October Crisis

In the month of October in 1970, the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) started a revolt against the federal government. Two important government officials were kidnapped, including James Cross and Pierre Laporte. Cross was a British Trade Commissioner, while Laporte was a provincial cabinet member. The Federal Government needed to do something quick. The Quebec Premier, Robert Bourassa, requested the War Measures Act be brought out of the closet, and Prime Minister (PM) Trudeau agreed. This was now the third time it had been called forth in Canadian History, apart from the two World Wars. In 1970, Canada was facing National Emergency, and they had to supplicate the War Measures Act to end it.

In World War One and World War Two, Canada conjured the War Measures Act. This would allow Canadian officials to search houses without warrant and arrest suspects without evidence. In the 1960?s, Quebec was going through a tough fought revolution. In 1960, after the Liberals were elected, the labor laws were updated. In Ottawa, the government was starting to worry about Quebec?s separatist movement, so PM Diefenbaker decided to make some changes in society. He made moves to unite the two languages,