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WW1 Conscription Crisis
The crisis was mainly caused by disagreement on whether men should be conscripted to fight in the war, but also brought out many issues regarding relations between French Canadians and English Canadians. Almost all French Canadians were opposed to conscription because they felt no connection or loyalty to Britain or France. They felt as if their loyalty was to Canada. On the other hand English Canadians were pro conscriptions as they felt a larger connection to the British empire. -
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Creation of the Union Nationale Party
The party led by Maurice Duplessis won six provincial elections between 1936 and 1966. The party of a generation, the Union Nationale defended provincial autonomy, conservatism, economic liberalism and rural life. The Union Nationale played a key role in the political life of Quebec for over 40 years and when it finally dissolved the nationalistic political forces which had supported, it ended up largely switching another new party. -
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WW2 Conscription Crisis
This crisis was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service for men in Canada during World War II. Comparing this crisis to the one in 1917 it was neither as politically or economically damaging. The biggest cause for conscription was militarism, the demand for soldiers overseas and this time more people spoke out in favour of conscription. The only province that was not in favour was Quebec therefore, creating a divide once again. -
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The Duplessis Era/The Great Darkness 1936-1939 & 1944-1959
This era was referred to as “The Great Darkness,” because there were many secrets and important facts kept away from the public; an era of corruption where Quebec made no social, political or economical advancements. In other words, Quebec was left in the dark. It was known for its bad working conditions as Duplessis discouraged unions and used strong arm tactics against them. People started to want social change and stopped supporting him. -
1960s Separatist Movement
The separatist movement re-emerged as a political force in modern Québec in the late 1950s and the 1960s. During this time there was a great socioeconomic change and nationalist foment in Quebec. There were isolated advocates of the doctrine of separatism. Notably, the journalist Jules-Paul Tardivel. -
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Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was when Quebec went through a period of rapid reform and modernization. it was characterized by secularization (a move away from the catholic church) the strengthening of welfare, massive investments in public education, the unionization of civil service, measured to control the economy, and nationalization of the hydro-electric production and distribution. The biggest thing that happen was the huge increase in Quebec nationalism (the Québécois). -
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Front de liberation du Quebec LQ party is formed
They were a Quebec nationalism terrorist group. -
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Bi & Bi Commission (Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism) investigation by Lester B. Pearson
This was one of the most influential commissions in Canadian history, it brought about sweeping changes to federal and provincial language policy. It was a response to the growing unrest among French Canadians in Québec, who called for the protection of their language and culture. Pearson's attempts in his first term to conciliate Québec and the other provinces with "co-operative federalism" and "bilingualism and biculturalism" were superseded in his second term. -
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Canada’s New Flag 1965
The National Flag of Canada was approved by resolution of the House of Commons in 1964. It was proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, to take effect in 1965. The official ceremony inaugurating the new Canadian flag was held on Parliament Hill that same day. -
1967 Canada’s Immigration Policy becomes “Colour Blind”
The first time the Canadian Government was considered to have a first real attempt to eliminate discrimination from the immigration process was called "The Points System". It changed the way in chis potential immigrants applied to move to Canada and the criteria by which they were approved. This policy was more objective and less dependant on the officers. The potential immigrants were awarded points in each criteria and if they had sufficient points they were permitted to immigrate. -
Trudeau Becomes Prime Minister
Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party on April 6, 1968. He called the election shortly afterwards and won a majority, defeating the Progressive Conservatives -
Official Languages Act passed, 1969
While Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was in office he signed the Official Languages Act, giving all the Canadians legal right and ability to deal with the federal government in either French or English. Additionally, all producers sold in stores across Canada had to be labelled in both English and French and French immersion programs were implemented into schools across the country -
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FLQ/ October Crisis
The October Crisis began with the kidnappings of James Cross and Pierre Laporte by the Front de liberation du Québec. The FLQ was a separatist group based primarily in Montreal. They were committed to using violent actions if necessary to achieve their goals. They had many secret cells within Quebec. Canada was plunged into its worst crisis since the Second World War. -
The War Measures Act 1970
The Canadian government invoked the War Measures Act in response to the October Crisis. This gave the government the power to take away civil rights. Thousands of searches were conducted and over 400 arrests were made. Membership in the FLQ became illegal and all political rallies were banned. The Act was invoked based on the belief that there was a widespread of conspiracy to overthrow the Canadians government. -
Policy of Multiculturalism 1971
When Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minster he introduced his multicultural policy that officially recognized Canada as bicultural and bilingual. This was one of the first of its kind worldwide but, it has been criticized for its largely symbolic quality. It expressed important views on multiculturalism but did not enact any important changes. -
1974 Bill 22 introduced by Robert Bourassa
Liberal Premier of Quebec Robert Bourassa introduced Bill 22. It made French the official language of Quebec and strengthen French in the workplace. Additionally, children had to pass an English proficiency test before being allowed to go to English schools in Quebec. It was introduced because birth rates were declining in Quebec and immigration was increasing therefore, there was a reason to fear that the French language might disappear -
1976 Immigration policy moves to ‘sponsorship program’
The Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program is a Canadian initiative established under Operation Lifeline, whereby refugees can resettle in Canada with support and funding from private or joint government-private sponsorship. The program was established in 1978, and it has since resettled and provided support for over 200,000 refugees. -
1976 Parti Quebecois wins provincial election on Quebec
In 1976 the Parti Quebecois, led by René Lévesque, defeated the liberals in the provincial election. They were. anon-violent separatist party that was dedicated to winning the independence for Quebec bu following the rules of Canadas political process. -
1977 Bill 101 passed
It created enormous backlash within Quebec and across the country. As a result, many English businesses left Quebec for other parts of Canada -
1976 Bill 101 introduced by Parti Quebecois, Rene Levesque
Bill 101 was proposed in 1977 by Rene Levesque to replace Bill 22. Bill 101 became known as the Charter of French Language bill. Bill 101 required that French be the language used by governments, courts and businesses in Quebec and that commercial sign be displayed in French only. -
1980 Referendum on Sovereignty Association (include the results of the referendum)
Quebec held its first referendum on the issue of sovereignty vs. association with the rest of Canada. The proposal was that Quebec would be an independent star, with control over its own taxes, social policies, citizenship and immigration, but would maintain close economic ties with the rest of Canada. -
1982 Patriation of the Constitution.
In 1982 Canada patriated its Constitution, transferring the country's highest law, the British North America Act, from the authority of the British Parliament to Canada's federal and provincial legislatures. The Constitution was also updated with a new amending formula and a Charter of Rights. -
1982 Constitution Act
Canada original constitution was the British North America Act, but Prime Minster Trudeau wanted Canada constitution to belong to Canada. The new "repatriated" Constitution would now include a complicated formula for future amendments. It would also include a charter of rights that contained clauses that could be overridden for short periods by the federal Parliament or the provincial legislatures. -
Brian Mulroney becomes Prime Minister
As prime minister and leader of the Progressive Conservative party, Brian Mulroney brought in the landmark Free Trade Agreement with the United States, and oversaw passage of the unpopular Goods and Services Tax. Mulroney’s tenure was also marked by his efforts to persuade Québec government to sign the Constitution; despite extensive consultation and negotiation -
Bloc Quebecois Formed 1987
Bloc Quebecois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The party seeks to create the conditions necessary for the political secession of Quebec from Canada and campaigns actively only within the province during federal elections. -
Meech Lake Accord 1987
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the 10 other premiers met at Meech Lake to change the Constitution so that Quebec was included. I's initiative was to attempt to create Constitutional harmony by bringing Quebec into the fold. By the end all 10 priers came to a tentative agreement. -
1987 Reform Party Created
The Reform Party was founded as an effort to give a voice to Western Canadian interests. Their platform and policies emphasized the rights and responsibilities of the individual, Senate and other democratic reforms, and smaller, more fiscally-responsible government. -
1988 Department of Multiculturalism formed
The Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney passed the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, which formalized the government's commitment to "promote the full and equitable participation of individuals and communities of all origins in the continuing evolution and shaping of all aspects of Canadian society" by establishing legislation to protect ethnic, racial, linguistic and religious diversity within Canadian society. -
1990 Meech Lake Accord
The Accord had to receive unanimous provincial ratification on or before June 23,1990. In early June of 1990, all premiers finally agreed to ratify the Accord — subject to guarantees of further constitutional discussions following the Accord, on such issues as an elected Senate, the amending formula itself, and equality and aboriginal issues. -
1992 Charlottetown Accord
Following the failure of the Meech Lake Accord in 1990, Mulroney's Conservative government tried a second time to solve the political dilemma created in 1982. The Charlottetown Accord made provisions for Indigenous self-government, Senate reform, universal healthcare, workers' rights, and environmental protection.Canadians again could not reach a national consensus on constitutional reform. -
1994 Parti Quebecois returned to power
In 1994, the Parti Quebecois defeated the Liberals in the Quebec provincial election, and Jacques Parizeau became Quebecs premier -
30 Oct 1995 2nd Referendum on Sovereignty Association
The rejection of Charlottetown left many French Canadians feeling that the rest of Canada was indifferent to their wishes. In 1995 premier Jacques Parizeau held a referendum on the question of Quebecs sovereignty. The referendum was defeated by a margin of only 1 percent, or fewer than 55,000 votes. -
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1998 Clarity Bill and the Supreme Court decision
In1998, the Supreme Court answered, concluding that Quebec did not have the right to separate unilaterally from Canada. The bill known as the Clarity Act gives effect to the requirement for clarity set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Québec Secession Reference.
