Quebec and the Rise of Separatism

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Quebec and the Rise of Separatism
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Roots of Quebec Nationalism

• Date to the Duplessis era of Quebec politics
• Leader of the Union Nationale, Duplessis was a
  strong Que. Nationalist
• Believed Que. was a distinct society, a nation
  rather than a province due to its heritage
• Introduced a new flag for Quebec bearing the
  French symbol the fleur-de-lis
• The Catholic Church had a key role in this time,
  maintaining traditional society farm, faith,
  family
• Not a great deal of emphasis on modernizing Que.
  very limited amount of new engineers etc
• Quebec falls behind in a sense

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The Quiet Revolution

• 1960, Duplessis dies, and is replaced by Jean
  Lesage
• Time for a change was the new slogan
• Quebec needed to end corruption in government and
  award merit first step taken by Lesage
• Unions, which Duplessis had repressed, were now
  accepted
• Also, government moves to modernize increased
  educational emphasis on science and technology
• Citizens of the 20th century now Church loses
  influence
• Maitres chez nous becomes the new slogan
  masters in our own house Quebec needed to take
  control of its economy
• Hydro Quebec (hydro-companies bought out and
  turned into large, provincially owned) is
  created, giving further independence

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Birth of Separatism

• Nationalistic pride begins to swell in Quebec
  during the 60s
• Anger rises at perceived injustices of English
  Canada Why was Ottawa overwhelmingly English?
  Why were so few Quebecers in Cabinet? Why no
  French schools and hospitals in English Canada?
  Why was English the language of work and business
  in B.C.?

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Separatism cont

• Some saw the only solution for these problems was
  separation from Canada
• Groups like the
• FLQ (Front de liberation du Quebec) form
  radical and willing to use violence
• Also, in 1967, Rene Levesque leaves the Federal
  Liberals and creates a new party the Parti
  Quebecois (PQ) he is considered the founder of
  the modern separatist movement
• Levesque and the PQ believed Canada and Quebec
  would be best served to peacefully divorce it
  was a marriage that no longer worked in their view

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Federal Response

• Pearson does 2 major things to deal make Quebec
  feel more at home in Canada
• 1) Royal Commission on Bilingualism and
  Biculturalism recommends Canada should
  officially become bilingual
• 2) New Canadian flag less emphasis on British
  symbols stirs furious debate at first English
  Canada resents and blasts the new flag, French
  Canada becomes disillusioned by the bitterness
  and keeps the fleur-de-lis

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The Trudeau Era and Quebec

• Trudeau himself was French
• Convinced that govt should do more to persuade
  Quebeckers that their future lay with Canada
• Official Languages Act passed Canada officially
  bilingual
• Civil servants had to learn French
• More French Canadians appointed to senior
  government positions

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Cant please anyone!?

• Western Canada dislikes these moves too much
  emphasis on Quebecs concerns, French is being
  forced on the west
• Quebeckers feel the need for a special status
  in Confederation and the govt isnt doing enough
  to meet Quebecs needs
• Trudeau maintains Quebec is a province like all
  the rest

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The October Crisis

• October of 1970 the crisis begins - headline
  story
• Oct. 5, FLQ members kidnap James Cross, British
  diplomat in Montreal a series of demands made,
  including exchange of jailed FLQ members released
  in exchange for Cross Que. Govt wont give on
  that point
• Oct. 10, FLQ kidnaps Que. Labor minister Pierre
  Laporte later found dead in trunk of car
• Trudeau claims Quebec is on the verge of a
  violent revolution War Measures Act is imposed
• (Act that gave federal cabinet emergency powers
  in time of war)

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Unprecedented Action

• Never before had the WMA been used in peace time
• Civil rights are suspended arrest and
  detainment without being charged.
• Asked about how far Trudeau would go to combat
  the FLQ, he famously says Just watch me.
• Oct. 16, troops are sent to patrol the streets of
  Ottawa and Montreal
• Hundreds of pro-separatists are arrested w/o
  charge

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The End of the Crisis

• Oct. 17, Laportes body discovered
• Canadians are horrified, increases public
  pressure to crack down on the FLQ
• Cross is found alive 2 months later his
  kidnappers granted asylum to Cuba
• 450 had been detained finally released, only 25
  ever charged

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The Rise of the PQParti Quebecois

• Elected to office as Quebecs provincial govt in
  1976
• Levesque promises to ask the people if they want
  separation from Canada in a referendum
• The 1st time that a separatist party is elected
  in Canada
• Also, they pass Bill 101 French is the only
  official language of Quebec govt, education of
  immigrants, and outdoor signs must be French
• The rest of Canada is not happy with this move
  too extreme and looks to Feds to do something

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Key Points

• Duplessis era fosters the spirit of distinct
  society, defended traditional Quebec society
• Quiet Revolution emphasizes change and
  modernization, Quebeckers discover a new pride
  and want to be Masters in our own house
• Separatism grows out of discontentment towards
  English Canada, lack of French influence in
  Canada, rise of FLQ
• Fed Response Bi and Bi Commission recommends
  bilingualism in Canada, new flag created (less
  Brit symbolism

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Key Points Cont

• October Crisis kidnappings by FLQ terrorists,
  WMA enacted for first time during peace
• Trudeau fed govt should do more to persuade
  Que. its future was in Canada, did not believe
  in special status for Que.
• PQ Rene Levesque leader, first separatist party
  elected, Bill 101 making French official lang. of
  Que.