Artefact 6: “Soldier and Child” photo taken by the Montreal Gazette in October 1970

Citation:

Soldier and Child. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Montreal Gazette, October 18, 1970. https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/c8a1d56b-60f5-40b0-86e2-3ce31bc3e7b0.jpg.

Label:

After the kidnapping of Quebec cabinet minister Piere Laporte, hostilities between the Canadian government and the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) had reached an all time high. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau responded in a swift and decisive manner, he enacted the War Measures Act, which enabled the Canadian government power to maintain order under times of “war, invasion or insurrection”. This decision saw Canadian Military forces entering the streets of Montreal in order to assist the government in restoring social order in Quebec. While the kidnapping of Laporte was a negotiation tactic by the FLQ as they wanted members who were imprisoned to be released. This image titled “The Soldier and Child” from the Montreal Gazette, has become a popular image in regards to The October Crisis of 1970. The image shows a member of the Canadian Armed Forces on steps outside a building in Montreal as a young child walks past. The image seems to call into question the gravity of the situation at hand, as a child seemingly walking alone during a time of civil and political unrest in Montreal seems quite dangerous. It could be argued that the invocation of the War Measures Act was hasty by Prime Minister Trudeau, however the kidnapping of a cabinet minister was seen as an act of terrorism amongst government officials and many Canadians.

Bibliography:

Crelinsten, R.D. 1987. “The Internal Dynamics of the Flq during the October Crisis of 1970.” Journal of Strategic Studies 10 (4): 59-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402398708437315.

Munroe, H.D. 2009. “The October Crisis Revisited: Counterterrorism as Strategic Choice, Political Result, and Organizational Practice.” Terrorism and Political Violence 21 (2): 288-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546550902765623.