Snapshots in History: October 16: Remembering the October Crisis and the War Measures Act
October 19, 2013 | John P. | Comments (0)
On October 16 and beyond, take a moment to remember the 1970 October Crisis and the first peacetime implementation of the War Measures Act in Canada on October 16, 1970 following the kidnapping of British Trade Commissioner James Cross and Québec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte on October 5, 1970 and October 10, 1970 respectively by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ). On October 16, 1970, Québec Premier Robert Bourassa requested that the government of Canada give the government of Québec powers to “apprehend and keep in custody” individuals. The Canadian government responded by invoking the War Measures Act in peacetime for the first time in Canadian history, resulting in the suspension of habeas corpus (or the right to be released from unlawful detention) all across Canada. On October 17, 1970, Pierre Laporte was killed by the FLQ.
Canadians across the country were concerned about safety and security in light of what was occurring in Québec during the October Crisis. The implementation of the War Measures Act proved immensely popular in both Québec and the rest of Canada at the time. However, there were those who were concerned that the Canadian government under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau overreacted in using the War Measures Act which set a dangerous precedent in suspending civil liberties. The main focal point outside of Québec opposing the implementation of the War Measures Act in response to the October Crisis was the New Democratic Party, 16 of whose 20 Members of Parliament at the time, including then-party leader Tommy Douglas and then-deputy leader David Lewis, opposed the measure because the Act, whose intent was to be used in wartime, applied all throughout Canada and not just in Québec since it was federal law, and that there might be temptation for law enforcement agencies outside of Québec to take advantage of the situation. Douglas and the NDP were vilified for their stand at the time but others who supported the War Measures Act in October 1970 later expressed regret at doing so and praised the courage of Tommy Douglas, David Lewis and others in opposing the War Measures Act on principle, such as then-Progressive Conservative Leader Robert Stanfield. Eventually, the War Measures Act was repealed and replaced by the Emergencies Act in July 1988 during the Progressive Conservative government mandate of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
The invoking of the War Measures Act to deal with the October Crisis engenders much debate to this day. What do you think? Not sure? Then consider borrowing items from Toronto Public Library collections to learn more and decide for yourself:
Identity crisis & the rise of Quebec: Canada in the 20th century [1953 to 1982] / Link Byfield, 2009. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 971.064 BYF
Byfield’s book includes an excellent synopsis of the October Crisis on pages 156 to 162 inclusive.
The October Crisis, 1970: an insider's view / William Tetley, 2006. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 971.40409 TET
The author, an international law professor, served in the Québec government’s cabinet when the October Crisis occurred. Using information from sources now available as well as his own diary, he discussed the Québec government’s decision-making process, and emphasized that all but sixty of those individuals who were apprehended by the authorities were released.
Trudeau's darkest hour: War Measures in time of peace, October 1970 / edited by Guy Bouthillier and Édouard Cloutier, 2010. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 971.404 TRU
Contributors to this book included Margaret Atwood, Tommy Douglas, Don Jamieson, Eric Kierans, Peter C. Newman, Brian Moore, and Desmond Morton.
Consider the following documentaries in DVD format on the October Crisis:
Action, the October crisis of 1970 [DVD] / Robin Spry et al.; National Film Board of Canada, 2006, [1973]. DVD. Documentary. Adult Non-Fiction. 322.42097 ACT
This 1973 documentary used news film and live footage in detailing the October 1970 events involving political terrorist groups such as the FLQ as well as providing an overview of the independence movement in Québec, and analyzed the reaction of political leaders to Canadian military intervention in Montréal during the crisis.
Also available in French as:
Les événements d'octobre 1970 [DVD] / Robin Spry et al.; National Film Board of Canada, 2006, [1974]. DVD. Documentary. French Adult Non-Fiction. 322.42097 EVE
Black October [DVD] / Terence McKenna et al.; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2000. DVD. Documentary. Adult Non-Fiction. 322.42097 BLA
This documentary recalled the course of events that comprised the 1970 October Crisis, including interviews with James Cross, Pierre Trudeau, and members of the FLQ who were involved in the kidnapping of James Cross and Pierre Laporte.
Crise d’octobre [DVD] / Guy Gendron et al.; Tout le monde en parle (Television program); Société Radio-Canada, 2010. DVD. Documentary. French Adult Non-Fiction. 971.404 CRI
This DVD contains two episodes of Société Radio-Canada’s French language program “Tout le monde en parle” that discussed the 1970 October Crisis on September 23-24, 2010. (1. L'engagement (23 sept. 2010) -- 2. Le dénouement (24 sept. 2010).)