In 1970, Quebec became ground zero for a crisis that gripped the nation, with provincial minster Pierre Laporte and British diplomat James Cross being kidnapped by the Front de Libération du Québec, a separatist group of Québecois who advocated for an independent, socialist state of Québec. The terrorist organisation was founded in 1963, enraged by the language-based discrimination they faced by the anglophone national majority. Their first years were marked by bombings of buildings they felt were tied to the power which was oppressing them as well as writings such as manifestos or books written by their leaders painting the average Québecois as second-class citizens pushed down by the Canadian anglophones. On October 5th, 1970, James Cross is kidnapped by the FLQ and they deliver their demands to the Canadian government in order to secure his release. With the governments of Canada and Québec refusing to meet their demands, another FLQ cell kidnaps Laporte. By the 16th of October, negotiations have gone nowhere and the Federal government invokes the War Measures Act, suspending civil liberties, grants police power to arrest and hold citizens indiscriminately, and outlaws FLQ membership in all forms. In response to these measures, the cell holding Laporte kills him and dumps his body in a car. On December 3rd, Cross’ release is negotiated in exchange for safe passage of his captors to Cuba. Soon after, the army withdraws from Québec and the cell holding Laporte is captured and charged with his kidnapping and murder, marking the official end of the October Crisis. However, this did not mark the end of separatist sentiment in Québec, with ties to the FLQ, the Parti Québecois remained a force in the Assemblée Nationale and with their conviction as strong as ever, held two referendums in 1980 and 1995 in an attempt to separate from Canada. The artifacts included in this exhibit were chosen to provide a view of the October Crisis from both sides of the table both with written pieces and powerful visuals to capture the essence of the crisis as a whole. The exhibit is designed to shed some light on the position of the Canadian government and how Canadians felt about the linguistic and social divide between anglophone and francophone Canadians throughout Canada’s history.
Robert G. May, “F.R. Scott, the FLQ, and the October Crisis. (Front de liberation du Québec)“ American Council for Quebec Studies 55 (2013) : 119-133, https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=bdf3cdb4-66d6-4e01-86b9-4fc256fdb08d%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=edscpi&AN=edsgcl.346808478
Marc Laurendeau and Andrew McIntosh, “Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ)” The Canadian Encyclopedia, August 11, 2013, Updated October 2, 2020, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/front-de-liberation-du-quebec