- The October Crisis refers to events that took place in the Fall of 1970 and the series of terrorist acts committed by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) who was a Quebec independence militant group/movement.
- The October Crisis was one of the only instances where the War Measures Act was implemented during peacetime and was invoked by former Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau.
- This is the official television broadcast on october 16, 1970, where Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announces the use of the War Measures Act.
- The War Measures Act was invoked on October 16, 1970, following the kidnappings of British trade commissioner James Cross and the kidnapping and later killing of Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte.
- The use of the War Measures Act outlawed the FLQ, suspended civil liberties and authorized (without charge) several arrests and detentions of suspected FLQ members without charge.
- This decision was highly criticized by many political figures, including former PM John Diefenbaker, PC leader Robert Stanfield and NDP leader Tommy Douglas, however, it was largely supported by the public at the time.
- The suspension of civil liberties under the War Measures Act in response to the kidnappings was highly controversial for years and decades following the crisis.
- In total, 497 individuals were arrested under the War Measures Act and the Public Order Act (which replaced the War Measures Act), and 435 people were released and only 62 were charged.
- In the spring of 1971, the Government of Quebec announced a $30,000 compensation to around 100 people who were unjustly detained during this crisis.
- Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau promised to revise and limit the Act to make it more suitable for internal conflicts, however, he never ended up doing so.
- The War Measures Act was repealed and replaced by the Emergencies Act in 1988 to create more suitable powers for the government in times of crisis/emergency.
Trudeau, Pierre. "Pierre Trudeau War Measures Broadcast - October 16th 1970." BC Iconoclast. October 16, 1970. Accessed August 9, 2022. Youtube Video, 19:23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbdsn_sp0Vw
For more information and documents relating to the October Crisis: http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/docs/october/index.htm
& https://historyofrights.ca/history/october-crisis/
& https://historyofrights.ca/archives/october-crisis/
& https://opentextbc.ca/postconfederation/chapter/9-10-the-october-crisis/
& https://www.historymuseum.ca/history-hall/october-crisis/
& https://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP16CH1PA4LE.html
For the proclamation of the War Measures Act on October 16, 1970: https://historyofrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/documents/FLQ_appendixl.pdf