Quebec’s Quiet Revolution
The rise of Quebec Nationalism
Definition
• A Toronto journalist
coined the term to
describe wide-ranging
political, social,
economic, and cultural
changes in Québec that
lasted from 1960 to
1966.
Prior to the Revolution
• Province was experiencing a
great deal of change with a
move from rural to urban
life.
• Duplessis’s government
believed that protection
and expansion of
agrigulture was the way to
protect Quebec society.
• Duplessis stood against the
“evils” of communism,
materialism, atheism and
trade unionism.
Richard Riot
• March 13, 1955 Rocket Richard
was suspended for the remainder
of the season including the
playoffs for hitting a linesman in
the face.
• When the NHL president came to
watch a Montreal game several
days later the fans threw food
and debris at him and then set off
a tear gas bomb.
• After the game was called a riot
ensued causing $500 000 damage
and 27 injuries.
• The riot lasted seven hours and
local coverage of it had to be
forced off of the air.
Effects of the Riot
• The sight of French
Quebeckers rioting in
defense of a Quebecois
cultural icon like
Richard has led many
commentators to
believe that it was a
significant factor in
Quebec's Quiet
Revolution of the
1960s.
Quiet Revolution
• Lesage’s government made a
great many changes including:
• Nationalizing hydroelectric
utilities and forming the
Hydro-Quebec
• Creating a ministry of
education and
reforming/modernizing the
education system
• Taking over from the Catholic
Church in the areas of health
care and social services
• Improving women’s rights –
prior to this married women
had the legal status of a minor
Effects of Quiet Revolution
• Quebec nationalism grew
and started to turn into
separatism
• Quebec demanded more
control over programs
running in Quebec
• Quebec even opened up
several embassy type
buildings in major world
centers
• All of this would lead
eventually to the violence
of 1970
FLQ
• The Front de Liberation
du Quebec (FLQ) had
been founded in the
early 1960s and
between 1963 and 1970
had set off a number of
bombs killing 6 people
and wounding many
more
October Crisis
• Oct. 5 1970 FLQ kidnaps James
Cross the British Trade
Commissioner
• Oct. 8 FLQ Manifesto was read on
the radio
• Oct. 10 Pierre Laporte the
Quebec Minister of Labour is
kidnapped
• Oct. 12 Army sent to guard
Ottawa (video)
• Oct. 15 Army goes into Quebec
• Oct. 16 War Measures Act is
proclaimed by PM Trudeau
• Oct. 17 Laporte’s body is found in
the trunk of a car
October Crisis
• Nov. 6 one of Laporte’s killers is
captured
• Dec. 3 James Cross is released in
return for five FLQ members
getting safe passage to Cuba
• Dec. 28 remainder of Laporte’s
killers captured – received
sentences of either 20 years or
life in prison depending on role
• July 1980 last of Cross’s
kidnappers is arrested he gets 12
months – other 5 have returned
from Cuba and received similar
sentences and been released by
this time
War Measures Act
• Between Oct. 16 1970
and Feb. 3 1971 497
people were arrested
under the War
Measures Act. Only 62
were ever charged with
anything