Quebec's Quiet revolution:


 What is it?  How has it changed Quebec's society?  How has it 
affected Confederation?


        The English-French relations have not always been easy.  
Each is always arguing and accusing the other of wrong doings.  
All this hatred and differences started in the past, and this 
Quiet revolution, right after a new Liberal government led by 
Jean Lesage came in 1960.  Thus was the beginning of the Quiet 
Revolution.

        Lesage had an excellent team of cabinet ministers which 
included Rene Levesque.  The Liberals promised to do two things 
during the Quiet Revolution; one was to improve economic and 
social standards for the people of Quebec, and the other was to 
win greater respect and recognition for all the French people of 
Canada.  The Liberals started a program to take control of hydro-
electric power companies.  French-Canadian engineers from all 
over Canada returned to Quebec to work on the project.  Slogans 
during these times were "we can do it" and "masters in our own 
homes".  The government also started to replace programs the 
Church previously ran, which included hospital insurance, pension 
schemes and the beginning of Medi-Care.  For these programs, the 
Quebec Liberals had to struggle with Ottawa for a larger share of 
the tax dollars.

        One of the greatest reforms was the modernization of the 
entire school system.  The Church used to own the schools of 
Quebec.  Most of the teachers were Priests, Nuns and Brothers.  
They provided a good education but Quebec needed more in business 
and technology.  Lesage wanted a government-run school system 
that would provide Quebec with people in engineering, science, 
business and commerce.

        With the new freedom of expression, lots of books, plays and 
music about French culture were all developed in Quebec.  French 
contemporary playwrights were very famous during that time.  
However, not all was going well in Quebec.  The French-English 
relation was going bad.  Many studies showed that French-Canadian 
Quebecers were earning the lowest wage in all of the ethnic 
groups in Canada.  Other complaints were that the top jobs in 
Quebec were given to English speaking Canadians.  Canada was 
going through the worst crisis in its history, and unless equal 
partnership was found a break-up would likely happen.  Some 
Quebecers thought that separation was the only solution.  They 
thought that as long as Quebec was associated with the rest of 
Canada, French-Canadians would never be treated equal.

        The FLQ (Front De Libration Du Qubec) was founded in 1963. 
 It was a smaller, more forceful group of separatists.  They were 
a collection of groups of young people whose idea was to use 
terrorism to achieve independence for Quebec.  The ALQ (L'Arme 
de Libration de Quebec) was even more of a violent separatist 
group.  Some of their actions included robbing banks in order to 
get money.  For their ammunition they had to raid arms depots of 
the Canadian Armed Forces.

        There were many Federalists that believed that separatism 
had no future and that French-Canadians could play a role in a 
bi-lingual Canada.  There were three Quebec men that believed in 
Federalism.  These men were Liberals and their names were Pierre 
Trudeau, Jean Marchand and Grard Pelletier.  The President of 
France, General De Gaulle came to Quebec in 1967 and gave 
speeches to separatist groups that deemed him an enthusiast of 
the thoughts of the separatists in the struggle to fight for the 
liberation of Quebec.  The Prime Minister at the time, Lester B. 
Pearson, criticized De Gaulle's remarks and said that Quebec 
belonged to Canada and there was no need for their liberation.  
In 1970, British Trade Commissioner James R. Cross was kidnapped 
by FLQ and wanted in return for Cross, 23 political prisoners.  
Quebec Labour Minister, Pierre Laporte was also kidnapped which 
started a Quebec crisis.  After a few months Cross returned when 
Laporte was assassinated.  The Quebec crisis ended several years 
of violence in Quebec.  This crisis made many Quebecers upset 
because Ottawa sent the army into Quebec.  Therefore English-
French turmoil did not end.

        Rene Levesque was a leader who became very popular in Quebec 
with his views on independence.  In 1976, Rene Levesque and the 
Parti Quebecois won the Provincial election.  Now many Quebecers 
thought he could build up Quebec.  Since many French were lower 
then English in status, Quebecers thought the Parti Quebecois 
could do something about it.

        Then the two languages became a major issue.  Many 
businesses had a sign in French only, and doctors and nurses had 
to speak French.  These were all effects on Bill 101 by the Parti 
Quebecois.  Immigrants were educated only in French.  Businesses 
accused the Parti Quebecois of practising economic blackmail.

        Quebec Nationalists wanted an independent state so that they 
could have full control over their territory.  But many top 
authorities in Canada say it is not legal for a Province to 
leave.  Levesque said that he wanted a Quebec that was 
independent but joined Canada in the market.  Levesque wanted to 
protect Quebec culture.  Many people in Quebec opposed the 
separation.  An organization called the Positive Action Committee 
was formed to help fight the separation dispute.

        Quebec was not the only Province that wanted more political 
power for themselves.  Canada was working an a new Constitution 
and wanted to replace the BNA Act of 1867.  If a new Constitution 
was made, Quebec might remain a part of Canada.  The Constitution 
had to make all the Provinces happy.  It would have to recognize 
the partnership between the French and the English in the history 
of Quebec.  The Federal  Liberals probably helped tip the balance 
in favour of the no vote.

        The referendum campaign in the early 80's was intense.  
Premier of Quebec, Rene Levesque and the PQ desperately wanted 
the vote to be a resounding "oui".  The referendum was a critical 
test for the PQ government.  The PQ's (Parti Quebecois) was 
elected out of the separatist platform.  Their party represented 
the bone of forming independence of Quebec.  In order for the 
independence movement to take greater strides, the Parti Qubecois 
would have to encourage an "our" vote in the Referendum.  There 
were intense battles to win the opinion and admiration of the 
Quebec population with ads in newspapers, magazines, on T.V and 
radio.  With a resounding "no vote" in the makings, Prime 
Minister Pierre Trudeau was prepared to bring on the 
Constitution.  Trudeau made a speech on May 14th, which was a 
sincere commitment to a new Canada.  He was determined that 
Canada would have a new Federal system of government. 
 



 

 


