Today the separatist Bloc Quebecois will table a motion in Parliament seeking to have the government apologize to Quebec for having invoked the War Measures Act in 1970 in the mainly French-speaking province.
The Act, invoked for the first and only occasion during peacetime, sought to help quell what was believed to be an insurrection in the province fomented by the Marxist Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ). The terrorist group had been setting off dozens of bombs during the past several years with their targets being what they deemed as capitalist or Anglophone federal institutions. They had committed robberies and killings in their quest to create Quebec as a separate socialist state.
Although police had made several arrests, when other members kidnapped the British Trade Commissioner, and Quebec Labour minister, and major unionized labour groups and students were protesting in support of the the FLQ, provincial authorities deemed the situation beyond the control of police.
The then government of the province under Premier Robert Bourassa, with the support of all parties in the provincial assembly, including the Bloc’s associated provincial separatist Parti Quebecois, requested the federal government send in the military. Montreal’s Mayor also supported the request.
The military was sent in to support the civil authority by guarding buildings and politicians while the Act gave civil police extraordinary powers of arrest to try and find the two victims, and quell the mounting disturbances.
With the Act, some 500 individuals were arrested without warrants or access to lawyers on suspicion of links to the FLQ, They would later be released, on average after a week in jail.
Today Bloc Quebecois leader Yves Francois Blanchet will seek an apology from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose father Pierre Trudeau was the Prime Minister at the time.
Blanchet’s motion will be that the “House demand an official apology from the prime minister on behalf of the government of Canada for the enactment, on Oct. 16, 1970, of the War Measures Act and the use of the army against Quebec’s civilian population to arbitrarily arrest, detain without charge and intimidate nearly 500 innocent [Quebecers].”
Bloc Quebecois leader Yvew Francois Blanchet speaks in Parliament on his motion to have the federal governmen apologise for invoking the War Measures Act 50 years ago. (CPAC)t
It was after the announcement of the War Measures Act that the following day, October 17th 1970, that the FLQ revealed where to find the body of Labour Minister Pierre Laporte whom they had killed by strangulation.
The current motion, being debated will not be supported by the opposition Conservatives. In the debate today, Conservative MP from Quebec Gerard Deltell noted that the FLQ placed some 200 bombs, killed people, terrorised the province, and assassinated Pierre Laporte.
He noted also that the Act was invoked after years of violent and deadly events. He said it was the provincial Quebec government who requested the military, that it was the provincial police who arrested and incarcerated people, and it was the provincial government which later offerred compensation to those summarily arrested.
The Bloc Quebecois is the third largest party in Parliament and for the non-binding motion to pass it would need to have the support of the other parties.
It is not known how the majority Liberals will vote, although an New Democratic Party (NDP) member from Quebec, Alexandre Boulerice, has spoken in favour of the motion
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the “October Crisis” of 1970, and invocation of the War Measures Act will always spark debate but his own thoughts go to Laporte and his family.
The Conservatives will not support the non-binding motion.
additional information-sources
- Canadian Press (CTV): Oct 28/20: Blanchet demands apology from Trudeau for War Measures Act, invoked 50 years ago
- CBC: C Tunney: Oct 28/20: Bloc Quebecois seeks official apology for Crisis detention
- Post Millenial: R Wakerell-Cruz: Oct 28/20: Bloc Quebecois leader demands apology from Trudeau over War Measures Act passed in 1970
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