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World War Two
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Conscription Crisis
When WWII started, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King said that he would not introduce conscription. However, by 1942, King saw that more troops were needed. He held a plebiscite to determine whether to introduce conscription or not. 79% of Anglophones voted for conscription while 85% of Francophones voted against. Canadians were divided. In the end, King decided to invoke conscription because the majority of Canada was Anglophone. This caused anguish from the Francophone community. -
Richard Riot
After attacking a linesman, Montreal Canadiens star Maurice Richard was suspended for the remainder of the 1944-1955 season including the playoffs. Quebecois believed this punishment to be too extreme and many saw this as an act of discrimination. To further increase tensions, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup that season despite the Canadiens having the better season record. -
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Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution saw drastic changes in Quebec. After the death of Union Nationale leader, Maurice Duplessis, power fell into the hands of Jean Lesage and the Liberal party. Under liberal leadership, education and healthcare were improved province-wide and Quebecois gained more economic control. This revolution created a surge in Quebec nationalism, resulting in the birth of the Parti Quebecois and Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ). -
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Formation of the FLQ
The Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ), was a terrorist organization who fought for Quebec's independence from Canada as well as the creation of a new social order based around the Quebecois culture and language. They believed the Quebec government to be in collusion with the Anglophone establishment and from 1963-1970, carried out over 200 acts of violence including bombings, robberies, and kidnappings. -
New Canadian Flag
In 1965, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson acted on a long-standing complaint of French Canadians, to change the country's flag. The Canadian Red Ensign pictured left, was the Canadian flag before 1965. The maple leaf was chosen because it could represent all Canadians but the change only increased tension. English Canadians saw the changing of the flag as Pearson's way of pandering to Quebec. -
FLQ Bomb Montreal Stock Exchange
Quebec businesses that worked in English were targets for the FLQ. In 1969, the FLQ bombed the Montreal Stock Exchange resulting in 27 injuries. After this event, many companies went to the Toronto Stock Exchange instead, exactly what the FLQ wanted. -
Official Languages Act Passed
The Official Languages Act decreed French and English to be the official languages of Canada and required all federal institutions and functions to be in both languages. Civil servants were also encouraged to become bilingual. -
October Crisis
James Cross, the British Trade Commissioner in Montreal and Pierre Laporte, Quebec's minister of labour, were kidnapped and held for ransom by the FLQ. Their demands included the release of FLQ members from prison, $500,000 payment, the publication of the FLQ manifesto, and flights for FLQ members out of Canada. In response, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act. 450 people, were arrested before the matter was solved. Cross was released and some of the demands were granted. -
Parti Quebecois elected in Quebec
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Bill 101 Passed
Bill 101, also known as the Charter of the French Language, further restricted the use of English in Quebec. English-language education was limited and government agencies were required to use only French. Many Anglophones living in Quebec were angry and chose to leave the province and within five years, the number of English speakers in Quebec had dropped by 94,000. -
First Quebec Referendum
The Parti Quebecois held a vote that asked the people of Quebec if they wanted sovereignty from Canada. The result was 40% for, and 60% against. Another, much closer referendum would be held in 1995.