broadcasting the FLQ manifesto and transporting five FLQ terrorists to Cuba to release James Cross. The government responded to this crisis by implementing the War Measures Act. This gave the government the power to take people’s civil rights away. They responded with the crisis using the War Measures Act as they believed that the people wanted to overthrow the Canadian government. French-English relations were greatly affected from the October
. . infuriated by” is still widely debated. Some argue that it removed many of the rights granted to Canadians, while others commend the government for doing their job and protecting the people of the nation. The process that led up to the enactment of the War Measures Act was that on October 15, Quebec acted within the National Defense Act which “permitted Quebec to call in the Canadian Army.” Arrival of the troops created unrest within the province and the next day, at the request of the Quebec government, “the War Measures Act Regulations were proclaimed by Ottawa.” The War Measures Act allowed authorities (police and army) to arrest and imprison anyone who had any tie to the “unlawful association” which was the FLQ in this case. Many people were detained and released again; this enactment facilitated the arrest of many of the leaders within the FLQ which stopped much of the momentum of the terrorist movement. Many people saw the War Measures Act as a “Great Reinforcer” for the police as well as for the governments reputation. The chaos that ensued in October put much stress upon the Prime Minister at the time, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who was a Quebecois
The Quebec City mayor sent reinforcements from Ottawa to help control the rioting, which had been going on for two days. On the Easter Monday the crowds organized against the military presence in the city. Armed rioters started to fire at the troops and vise versa. There was an estimated four men killed by the fire and dozens injured. These riots represent one of the most violent disturbances in Canadian history. These riots erupted over conscription, which grew from how things were before in French Canadian nationalism. The military crackdown that lasted in Quebec until the end of the war resulted in an increase in state power in the growing of French Canadian nationalism. These riots over the conscription and the French Canadians sticking to their ways lead to a many difficult and unpleasant times in Quebec.
As time goes on, some countries become more relevant in the global sphere while others start to fade away. Canada is a country that only becomes more relevant as time goes on. Since being granted full sovereignty, Canada has had a growing role as a major world player. Much of their international growth has to do with its close ties to the United States and the United Kingdom. However, the country has also undergone huge change and refocusing on a domestic level. With influence from both Europe and the United States, Canada has a very unique system of governing. This paper will focus on a few major areas of Canada. It will look into the history of Canada, the structure of its government, its politics, and many of the major issues it faces today.
From the overthrowing of the Russian Tsar to the exile of the Nationalists, the world has been in a state where radical movements have been the main focus of citizens, even in democratic societies. The October Crisis was one of these extraordinary events that had occurred. It was a period of international and national revolutionary movements that used violent acts against constitutional measures. The 1970 October Crisis was a pivotal moment that had an undeniable and lasting impact on Canadians as it revealed the wisdom of Trudeau’s decision to enact the War Measures Act, demonstrated that the FLQ (a left-winged terrorist organization) was not a good representative of the French-Canadians, and it
Soon after the outbreak of World War II, Trudeau began to study law at the Université de Montréal. Pierre was strongly against signing up to fight. Like most French Canadians at that time, he didn`t believe that it was just a war. Rumours about the Holocaust swirled around campus. Nothing could distract Pierre from his studies. A few months later, he heard a speech by Ernest Lapointe, who was Prime Minister Mackenzie King`s right-hand man and Quebec lieutenant. He promised the crowd that there would be no absolutely no conscription, or so Pierre thought.
In October 1970, Canada faced a pressing terrorist attack in Montreal, Quebec by a group known as the Front de Liberation du Quebec, or the FLQ for short. The group committed multiple attacks starting in 1963 that slowly escalated until the October Crisis, where they kidnapped two government officials and proceeded to murder one of them. The Canadian government responded harshly and rapidly. The prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, issued the War Measures Act which along with various things allowed the police and military full reign to arrest people and hold them with no explanation. The Canadian population was highly supportive of the government’s action believing that this extreme state repression would bring a finish to the October
The relationship between the Canadian government and Quebec has been in constant turmoil for years. This paper will discuss and critique Quebec’s five demands made in 1986 by the Liberal government and their current implications. Reasonable demands are ones in which a limited amount of asymmetrical federalism grants provincial sovereignty. Currently all provinces have certain guaranteed rights, however Quebec’s rights provide more autonomy. Quebec, though home to the largest population of French speaking Canadians, have asked too much of the Government of Canada. This is evident Quebec’s increased control over immigration, Supreme Court Justices appointment, and their veto on future constitutional negotiations. Conversely, the demand of recognizing Quebec as a distinct society is however reasonable and has been accommodated into Canadian society, and the ability to restrict federal spending power keeps the federal power in check. In this essay, I will discuss each demand, and argue whether or not it is reasonable.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau was arguably one of the most vivacious and charismatic Prime Ministers Canada has ever seen. He wore capes, dated celebrities and always wore a red rose boutonniere. He looked like a superhero, and often acted like one too. Some of the landmark occurrences in Canadian history all happened during the Trudeau era, such as patriating the constitution, creating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the 1980 Quebec Referendum. However, it is Trudeau’s 1969 “white paper” and the Calder legal challenge which many consider to be one of his most influential contributions to Canadian history.
Once the Military Service Act was put in place, the problems began that made the Conscription Crisis of 1917 so significant. Almost immediately Quebec anti-conscription riots broke out all over Montreal. The province of Quebec was totally opposing the fact of serving in World War One. The fact that forcing young men to fight and die was thought to be an outrage in Quebec. Never minding the fact that the Canadian Corps was nearly in Complete English. During the riots nearly forty percent of the Québécois conscripted men did not report for their duty in the war. The views French-Canadian's between the majorities of the English Canadian's were basically utterly opposed to each other causing the relations between the two the lowest ever within Canadian history. In both the elections of 1917 and 1921 seventy percent of the Quebec Population voted liberal for the loss of trust from the conservatives due to this event. "The 1917 Election was the most bitter in Canadian history, viciously fought on both sides"- said
In the midst of the October Crisis Pierre Trudeau handled the time of terrorism well. In this essay one will see how Trudeau handled the crisis excellently by examining the first domestic use of the War Measures Act which led to improvements on the Act, ensuring that Quebec did not become its own independent country, and how Canada stood behind and supported Quebec and Pierre Trudeau through the acts of violence led by the FLQ.