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WW1 Conscription Crisis
ConscriptionBy the middle of the war, reserves were running low, Forcing PM Borden to enact mandatory military service.
This issue divided Canadians as the French believe they had done enough to support this foriegn war. Result: Fr-eng relations strained -
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Period: to
Maurice Duplessis/ Era of Great Darkness
Led the Union Nationale Party and believed Quebec to a deistinct society. Duplessis also supported Catholic church education. As a result Quebec had many teachers, politicians, lawyers, not businessmen and entrepeneurs.
Quebec economy stagnant.
Known for bribery and corruption.
Duplessi encouraged foreign investement in-exchange for cheap labor. Duplessis shut down unions. -
WW2 Conscription Crisis
WW2 Conscription By 1942 the NAZI party controlled all of Western Europe requiring Mackenzie to conscript soldiers for overseas defense. By the time the bill was passed and men were trained to go over, the war was mostly over.
Result: French-Eng relations strained -
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Quiet Revolution begins in Quebec after Duplessis's death
Quiet RevolutionJean Lesage (liberal) relaced Duplessis and begins modernizing the economy,politic, education and culture.
Students now required to take science and technology courses to prepare for the New Quebec.
Influence of the Catholic Church Declined
1692 Liberals win election by campaigning under the motto "Maitres chez nous" - Master of our own house.
Goal: To strengthen control of QUE own economy.
Seperatism is born: FLQ (Front du liberation du Quebec) -
New Flag
Flag DebateDebate dived as Cnds in Quebec want the fleur-de-lis to remain as part of a symbol of canada -
Canada's immigration policy becomes color blind
Multicultarism 1962 new immigration regulations remove most limitation on ASian, african etc.
It was deemed color blind because
1. Now points system used as party of criteria for entry
2. Cnd econ. REquired ppl w/ training and specific skills and certain eductaion
Rene Levesque from the PQ 1968 because he wanted a peaceable separation w/ canada. -
Official Languages Act Passed
Official LanguagesLester B Pearson PM during the Quiet Revolution and established the "royal Commission on Biligualiam and Biculturalism" to investigate solutions.
Commision recommended that Canada should be officially bilingual -
FLQ Crisis
October CrisisFLQ uses firebombs & explosives to attack symbols of English-Cnd power throughout 1960s (mailboxes, CN railway)
Oct 5, 1970 FLQ kidnapped James Cross, Br diplomat from his Montreal home. FLQ will release him if FLQ members in prison are released along with other demands.
FLQ kidnapped Quebec labour minister Pierre Laporte.
Trudeau asks parliament to impose the War Measures Act –civil rights suspended. Anyone could be arrested & detained without being charged with an offense
FR-ENG Strained -
Multi-culturalism Policy
Immigration
PM Trudeau introduced the Official Policy of Multiculturalism.
This policy:
-encouraged ppl to express their cultures
-multicultural activities organized throughout country (ie heritage classes)
-festivals in communities
-programs developed to make residents feel at home in Canada
1976 –immigration policy allows for ‘sponsorship’ of new immigrants
Result: Canada becomes increasingly international
Canada is a mosaic not a melting pot -
Bill 22
Bill 22Liberal Premier of Quebec, Robert Bourassa introduced Bill 22. This made French the official language of Quebec.
Rationale: Fr. birth rates declining, but immigration increasing. Bourassa feared Fr. language may disappear.
New: Students had to pass an English proficiency test before registering in English schools. This is difficult to pass considering that French was the main language. -
PQ in Power and Bill 101
Bill 101Quebec votes Parti Quebecois (led by Rene Levesque) as provincial gov’t. Levesque promises Quebec separation by first holding a province-wide referendum.
PQ passes Bill 101 aka the “Charter of the French Language”. This replaced Bill 22. This made Fr. the only official language of the province, (i.e. Que gov’t employees, commercial signs, & schooling).
Some dissent. One side felt Fr. culture was endangered. And many Quebeckers felt Bill 101 was a symbol of oppression &/or too extreme. -
Quebec Referendum
ReferendumLevesque’s gov’t calls referendum asking Quebeckers to vote ‘yes’ to negotiating a new agreement with Canada based on sovereignty-association. He proposed that Quebec become politically independent, yet maintain a close economic relationship w/ Canada.
Rallied Quebeckers to become ‘maitres chez nous’ or masters of their own house.
Result of referedum:
40% Yes to soveriegnty (a lot)
60% No -
Constitution Patraited without Quebec
Patriation
Trudeau wanted this authority b/c he also wanted to include a “Charter of Rights & Freedoms”. But some Premiers were concerned over the amount of power ea. province’s legislature could be given.
Step 1 for Trudeau: come up with an amending formula –the process by which changes can legally be made to the Canadian constitution. (i.e how many provinces would have to agree b4 a change could
Step 2: Meetings. (these didn’t go so well). No resolutions made. -
Constitution Patriated Without Quebec (P2)
Nov 4, 1981 over late night coffees in the kitchen of the National Conference Centre, federal Justice Minister J. Chretien & the justice ministers from Sk & Ont hammer out the “Kitchen Compromise” then…
9 out of the 10 provincial Premiers were awakened from their rooms at the Chateau Laurier Hotel & asked them to approve the deal.
Premiers agreed to accept Chart if ‘notwithstanding clause’ were added. –This allowed fed govt or provinces to opt out of some of the clauses in the charter. -
Constitution Patriated without Quebec (P3)
Premiers also agreed to an amending formula: changes to constitution could be made if 7/10 provinces agreed to the change (rep. 50% of population). Also meant that Que could be excluded as long as Ontario included.
Uh oh…: Levesque was staying in another hotel & not included in Kitchen compromise. Next day, he argues against the deal and lost. -
Constitution Patriated without Quebec
Trudeau accepted the compromise on the grounds that the federal gov’t had so many members fr. Que. that it could speak for that province. Levesque & Quebeckers felt betrayed and the Que provincial gov’t refused to sign the new constitution. April 17, 1982: Trudeau went ahead & new constitution signed by QE II and Trudeau @Ottawa parliament buildings. Our constitution had come home! (Que flags at half mast, rest of Canada had parades) Significance: Canada officially independent from Br! -
Reform Party Created
Reform Mulroney promised gain Quebec’s consent to the constitution ‘with honour & enthusiasm”. Robert Bourassa (Liberal-Federalist) in office in Quebec at this time (replaces Levesque). But Canada had other problems:
-Growing Western Alienation due to Oil Crisis of 1970s
-Ab & Nfld wanted senate reforms
-Ottawa awarded a multi billion dollar contract to Que rather than Winnipeg etc.. -
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Meech Lake (P2)
Trudeau is critical of Meech saying it would isolate the Francophones of Quebec rather than make them more apart of Confederation. Other opponents worried about other cultural groups & Aboriginal peoples. Result of Meech:
Man, NB & NFLD withhold’s support & the accord disintegrates. Manitoba led by Aboriginal, Elijah Harper opposed Meech b/c it d/n recognize Aboriginals as a ‘distinct society’ -
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Meech Lake (P3)
Quebeckers felt it was Cnds rejecting Que. The desire to separate increases to 64% by late 1990s
Lucien Bouchard (a powerful member of Mulroney’s Cabinet, resigned in protest & formed the Bloc Quebecois. -
Period: to
Meech LAke Accord (Bloc Quebecois created)
Meech LakePM Mulroney calls Premiers to Conference at Meech Lake proposing amendments to the constitution. One Amendment was called the “Meech Lake Accord” which offered to
1) recognize Quebec as a distinct society
2) give more power to the Provinces (i.e. veto power)
see p. 180 of Falk for the rest of the Accord.
As such, Meech became known as the Quebec Round of constitutional amendments.
Bourassa & Quebeckers support Meech Lake b/c it protected Fr culture & lang. -
Charlottetown Accord
CharlottetownPM Mulroney continues constitution debate & appoints a ‘Citizens Forum’ to travel across the nation to hear the views of Cnds on the future of the Constitution.
New Proposal: Charlottetown Accord which was similar to the Meech Lake Accord.
Charlottetown Accord Proposed:
1) reforming the Senate making it an elected body with equal representation from all parts of the country –important for Western Provinces
2) Aboriginal Self-Gov’t
3) universal health care
4) workers rights
5) environmental pro -
Charlottetown Accord (P2)
This round of negotiations was called the Canada Round, b/c this accord had a Canada Clause –outlined the values & characteristics that define all Cnds (i.e. equality) Charlottetown Accord referendum on Oct 1992 Result: 54.5% Cnds rejected it b/c there were too many clauses that it was easy to find fault with it 68.3% of BC rejects it b/c it gave too much power to Que. by giving it 25% of the seats in the House of Commons regardless of population size. -
Charlottetown (P3)
Que feels Char. Accord didn’t give them enough power b/c Senate seats had been given up to the West. They also feared Aboriginal self-gov’t b/c it would affect a large portion of northern Quebec. -
2nd Referendum (P2)
Chretien sent the issue of Que. separation to Supreme Court of Canada (1998). Courts rule that Que d/n have right to separate & would have to negotiate separation with fed gov’t & 9 provinces before doing so. Chretien follows up with the ‘clarity act/bill’ which stated that any future referenda, Quebec must ask a clear question & win a clear majority –making it impossible for Que to gain independence from Canada through a referendum. -
2nd Referendum on Quebec Sovereignty
ReferendumQue. is angered by constitution debates & re-elect Parti Quebecois leader in provincial election (Premier Jacques Parizeau) Parizeau calls referendum on full sovereignty Oct 30, 1995
49.4% of Quebeckers vote yes, 50.6% vote no. Nation in state of shock. No permanent settlement was clear. Bouchard became Premier again and revisited sovereignty while PM Jean Chretien began guidelines for a future vote on Quebec on the same issue.