This
      June
      marked
      the
      40th
     
     
      anniversary
      of
      the
      beginning
      of
      the
     
     
      Quiet
      Revolution;
      so
      named
      by
     
     
      Québec’s
      Liberal
      leader
      Jean
     
     
      Lesage
      while
      parading
      under
      the
     
     
      slogan,
      “we
      need
      a
      change.”
      This
     
     
      was
      quickly
      followed
      by
      slogans
     
     
      like
      “masters
      in
      our
      own
      house”
      and
     
     
      the
      ever-popular,
      “je
      me
      souviens.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      provincial
      Liberals
     
     
      were
      a
      nationalistic
      party
      then,
      and
     
     
      led
      the
      charge
      that
      morphed
      into
      the
     
     
      Parti
      Québecois
      to
      the
      Bloc
     
     
      Québecois
      and
      to
      our
      current
     
     
      BouCharestian
      lull
      in
      the
      debate
     
     
      over
      Québec
      nationalism.
     
    

    
     
      No
      right
      thinking
      observer
     
     
      would
      believe
      the
      struggle
      is
      over
     
     
      and
      no
      one
      wants
      to
      repeat
      the
      past.
     
     
      Thirty
      years
      ago,
      the
      splintered
      and
     
     
      disconnected
      Front
      de
      Liberation
      du
     
     
      Québec
      (FLQ)
      kidnapped
      British
     
     
      trade
      commissioner
      James
      Cross
     
     
      and
      murdered
      Pierre
      Laporte,
      then
     
     
      Minister
      of
      Labour.
      The
      FLQ
      were
     
     
      the
      impetus
      for
      the
      imposition
      of
     
     
      martial
      law,
      under
      the
      War
     
     
      Measures
      Act,
      throughout
      Québec.
     
     
      There
      were
      several
      different
      fac-
     
     
      tions
      within
      the
      FLQ
      itself,
      the
      more
     
     
      militant
      side
      being
      responsible
      for
     
     
      Laporte’s
      death.
      Cross
      was
      released
     
     
      after
      escape
      routes
      were
      planned
      for
     
     
      the
      kidnappers.
     
    

    
     
      The
      FLQ
      were
      a
      disjointed
     
     
      and
      disrupted
      force
      that
      was
     
     
      trumped
      by
      a
      government
      they
     
     
      underestimated;
      at
      least
      they
      under-
     
     
      estimated
      the
      Pierre
      Trudeau
      gov-
     
     
      ernment
      in
      terms
      of
      capacity
      for
     
     
      force.
      Trudeau
      did
      not
      mind
      soldiers
     
     
      on
      the
      streets
      of
      Montreal.
      The
     
     
      memory
      should
      fill
      easily,
      if
      you
      are
     
     
      Canadian,
      of
      Trudeau
      on
      the
      attack
     
     
      in
      some
      CBC
      interview
      boasting
     
     
      “just
      watch
      me”
      in
      response
      to
      how
     
     
      far
      he
      would
      go
      to
      stifle
      the
      upris-
     
     
      ing.
      To
      the
      “bleeding
      hearts”,
     
     
      Trudeau
      said,”go
      on
      and
      bleed.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      the
      one
      and
      only
      offi-
     
     
      cial
      time
      in
      our
      history
      where
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      citizens
      were
      absent
      their
      rights.
      We
     
     
      realise
      that
      there
      are
      other
      grievous
     
     
      examples
      during
      war
      times-specifi-
     
     
      cally
      the
      internment
      of
      Japanese
     
     
      Canadians.
      (The
      WWII
      internment
     
     
      is
      perhaps
      the
      single
      most
      frighten-
     
     
      ing
      dossier
      in
      the
      Canadian
      history
     
     
      and
      is
      due
      for
      further
      examination
     
     
      here
      at
      a
      later
      date.
      The
      country
     
     
      would
      do
      well
      to
      ruminate
      on
      the
     
     
      possibilities
      of
      this
      happening
     
     
      again).
     
    

    
     
      The
      Cadre
      ran
      only
      these
     
     
      words
      (see
      below),
      over
      their
      inside
     
     
      spread
      during
      the
      October
      crisis.
     
     
      When
      I
      stumbled
      upon
      them,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      issue,
      I
      was
      moved
      and
      amazed
     
     
      at
      both
      the
      depth
      of
      compassion
     
     
      shown
      by
      the
      university
      press
      com-
     
     
      munity
      during
      a
      time
      when
      suspect-
     
     
      ed
      sympathisers
      were
      detained
      and
     
     
      arrested
      without
      explanation
      or
      war-
     
     
      rant,
      and
      the
      sharing
      of
      stories
     
     
      which
      is
      now
      so
      easy
      but
      must
      have
     
     
      been
      incredibly
      difficult
      then.
      In
      ret-
     
     
      rospect
      the
      CUP
      people
      seemed
      to
     
     
      have
      told
      it
      right.
     
    

    
     
      Consider
      the
      lessons
      of
     
     
      Réne
      Lévesque,
      the
      ever-smoking
     
     
      patron
      saint
      of
      the
      separatist
      move-
     
     
      ment.
      He
      had
      been
      a
      journalist
     
     
      before
      entering
      politics-primarily
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      radio-Canada
      in
      the
      50’s.
      Lévesque
     
     
      may
      have
      been
      the
      second
      most
      cult
     
     
      of
      personality
      in
      Canadian
      political
     
     
      history-and
      his
      oratory
      skills
      remain
     
     
      unmatched
      in
      terms
      of
      power
      of
     
     
      message,
      and
      strength
      of
      delivery.
     
    

    
     
      The
      most
      cult
      of
      personality
     
     
      in
      Canadian
      political
      history,
      Pierre
     
     
      Trudeau
      would
      curse
      the
      words
      of
     
     
      Charles
      de
      Gaulle,
      a
      most
      non-
     
     
      Levesque
      like
      figure
      full
      of
      the
     
     
      pomp
      that
      the
      PQ
      leader
      detested,
     
     
      who
      ended
      a
      speech
      at
      the
      1967
     
     
      Montreal
      Expo
      with
      the
      words,
     
     
      ‘Vive
      Le
      Québec
      libre.’
     
    

    
     
      De
      Gaulle
      acted
      moreso,
      it
     
     
      would
      seem,
      out
      of
      a
      sense
      of
      unity
     
     
      with
      Québec,
      rather
      than
      a
      necessar-
     
     
      ily
      hostile
      attitude
      towards
      the
      coun-
     
     
      try-at-large
      (though
      he
      did,
      in
      fact,
     
     
      cancel
      his
      plans
      to
      go
      to»
      Ottawa
     
     
      after
      the
      speech).
      De
      Gaulle
      seems
      a
     
     
      tad,
      well
      ,gauche
      looking
      back...his
     
     
      comments
      did
      little
      but
      stoke
     
     
      embers
      that
      were
      not
      his,
      and
      were
     
     
      not
      his
      to
      stoke.
     
    

    
     
      Lest
      we
      forget
      that
      a
      country
     
     
      like
      ours
      is
      made
      of
      soft-fabric
      not
     
     
      steel-wool.
      Vive
      le
      Quebec
      libre
     
     
      indeed,
      and
      L’Isle
      de
      _
      Prince
     
     
      Edward,
      and
      Columbie
      Britannique
     
     
      (et
      les
      autres).
      Of
      course
      there
      are
     
     
      those
      who
      lean
      the
      other
      way
      entire-
     
     
      ly.
     
    

    
     
      Later
      in
      1967
      Lévésque
      left
     
     
      the
      Liberals
      to
      found
      _
      the
     
     
      Sovereignty-Association
     
     
      Movement.
      Though
      eventually
      his
     
     
      PQ
      became
      the
      official
      government
     
     
      for
      the
      province
      of
      Québec,
     
     
      Lévésque
      died
      a
      beaten
      man,
      having
     
     
      lost
      the
      first
      referendum
      badly.
     
     
      Rene-Levesque
      Boulevard
      in
      down-
     
     
      town
      Montreal
      always
      makes
      us
     
     
      think
      of
      ghosts,
      and
      cigarettes.
     
    

    
     
      It
      behoves
      all
      Canadians
      to
     
     
      examine,
      or
      at
      least
      digest,
      a
      decent
     
     
      history
      of
      Quebec
      Nationalism.
      It
     
     
      has
      been
      a
      mere
      thirty
      years
      since
     
     
      political
      prisoners
      were
      taken
      in
      this
     
     
      country;
      we
      should
      never
      forget.)