History of
Quebec
Sean Cheng Social Studies 10
August 30, 1944
Duplessis Becomes Premier Again
- Maurice Duplessis becomes premier for the second time.
- Lead the Union Nationale
- Roman Catholic Churchs supported him a lot.
- Nationalist and defied the Federal Government.
- Conservative and kept traditional Quebec culture.
- The "Duplessis Era" lasted until 1959.
January 09, 1953
Pitre Hanged
- Last woman to be hanged in Canada.
- Marguerite Pitre was executed at the Bordeaux jail.
- Accused of participating in a plot to crash a Quebec Airways DC-3 (23 deaths).
- First plane crash caused by a criminal in North America
1956
Union Nationale
- In the 1956 Quebec general election, Union Nationale would gain the majority.
- Conservative and nationalist.
- Led by Maurice Duplessis.
- 5th time a Duplessis' party has won the election.
- Defeated the Liberals.
- Influential in Quebec's political ideology.
July 20, 1960
Jean Lesage becomes Premier
- Father of Quiet Revolution.
- Federal Minister.
- Leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
- Changed the old ways of the Duplessis Government.
- Lost the 1966 election.
- Resigned in August of 1969.
- Start of the Quiet Revolution.
1960
The Quiet Revolution
- Secularization of Quebec from the Roman Catholic Church.
- Hydro Quebec.
- Modern Quebec that controlled-
- Economy
- Healthcare
- Education
- Social institutions
- "maitres chez nous"- Lesage
- United the francophones to develope into a new advanced society.
Lester B. Pearson elected as Prime Minister
1963
- Liberal Party
- Tried to stop the separatism in Quebec.
- Changed the Canadian flag.
- Pierre Trudeau was his successor in April of 1968
1963
Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
- Protected the Quebec francophones' culture in economic and political relations.
- Refined the nation's French education.
- Created the federal department of multiculturalism and the Official Languages Act.
- Introduced the idea of French as an official language.
March 1, 1963
Formation of the FLQ
- A violent separatist group of Quebec.
- Would be considered as a terrorist group by Canadian Government.
- Caused the FLQ Crisis in October.
April 22, 1963
FLQ bombing
- FLQ bombed a Montreal Army recruiting center.
- Killed Wilfred O'Neill.
- FLQ claimed responsibility.
- Their first bombing that killed a person.
December 15, 1964
The Great Flag Debate
- Suggested by Pearson.
- A debated topic over a few decades.
- Most Canadians agreed for a national flag in 1985.
- Officially unfurled on 15 February 1965.
June 25, 1968
Pierre Trudeau becomes Prime Minister
- Born in Montreal, Quebec.
- Pearson's successor.
- Passed the Official Languages Act.
- Popular among young people.
- Modern and relaxed personality, unlike previous Prime Ministers.
- Wanted a Canada that's free and protected by Canada.
- Respected personal liberty.
October 11, 1968
Founding of Parti Quebecois
- A nationalist political party.
- Formed from Mouvement souveraineté-association and the Ralliement national.
- First led by Rene Levesque.
- The party who would hold both referendums in 1980 and 1995.
September 9, 1969
Official Languages Act
- Prime Minister Trudeau made French and English equal across Canada.
- Canada becomes officially bilingual.
- Francophones had more presence in the government and industry.
- Some Canadians agreed but some didn't.
- Didn't help ease the separatism, instead it provoked some people inside and outside of Quebec.
October 1970
The October Crisis
- British Trade Commissioner James Cross is kidnapped from his home in Montreal.
- Issues demands by ransom notes to radio stations. if not, they will kill James Cross.
- Demands
- Release of FLQ “political prisoners,”
- $500,000,
- The broadcast and publication of the FLQ manifesto
- Safe passage to Cuba or Algeria.
- Pierre Laporte would be kidnapped 5 days later.
- Trudeau invokes the War Measures Act. All FLQ members are now criminals and Canadians would be searched and arrested. This would be protested by 3,000 students in Montreal.
- Federal Troops protected Ottawa and Montreal.
- Pierre Laporte's body would be found on October 17.
- After being surrounded by police, James Cross was released in return for safe passage to Cuba.
- Following separatism acts were done politically.
July 31, 1974
Bill 22
- Proposed by Robert Bourossa.
- Protected the French language in Quebec.
- French become the sole official language in Quebec.
- Numerous english speaking people who weren't proficient in French had to leave the province.
- Angered many Anglophones but Francophones thought it was fine.
June 27, 1975
Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (Quebec)
- A historical charter that would be important for protecting Quebec citizens' rights and freedoms.
- All other Quebec laws have to follow the charter.
- Insured anti-discrimination.
- Inspired by other international equality documents.
November 15, 1976
Parti Quebecois come into power
- Won the provincial elections.
- Lead by Rene Levesque.
- Quebec citizens voted for Levesque because he supported separation.
- He dedicated to this by calling a referendum in 1980.
- Implemented Bill 101. This Bill made French the only language in Quebec. Many english speakers felt oppressed.
- Thus more pressure were put on the federal government about Quebec's independence.
April 17, 1982
Constitution Act
- An Act that allowed Canada to have full control over it's Constitution without permission from Britain.
- It placed the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which was another exponential law in Canadian Constitution.
- This was greatly opposed by Levesque and Quebec.
- He felt the rest of Canada has ignored Quebec and ganged up on Quebec.
- This is important because through the glamour of Canada's independence, it brought forth the underlying problem.
June 23, 1987
Meech Lake Accord
- An attempt made my Prime Minister Mulroney to persuade the Government of Quebec to accept the Canadian Constitution.
- Amendments to the Constitution that gave more power to each province and declared Quebec a distinct society.
- Initial support and agreement even by Levesque was present.
- This would decline over the years until 1990 when tensions would rise again and the Accord was rejected.
- This would lead to a soar in Quebec's separatism and referendum in 1995.
- The Accord was revised in Charlottetown (Charlottetown Accord).
- This was rejected again mainly by B.C. and Quebec.
October 10, 1995
1995 Quebec Referendum
- Premier Jacques Parizeau held another referendum due to Quebec's separatism movements that rose over the Constitutional debates.
- A close call of 49.4% of Quebecois would vote yes. Again, this referendum would result in Quebec not becoming sovereign.
- After this historical turning point, separatism would gradually decline stepping into 2000.