The October Crisis officially ended on December 4th, 1970 after fruitful negotiations between the national government, the government of Quebec, and the FLQ. The use of the War Measures Act in 1970 (which had overwhelming approval in English Canada) can perhaps be seen in the context of McCarthyesque ideological hysteria against those deemed an ideological threat, in Quebec and beyond. Smash racism! You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. December 28 - October Crisis: The FLQ kidnappers of Pierre Laporte are caught. It is commonly said the October Crisis is unique in that the War Measures Act was used in a time of peace. James Cross was released after 59 days and the kidnappers requested to be exiled to Cuba instead of facing trial in Canada. The War Measures Act would later be used during and after WWII—against communists and socialists; to intern Japanese Canadians; to control wartime strikes and lockouts; to enforce conscription; and censor the wartime press.  Civil liberties and national liberation December 3 - October Crisis: James Cross is released unharmed by FLQ. October 10 - October Crisis: Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte is kidnapped by FLQ. Leaked information, such as that from Stratfor shows how corporations now employ surveillance technology and state informants to monitor and silence critics. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. We are in a new paradigm, where the implications of information and surveillance technology on civil liberties may not even be comprehended. Civil liberties today While Trudeau is falsely praised as a champion of charter rights, his defence of the War Measures Act provides a different story: “There are a lot of bleeding hearts around who just don’t like to see people with helmets and guns. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. Trudeau hypocrisy The October Crisis started on the fifth of the month,; when British Trade Commissioner James Cross was kidnapped by members of the Liberation cell of the Front de liberation du Quebec. update Article was updated Apr. Much has changed since, and these events are seen as unfortunate aspects of history. A 2010 Radio Canada investigation revealed Quebec police had “at most 60 names” of FLQ sympathizers, so the RCMP (under political pressure to bolster numbers to justify such extreme measures) added hundreds to the list, likely from their PROFUNC arrest list of over 60,000 suspected communists and sympathizers . November 6 - Police raid the hiding place of the FLQ's Chenier cell, arresting Bernard Lortie for the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte. Black Liberation and Indigenous sovereignty: 1960s to 2020 | Watch Video. As Montreal Gazette columnist Don MacPherson wrote, “Many Quebecers remain convinced…the Trudeau government applied the War Measures Act not only to deal with the crisis…but as a psychological ploy to halt the rise of the Quebec nationalist movement.”  Trudeau’s use of the War Measure Act had little to do with capturing the kidnappers. As then NDP leader Tommy Douglas remarked, they were “using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut.” But perhaps such state action against civilians is not intended to simply uphold “rule of law” or “public safety,” but for control. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Idiot box: Channeling the prime minister(s), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1970_in_Canada&oldid=948716110, Articles with dead external links from August 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles needing additional references from December 2009, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, January 1 - The cities Fort William and Port Arthur are merged to create, January 16 - The federal government announces plans to convert the nation to the, February 2 - Canada becomes an official observer at the, February 5 - An oil tanker runs aground in, June 26 - The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18, July 5 - 109 people are killed in the crash of an, August 2 - Three Canadians are killed when a ferry collides with a. 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