FRENCH-ENGLISH RELATIONS
1950 – PRESENT
"La Survivance"
The survival of Quebec's cultural identity, language and religion.
From 1944 – 1969, Maurice Duplessis
and the Unione Nationale dominated
Quebec. Duplessis tried to create French
Canadian Nationalism by challenging all
the federal governments' involvement in
Quebec's affairs. Duplessis was seen as the
protector of Quebec against Communism.
Duplessis maintained power by allying
with the Catholic Church and a push for a
more agrarian society. He allowed English
and foreign investment to promote Quebec
industry while educating French
Canadians to mistrust technology and
value rural life. Moreover, Quebec's
education system promoted humanities
instead of science, business or technology.
Duplessis ruled Quebec with an "iron
fist" and discouraged all opposition.
In 1959, Duplessis dies and a year later the Unione Nationale
is overthrown by the Liberals under the leadership of Jean
Lesage. The Quiet Revolution begins.
THE QUIET REVOLUTION
The Quiet Revolution was a
reformation of education,
hospitals, labour code, legal
status of women, voting age
lowered, modernization of the
economy, pension plan,
nationalization of Hydro.
The goal of the Quiet
Revolution was to ensure the
Quebecois were to be the
"Masters of their own House".
Among students, this goal led
to an ideology that Quebec was
not only a province but a
nationality.
Lesage desired change for Quebec in the framework of Confederation while
there was a growing movement for separation.
In 1963, the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) was created to achieve
independence by any means necessary. They promptly began to plant bombs
in mailboxes in English sections of Montreal and in government buildings.
In 1966, Rene Levesque aided in creating the Parti Quebecois. They
promoted separation through peaceful negotiation as Quebec's destiny. Their
plan was based on sovereignty association, which created an independent
Quebec with strong ties to Canada.
Federally, Pierre Trudeau was elected PM in 1968. He promptly passes the
Official Languages Act making Canada a bilingual nation. He also began to
invest in Quebec as a means to undermine the separatist movement.
THE OCTOBER CRISIS
In 1970, the FLQ continue
bombings (killing 6) and kidnap
James Cross, the British Trade
Commissioner. They demanded
gold, safe passage to Cuba and the
release of "political prisoners“
(FLQ members who participated
in bombings). The federal
government became involved
because Cross was a foreign
diplomat. Five days later, the FLQ
kidnap Pierre Laporte, a Quebec
cabinet minister, from the front
lawn of his Montreal home.
Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa and his cabinet go into hiding to prevent any
more kidnapping. As the crisis continued, the FLQ realized that they would not
be dealt with. They killed Pierre Laporte and stuffed the body in the trunk of a
car. Bourassa asks Ottawa to send troops into Montreal to maintain order.
Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act, which suspended all civil
liberties and gave the police the right to search or arrest without due process
of law. This Act has only been invoked twice before (WWI and WWII).
A few months later, the murderers are found and Cross is found alive in
an apartment. The October Crisis was over.
The imposition of the War
Measures Act in peacetime was
controversial. Many opponents saw it
as excessive and an unnecessary
display of government power.
Trudeau justified its use by stating
that the FLQ was attempting to
violently overthrow the government.
Many Quebecois are still upset that
separatists were arrested and held even
though they had no connection to the
FLQ or the kidnappers.
After the Crisis, the terrorism
stopped however separatism became
more determined.
THE PARTI QUEBECOIS
AND THE 1980
REFERENDUM
In 1974, the Bourassa
government makes French
Quebec's sole official language.
He also limits the access to
English schools to only those
born in Quebec from English
families. All others, including
immigrants, had to attend
French schools. English lessons
were greatly reduced or phased
out of French schools.
In 1976, Levesque is elected Premier of Quebec. He declared that the Parti
Quebecois would soon call a referendum vote to allow citizens to decide
Quebec's future.
Before calling a referendum, the PQ managed government and the
economy very well by improved labour laws, raised minimum wages,
introduced maternity benefits and no fault insurance. They also passed Bill
101 declaring that French would be dominant language in Quebec in all
areas of life. All signs, public and private, had to be in French and all but a
minority would be forced to learn french.
The referendum was called in 1980
to allow Quebecois to vote for a
sovereignty association with Canada.
PM Joe Clark chose not to interfere
with the process. Clark was voted out
on a vote of non-confidence and
Trudeau was once again the PM.
Trudeau took a more active role on
the federalist side of the campaign.
He made 3 speeches that turned the
tide of the campaign.
On May 20, 1980, 60% of
Quebecois voted no to sovereignty
association. This was a major
setback for the PQ.
CONSTITUTION RENEWAL
After the federalist win in the 1980
referendum, Trudeau started the
process of renewing Canada's
constitution. He petitioned the
British parliament to patriate the BNA
Act and add in an Amending Formula
and The Charter of Rights and
Freedoms.
Trudeau met with the first ministers to strike a compromise and receive
support for the new Constitution. They were having great difficulty reaching a
consensus. The ministers were woken up after midnight to reach a last minute
compromise.
Levesque was left out and did not find out about the agreement until the
morning. In Quebec this is known as The Night of the Long Knives.
Quebec felt betrayed. The
constitution was supposed to be a way
to meet Quebec's needs now the rest
of the country was forcing this
constitution on them. When the
Queen and the first ministers signed
the Constitution, Quebec was not
present. Flags were lowered to halfmast in Quebec and protest was held
in Montreal.
In 1987, PM Brian Mulroney
attempted to reconcile Quebec with
the rest of Canada during a retreat at
Meech Lake. The provinces reached
an agreement that would have allowed
Quebec to be a distinct society and
allow Quebec to have greater powers
over their own affairs than the other
provinces.
The House of Commons passed
the Accord but it had to be passed by
each province's legislature to be placed
in the Constitution.
Aboriginal people and the newly
elected governments of
Newfoundland, Manitoba and New
Brunswick scuttled the deal.
Negotiations continued months
later at Charlottetown in an attempt
to deal with the criticisms of the
Meech Lake Accord. They decided on
a "Canada Clause" which set out the
principles and values that the country
was founded on including a distinct
Quebec. Ottawa proposed a
referendum on the new
Charlottetown Accord and it faced a
resounding defeat at the hands of the
Canadian electorate.
The failure to ratify the Accords sent
the message to Quebec that Canada
did not want them. Quebec decided
the only alternative was separation.
The Bloc Quebecois was formed, led
by Lucien Bouchard, to push the
separation agenda on the federal level.
In the 1993 election, they won 54
seats and become the Official
Opposition.
THE 1995 REFERENDUM
In 1994, the Parti Quebecois regained power in Quebec
ensuring that would be another referendum. The PQ and
Jacques Parizeau felt that Quebec would vote for sovereignty.
The separatists argued that Quebec would benefit greatly by
separating from Canada but maintaining Canadian currency.
Federalists and Aboriginals argued that they did not want to
go and they would suffer economically. The question was a
confusing one which led to a close 49.4% of Quebecois voting
for sovereignty.
"Do you agree that Quebec
should become sovereign,
after having made a
formal offer to Canada for
a new economic and
political partnership,
within the scope of the bill
respecting the future of
Quebec and of the
agreement signed on June
12, 1995? Yes/No."