1. The October Crisis and its affect on our culturally divided country.
THE FLQ
The October Crisis and its affect on our culturally divided country.

2. Who Or What Is The FLQ? “The Front De Liberation Du Quebec.”
They were a Terrorist group in Canada
Separatists – believed in Quebec as a nation separate from Canada
Responsible for
More than 200 bombings
Death of at least 5 people
October, 1970 = October Crisis
Put pressure on the on the weak relationship between French and English Canadians

3. Quiet Revolution 1960 – 1966 Led by Jean Lesage Premier of Quebec
Lesage fed the desires of Quebecers to gain special status within Confederation
Views of Quebecers became more nationalistic and secular
Politics in Quebec began to differentiate itself from the French Catholic Church
French Canadians became Quebecers
Beginning of the Separatist movement
Contributed to FLQ Crisis
Secular - not relating to religion. The public school system ran by Catholic church. When school system came under scrutiny from all the pressure put on it by the adolescent baby boomers the department of education began to question the presence of the catholic church. Therefore, the church started to divide and develop away from political aspect of government.
L'Armée de libération du Québec was an antecedent group to the FLQ. The two groups participated in the 1963 Montreal bombing spree. For a decade bombings, robberies, and attacks against government officials were unleashed by the FLQ

4. ORGANIZATION OF THE FLQ The organization of the FLQ was in cells
Members only concerned with their individual cells
If a member was caught they didn’t know the whole story
Each cell specialized in different tasks
The police didn’t know which cell had kidnapped the officials, making it harder to locate them.

5. Training of the FLQ
Some members trained in other countries in guerrilla warfare
Could hide in cities and attack in silence
Very tactical in combat approach
Also trained for tactical bombings and sniper like attacks with normal guns

6. OCTOBER CRISIS
Name given to the events which occurred in Quebec in 1970
Included kidnapping of Canadian diplomats by members of the FLQ

7. The Kidnapping of James Cross
British Trade Commissioner
Kidnapped on October 5, 1970 by the “Liberation Cell” of the FLQ
Kidnapping left police with list of demands

8. THE DEMANDS 1. End of police search 2. Publication of an FLQ manifesto
3.       Rehiring of the Lapalme employees
4.       Liberation of all political prisoners
(23 FLQ members)
5.      Denunciation of the informer who had led
the police to the capture of a cell of the
FLQ in June of 1970
6.      $ in gold
Safe-conducts out of the country.

9. Kidnapping of Pierre Laporte
Minister of Labour and Vice Premier of Quebec
Kidnapped on October 10, 1970 by the “Chenier Cell” of the FLQ
Wrote letter to Quebec Premier, Robert Bourassa, pleading for his life
Executed October 17 - strangled to death and dumped in the trunk of
an abandoned car
Chenier Cell=extremist of the FLQ Cells. VIOLENT

10. Meeting the Demands
The Canadian government broadcasted the FLQ manifesto on October 8th, 1970
Policemen lined the streets of Quebec cities
On October 15th, Quebec government invited the Canadian Armed Forces to Quebec to assist the local police
The police search did not end and political prisoners were never released

11. WAR MEASURES ACT Enforced on October 16th 1970.
Invoked to find and stop FLQ members
Emplaced throughout all of Canada, but took action in Quebec
Police were to arrest those who were suspected of belonging to the FLQ or supported the FLQ through literature, posters, stickers, or pamphlets.
Outlawed FLQ
Suspended Civil Liberties
497 persons arrested, of whom 435 would be released, the other 62 were charged

12. Controversy of the War Measures Act
Jeopardized the civil rights of Canadian citizens
Police had power to arrest and put in detention on suspicion alone
Despite controversy 85% of Canadians agreed with invoking act
3 days before the act was invoked Trudeau was asked how far he was willing to go to stop the FLQ, he responded with:
“JUST WATCH ME”

13. Challenging the WMA The majority of Canadians supported it.
Tommy Douglas, the NDP Premier of Saskatchewan did not
“The government is using a sledgehammer to crush a peanut.”

14. The WMA in the past Enacted in 1914
During WWI used to target “enemy aliens”
Thousands interned
Used in WWII to intern 22,00 Japanese Canadians, again as Enemy Aliens

15. Meeting the Demands After Laporte’s Death
After the execution of Pierre Laporte, negotiations were reached between police and the FLQ
James Cross was released and 5 known members of the FLQ were flown to Cuba by Canadian Forces

16. The Capturing of the FLQ
All 4 members of the FLQ’s Chénier cell were captured and charged with the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte
This included Paul Rose, Jacques Rose, Frances Simard, and Bernard Lortie

17. The Analysis of the WMA
The WMA was almost immediately modified to require a house of Commons vote of approval and in 1971 it was replaced by the Public Order Bill.
In 1988 it was again modified and became the Emergencies Act. The Emergencies Act must have Parliaments approval and adhere to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“any attempt by the government to suspend the civil rights of Canadians, even in an emergency, will be subject to the "reasonable and justified" test under section 1 of the Charter”

18. Quotes
“We are going to win because there are more boys ready to shoot members of Parliament than there are policemen”
~Michel Chartrand,
Radical Separtist and FLQ supporter
“The Army occupies Quebec. It is unpleasant but undoubtedly necessary in times of crisis.”
~ René Lévesque,
Future Premier of Quebec

19. Video
October Crisis