Artefact 2: FLQ crisis political cartoon

Norris, Leonard. Another communique... the FLQ has just kidnapped a large chunk of our freedom., Cartoon. Vancouver Sun. October 17, 1970. https://beta-recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=2866733&q_type_1=q&q_1=1988-243-289&ecopy=cr0016315

Artefact Label:

This artifact is a political cartoon showing a man holding a newspaper that announces the use of the War Measures Act, with him claiming “the FLQ has just kidnapped a large chunk of our freedom” to his wife. While a majority of Canadians supported the use of the War Measures Act in dealing with the FLQ, there were still many reservations about how it would be used by the government. The main concern was that the federal government would abuse the emergency powers to push its political agendas beyond the FLQ crisis, a worry not unfounded as over 500 people who were unaffiliated with the FLQ were arrested due to their support of Quebec separatism. Though the federal government eventually ended its use of the War Measures Act after many of the FLQ conspirators were arrested and the surviving hostages were rescued, its use can be seen as a show of power by the federal government to dissuade any further action against the Canadian government.

Sources:

Tetley, William. The October Crisis, 1970 : An Insider’s View. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2007. https://search-ebscohost-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat03710a&AN=alb.7228079&site=eds-live&scope=site.