The end of the Second World War was supposed to be a time of relief and celebration, but at least in Quebec, a sense of alienation still stewed. Discontent grew during the 1950s in the French province, particularly because of the way in which the federal and Quebec provincial government interacted. The electorate in Québec saw their provincial leaders as being corrupt and pandering to the federal government. The seeds for separatism, laying dormant for so long, were being watered.
What followed in Quebec into and through the 1960s was called the “Revolution Tranquille” or Quiet Revolution. An unexpected outsider would bring that mute time to a screeching end.
Charles de Gaulle, Prime Minister of France, came to Canada in a French war ship during the Centennial Year Celebrations in 1967. He traveled by motorcade to Montreal where Canada was proudly hosting Expo 67's “Man and his World.”
Separatists Were Encouraged by French PM
The French hero of the Second World War addressed a crowd in a square in downtown Montreal that aired on radio and television. He ended his speech with just a few words that drove a stake into the heart of the Dominion.
“Vive Montreal!” he shouted. “Vive le Québec!” and then “Vive le Québec libre!” Long live free Québec was enough to light a fire under disgruntled Quebecers who were tired of feeling like second class Canadians. It had been hoped and expected that de Gaulle would go on to Ottawa. He did not. After visiting Expo 67 he abruptly returned to France.
The federal government immediately sprang into damage control mode. Cabinet convened in Ottawa the next day to consider what action would be best, but the wick had been lit. English Canada was in uproar and Québecers were feeling vindicated and powerful. Perhaps this would be the time French Canada would attain independent sovereignty.
Québec MNA René Lévesque left the Liberal party and began a separatist movement that would eventually evolve into the Parti Québecois. 70 year old Prime Minister Lester Pearson stepped aside and his Minister of Justice, Pierre Elliott Trudeau became Prime Minister.
FLQ Surfaced With a Vengeance
The late sixties were a time of unrest in labour and politics and was ripe for social change. Despite the fact he was French Canadian, Trudeau was a federalist and separatism was alive and well in Québec. Extremists stunned the country when several bombs were planted in English Montreal neighborhoods. They continued to up the ante, and on the 5th of October, 1970, a cell of a group calling itself the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped James Cross who was the British Consul in Montreal. Cross had diplomatic status, and so the action involved foreign affairs. FLQ demands included broadcasting its manifesto, the release of 23 members from jail, a plane and free passage to Cuba or Algeria and $500,000.
The FLQ Manifesto for independence was read over the airwaves, but the group's actions were too extreme and too radical for mainstream Québecers to align themselves with them.
The FLQ was told October 10th that their demands to end police action and release 23 members would not be met. Québec MNA Pierre Laporte was immediately abducted by the FLQ's Chénier cell and deadlines were issued for his impending execution if demands were not met. Bourassa announced on the radio that he was open to negotiations but not the immediate demands.
About 3,000 students demonstrated in support of the FLQ and a major labour organization publicly backed the organization.
War Measures Act Curtailed Freedom for 6 Months
The Canadian Army moved into Québec to maintain order and prevent further kidnappings. Troops in Montreal guarded City Hall, the main post office, police headquarters and the Black Watch barracks.
Upon Bourassa's urging, Trudeau involked the war measures act, which gave police sweeping powers.
The Prime Minister was asked by reporter Tim Ralfe just how far he was willing to go to maintain law and order, and Trudeau responded with the ominous words, “Just watch me.”
Pierre Laporte Death Not Intended Says Former Terrorist
The Labour Minister died Oct. 17 while in the hands of the FLQ. His body was found in the trunk of a terrorist's car which was left at an air base. James Cross was freed by his captors on December 3rd in exchange for safe passage to Cuba.
The October crisis was over. It had lasted for 3 months. The kidnappers were caught and received sentences of varying degrees of severity. The Trudeau government emerged stronger, but the broader separatist movement, although weakened and fractured, remained an underlying entity in Québec.
In October 2010, a former FLQ leader told CBC that their goal in October 1970 was simply to get the word out about Québec's desire for independence. Robert Commeau said the nationalist group was only using the kidnappings to get the attention and results they wanted. He said murder was not the intention despite threats to the contrary at the time.
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