-
Period: to
Maurice Duplessis as Premier
Maurice Duplessis was part of the Union nationale party which supported provincial autonomy, economic liberalism, modernization of farming, social conservatism, and close ties to Catholic Church. The Duplessis Era known for it's conservative policies that basically kept people in the dark. The Duplessis era is important for Québec because it was a time of conservative leadership that limited social changes. (Class Slides 25) -
Asbestos Strike
The 1949 Asbestos Strike in Quebec saw miners demanding safer conditions and higher wages due to the dangers of asbestos. These strikes became violent and led to interference with police. Premier Maurice Duplessis supported all the strikers and decided to make the strike illegal. The 1949 Asbestos Strike showed how the government mistreated workers, which led to more labor activism and helped spark the changes of the Quiet Revolution in Québec. (Class Slides 14) -
October Crisis – FLQ Kidnappings & War Measures Act
Since mid 1960s, FLQ radical separatists targeted symbols of British colonialism and Anglophone power. In October 1970, FLQ kidnaps British diplomat James Cross and Liberal minister Pierre Laporte, killing the latter. Prompting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to invoke the War Measures Act which invoked, military called out, some FLQ arrested, others given safe conduct to Cuba in exchange for the release of James Cross. (Class Slides 46) -
Bill 22 – French as Québec’s Official Language
In Quebec, most immigrants whose mother tongue was neither French nor English chose to send their children to English schools. This led to francophones worried French language losing ground to English. Therefore in 1974, Bourassa government adopted Bill 22 Official Language Act that made French the only official language of Quebec and limited access to English schooling
This was designed to reinforce the French character of Quebec. (Class Slides 53)