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World War One Conscription Crisis
Throughout WWI, thousands of Canadian men had been killed or injured in combat. PM Borden had promised not to use conscription, but upon realizing the lack of volunteers, he introduced the Military Service Act in 1917 and made enlistment compulsory. While this applied to French-Canadians living in Quebec, a majority of them did not feel patriotic ties to either Britain or France and objected. This led to outrage and aggravation of existing tensions between Francophones and Anglophones. -
Creation of the Union Nationale Party
Maurice Duplessis, former Conservative, joined forces with disillusioned Liberals to form the Union Nationale Party, which supported Québec nationalism and was heavily backed by the Roman Catholic Church. -
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The Duplessis Era/The Great Darkness (Part I)
Premier Maurice Duplessis and his party controlled Québec from 1936-39. During these periods, Duplessis promoted the idea of Québec independence. The Roman Catholic, which supported him, taught traditional values and encouraged Québécois to turn against the rest of North America. Under Duplessis, foreign investment was encouraged, unions were banned to allow for cheap labour, and corruption was rampant. For many, this era was known as The Great Darkness. -
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World War Two Conscription Crisis
Before Canada declared war, PM Mackenzie King promised not to use conscription. However, WWII quickly became much more gruesome than expected. Canadian citizens, including those opposing conscription, realized that more troops were necessary in order to win the war. Canadians demanded that the government do more for the war effort so in response, PM King's administration introduced the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) to allow for conscription, although only for home defence. -
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The Duplessis Era/The Great Darkness (Part II)
Premier Maurice Duplessis regained control in Québec from 1944-59. During this period, the corruption and bribery his administration became infamous for continued. In one extreme case, thousands of orphans were falsely certified as mentally ill and sent to the mental asylums ran by the federal government. This continued period known as The Great Darkness. -
Quiet Revolution Begins
After Premier Duplessis' death in 1959, the Liberal party, led by Jean Lesage, took over with the slogan "Time for a Change". Lesage aimed to modernize Québec by reducing corruption, modernizing the economy, and taking control of the education system to encourage more science and technology courses. As this happened, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church began to decline. In 1962, the Liberals took one step further and won with the motto Maîtres Chez Nous (Masters in our Own House). -
1960s Separatist Movement
In the 1960s and 70s, Québec nationalism and separatism movements gained traction. Québécois resented the injustices they faced at the hand of English-speaking Canadians, and for some, the only viable solution was Québec independence. Separatist groups such as the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ) and Parti Québécois (PQ) were formed. The FLQ attacked significant landmarks and used fear as a weapon, while the PQ wanted to have a peaceful "divorce" between Québec and the rest of Canada. -
Front de Libération du Québec is Formed
During the Separatist Movement of the 1960s and 70s, the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ), a radical separatist group, was formed in Québec in early 1963. The group was supportive of Québec independence and against English-Canadian rule. They blew up mailboxes and attacked symbols of English-Canadian power. Their first attack happened on March 7, 1963. While not all Québécois agreed with their methods, many supported their goals. -
Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
PM Lester Pearson feared escalating conflicts between French and English Canadians so in 1963, he appointed the "Bi and Bi Commission" to investigate solutions. Their report called for Canada to become bilingual and adopt a strategy to promote and protect both languages across the country. -
Canada's New Flag
Rivals John Diefenbaker and Lester "Mike" Pearson dominated Canadian politics in the early 1960s. Pearson appealed to younger voters and believed in creating an independent Canadian identity that all Canadians could identify with. During Pearson's time in office, he introduced a new Canadian flag. Many Canadians believed that the original flag was too British to represent modern Canada. To meet these demands, a new red-and-white maple leaf design was selected out of hundreds of suggestions. -
Canada's Immigration Policy Becomes "Colour Blind"
In 1967, the points system was introduced to determine whether immigrants were accepted or not. This was the first real effort to eliminate discrimination (racial, ethnic, gender, etc.) from the immigration process. Points were awarded based on certain criteria like education and ability to find work. Potential immigrants were more likely to be accepted if they had more points, instead of based on the opinions and biases of immigration officers. -
Pierre Trudeau Becomes Prime Minister
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau became the 15th Prime Minister of Canada in. He served from 1968-79 and from 1980-84. PM Trudeau was determined to convince French-Canadians that their future lay with Canada. -
Official Languages Act
In 1969, not long after succeeding PM Pearson, PM Pierre Trudeau and his administration passed the Official Languages Act, making Canada officially bilingual. This was part of his mission to mitigating tension between French-speaking and English-speaking Canadians. -
The October Crisis
PM Trudeau took a very strong stance against the separatism movement and Québec nationalists. In retaliation, FLQ members kidnapped diplomat James Cross and Minister Pierre Laporte. Trudeau took drastic action by imposing the War Measures Act. While many were against his actions, Trudeau stood firm. Unfortunately, Pierre Laporte was killed and his body was found in the trunk of a car. However, Montréal police negotiated the release of James Cross, effectively ending the October Crisis. -
War Measures Act
The War Measures Act allowed Canadian citizens to be detained and held in custody without being charged. Typically, the War Measures Act is only used during wartime, but desperate times call for desperate measures. PM Trudeau used the War Measures Act during the October Crisis in 1970 to hold suspected FLQ members in custody. Trudeau faced public backlash, but he did not give in. However, when the crisis ended, most members were released and very few were ever charged. -
Policy of Multiculturalism
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Canadians adopted a more open-minded attitude towards immigrants. In 1971, PM Trudeau announced that his administration would established a policy of multiculturalism to support the various cultures and ethnic groups in Canada and encourage exchange and expression of cultures. -
Bill 22
As part of his mission to unite all the peoples of Canada, PM Trudeau had passed the Official Languages Act to include French as an official language of Canada. However, many were still unsatisfied. in 1974, Premier Robert Bourassa passed Bill 22, which would protect French language and culture and make French the only official language of Québec. Unfortunately, this pleased neither side. Anglophones felt a loss of their language rights, and Francophones felt that still not enough had been done. -
Parti Québécois Wins Provincial Election
In 1976, the Parti Québécois won the provincial election in a surprise victory considering that just seven years earlier, they won only seven seats. René Lévesque had assured voters that he would not immediately separate Québec from Canada, and that a separate discussion would be held on the issue. -
Bill 101 Introduced and Passed
Soon after their election victory, the PQ introduced Bill 101, which specified that French would be the only official language of the province, commercial outdoor signs would be in French only, and children of immigrants would be required to attend French schools. Bill 101 was passed in 1977. -
Referendum on Sovereignty Association
In 1980, the PQ called a referendum on Québécois sovereignty. René Lévesque asked the Québécois to give him a mandate to negotiate independence from Canada. The PQ wanted to become politically independent while still maintaining close economic ties with the rest of Canada. This partnership would include free trade between Québec and Canada, common currency, and common tariffs. -
Patriation of the Constitution
In 1982, the Canada Act was passed at the request of the Canadian Parliament. This ended the British parliament's involvement in making changes to the Canadian Constitution and also removed the British Parliament's power to pass laws that extended to Canada. In the same year, the Constitution Act was passed, which made several amendments to the Canadian Constitution. This transferred the ability to amend the Canadian Constitution solely to the Canadian Parliament. -
Brian Mulroney becomes Prime Minister
Not long after PM Trudeau achieved his dream of Canadian Constitution, he felt tired of politics. In 1984, he decided to retire and John Turner took his place as leader of the Liberals. In the same year, he called an election, but lost to Brian Mulroney and his Progressive Conservatives. -
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Meech Lake Accord
In 1987, PM Mulroney held a conference with the premiers of each province to discuss the Constitution at Meech Lake. He proposed a package of amendments which would give Québec more recognition, and all provinces more independence. The public was shocked, and many opposed this. Former PM Trudeau believed that this would create divide and destroy the unification that he had worked to accomplish. In 1990, Manitoba and Newfoundland held back support of the accord, leading to its end. -
Reform Party Created
In 1987, the Reform Party was founded by Preston Manning with help from Stephen Harper. It started out as a protest movement that stood for the need democratic reforms and discontent with PM Mulroney's government. It quickly succeeded in western Canada, and surpassed Mulroney's Progressive Conservative party in 1993. -
Department of Multiculturalism Formed
In 1988, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (Bill C-93) was passed. This was aimed to ensure that all federal institutions would recognize the multiculturalism of Canada. The federal government further recognized the growth of multicultural groups in Canada by forming the Department of Multiculturalism. This helped strengthen the nation's unity. -
Bloc Québécois Formed
In 1990, the Meech Lake Accord dissolved. This was seen by many as a rejection of Québec itself, causing support for Québécois independence to soar. Lucien Bouchard, a member of PM Mulroney's cabinet, resigned in protest and formed the Bloc Québécois, which was committed to Québécois separation. -
Charlottetown Accord
After the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, PM Mulroney refused to let the Constitution debate end. Mulroney and the provincial premiers proposed a package of amendments called the Charlottetown Accord that would not only satisfy Québec's concerns like the Meech Lake Accord, but also advocate Aboriginal Self-Government. This new accord was put to referendum in 1992, and despite Mulroney's warnings about the consequences of rejection, it was rejected by 54% of the voters. -
Parti Québécois Returns to Power
Angered by the results of the Constitution debates, Québécois elected the Parti Québécois, led by premier Jacques Parizeau, in 1994. -
Second Referendum on Sovereignty Association
In 1995, premier Parizeau called for a Referendum on Sovereignty Association. He reminded the Québécois of their past humiliations, such as the failure of the Meech Lake Accord. A shocking 49.4% voted for independence, which reminded the rest of Canada of the imminent threat of separation. -
Clarity Bill and the Supreme Court Decision
Premier Lucien Bouchard talked periodically of a new referendum. In preparation for this, PM Jean Chrétien stressed that the costs of Québécois sovereignty would be high. He passed the question of Québécois separation to the supreme court, and followed it up by passing the Clarity Act. This emphasized Ottawa's insistence on a clear question in a referendum. Additionally, Ottawa would only agree to negotiate if a substantial majority of Québec voted for it.
