French-English
Relations
The Quiet Revolution, Quebec
Separatism & FLQ
Quebec: Before the Quiet
Revolution
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Union Nationale 1944 – 1959: A Quebec
party led by Maurice Duplessis had tight control
over Quebec society.
– Very strong loyalty to French-Canadian
traditions and values.
– Quebec government strongly resisted efforts
by the federal government to force change.
– Roman Catholic Church ran schools, hospitals
and has strong political influence.
Union Nationale
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French-English
Relations
The Quiet Revolution
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Lesage took control of the hydroelectric companies
giving Quebecers more control over their economic
future.
Used slogans “Maitres chez nous” – “masters in our
own house”.
– Most English speaking Quebecers earned
$4940/yr & owned most of the businesses.
– Most French speaking Quebecers earned $3185/yr
Government limited power of the Catholic Church in
Education.
All of this increased tensions between French
and English speaking people in Quebec.
Separatism
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During the Quiet Revolution, some
Quebecois believed the only solution to
Quebec’s problems was to separate from
Canada.
– As Quebec was a part of Canada, French
Canadians would never be equal to English
Canadians.
FLQ and Parti Québécois
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FLQ (Front de Liberation du Quebec)
– Formed in 1963. Radical group of separatists
with no specific leader. Planned to use terrorism
as a weapon for independence.
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Parti Québécois
– Formed in 1968.
– Led by René Lévesque.
– Wanted Quebec to separate but used the
democratic process for achieving independence
and opposed terrorism.
Tensions Escalate
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Expo 1967 – French President Charles De
Gaulle shouted a separatist slogan “Vive Le
Québec Libre!”
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1963 – 1970 – Somewhere in Quebec a
terrorist bomb exploded approximately every
10 days.
October 5, 1970 – a British Diplomat was
kidnapped by the FLQ & held for ransom.
Government refused to pay.
October 10, 1970 – Quebec Labour Minister
Pierre Laporte is kidnapped at gun-point.
Cont…
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October 16, 1970 – Government uses War
Measures Act. This takes away all civil rights,
can be held without charge for 21 days, 90
days without trial, people can be arrested
without reason, curfews are imposed.
October 18, 1970 – Laporte is found
murdered.
December 4, 1970 – Police find and surround
the house where British Diplomat had been
held for 59 days. He is returned and, in return,
the kidnappers are flown to Cuba.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf
Uq9b1XTa0
Bi-Bi –Royal Commission
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Bilingualism and Biculturalism
established on 19 July 1963
– Under the government of Lester B. Pearson
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Basically how to make certain parts of Canada
French-Canadian
Throughout the quiet revolution we see Quebec
nationalism increasing
The failure of the government to establish equality
between English and French languages within the
government is one reason
Continued
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The recommendations included the
following:
– Certain parts of Canada become officially
bilingual – New Brunswick
– Bilingual districts be created in regions –
10% of local population
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i.e if are is English bring in French speaking
people…
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Schooling system
Ottawa become bilingual
English and French be Canada's offical
languages
Under Pierre Trudeau the following things
take place:
1969 in the Official Languages Act.
Canada's education system was overhauled
and school children across the country were
made to learn both language