Aboriginals, Regionalism, Quebec and the Constitution
INTERNAL RELATIONS 1945-2000
NATIVE CANADIANS
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1960: Natives won the right to vote
1969 White Paper: Attempt to treat native peoples like
any other citizen, abolishing special rights on reserves.
The paper was rejected by aboriginals
Self Government: control of their own affaires was
demanded in response to the white paper
Residential schools: Stopped 1969
Land Claims: Specific Claims are where terms were not
kept to signed agreements. Comprehensive Claims are
for areas which were not surrendered by treaty (most
common in B.C.)
Oka Confrontation: Famous land dispute in Quebec
1999: Nunavut created as a majority Inuit territory
MULTICULTURALISM
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Official policy that was put in place by Pierre
Trudeau in 1971 which encouraged different
ethnic groups to express their cultures
REGIONALISM
Western Alienation: The belief that Ottawa’s
policies favour central Canada more than the
west. Aggravated by the National Energy
Program put in place by Trudeau to stabilize
energy prices and encourage people to switch
from oil to electricity
 Newfoundland Alienation: Caused by the failure
of the federal government to manage the cod
fishery properly. Cod stocks disappeared,
costing many jobs, especially in Newfoundland
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ISSUES WITH QUEBEC
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Throughout most of the the 1930s, 40’s, and 50’s,
Quebec was ruled by quasi-fascist premier
Maurice Duplessis
He promoted Catholic church interests in all areas of
life
 His party was called the Union Nationale
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Jean Lesage and the liberals came to power in
1960
Quebec society was modernized during a process called
the Quiet Revolution
 The role of the church was reduced and major foreign
companies were nationalized
 Quebec separatism movement started
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OCTOBER CRISIS
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In the early 1960’s, a Quebec
separatist group called the FLQ (Front
de Liberation du Quebec) formed.
They used terrorism in an attempt to
separate Quebec from Canada
In October 1970, the FLQ abducted
British diplomat James Cross and
Quebec labour minister Pierre Laporte
In response, Trudeau enacted the War
Measures Act to suspend civil rights
and bring the army into Quebec
Trudeau did not give in to FLQ demands
to free FLQ prisoners so the FLQ
assassinated Laporte.
Cross was released two months later
after the FLQ was mostly dismantled by
arrests
SEPARATISTS IN POWER
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In 1976, Rene Levesque and the
separatist Parti Quebecois won the
provincial elections in Quebec
He limited the rights of English
speakers in Quebec with Bill 101
In 1980, he PQ rand a Referendum in
Quebec in an attempt to gain
Sovereignty (political independence)
The vote lost 40%-60%
Another vote occurred in 1995 which
lost 50.6%- 49.4%
In the 1990, a federal Quebec
separatist party called the Bloc
Quebecois formed
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
In 1982, Canada created its own constitution.
Quebec did not sign this constitution. Canada
was now completely independent
 The Meech Lake Accord: in 1987 PM Brian
Mulroney wanted to change the new
constitution to allow Quebec to be labeled as a
distinct society. All provinces would be able to
veto constitutional change also.
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 Man.
And NFLD vetoed the accord, causing anger in
Quebec and the formation of the Bloc Quebecois