[1945-1980] The Modernization of Québec & The Quiet Revolution

  • Act to Promote Rural Electrification by Means of Electricity Cooperatives

    Act to Promote Rural Electrification by Means of Electricity Cooperatives
    Cause:
    - Most of Duplessis' votes came from the rural population -- ensure his election
    - farmers wanted to modernize their farms ( this would make their lives easier)
    - Duplessis -- believes agriculture = important for development of province Effect:
    -Brings electricity to farms and rural areas Impact:
    - Farming is easier
    - Farms can produce more
    - Modernized methods of agriculture Textbook p. 213
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    Maurice Duplessis era

    *Cause:
    - The Union National elected.
    - After WWII
    - Interventionist Federal Government-- equalization payments
    - provinces angry about lost power *Who:
    - Duplessis
    *Changes:
    • economic liberalism, provincial autonomy + clericalism. traditional way of life -- encouraged agriculture -- electricity to farmers,
      • church involvement: healthcare + education
    • American companies exploit natural resources
    *Result: Quebec more independent, more religion. (class notes 9+10
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    Baby Boom

    Who in power: Duplessis
    Major changes:
    -Increased birth rate,
    -lower infant mortality rate (more babies delivered in hospitals)
    Significance:
    -a larger population emerging. In the early 1950s, 1/4 of the population were children under 10 years old
    -there was better care for babies Reflections, p. 218
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    The Cold War

    Who was in power in Canada: William Lyon Mackenzie King, Louis St. Laurent, John Diefenbaker, Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Joe Clark
    Main situation: USA and USSR are engaged in an ideological standoff + arms race.
    Major changes:
    - Increased investment in Canada
    - increased exploitation of raw materials, (primarily ore)
    - Increased exports to USA (38.9% to 65.1% from 1946 to 1950) Reflections Textbook p.207, Timetoast Assignment document
  • Refus Global Manifesto

    Refus Global Manifesto
    *Cause: Artists + intellectuals wanted secularism
    -Duplessis had put church in charge of edu, + health which pushed social conservatism
    -People's reaction to clericalism
    *what: Borduas, Riopelle + 15 others wrote secular
    manifesto "Refus Global"
    *Effect: More people against Duplessis' gov
  • Adoption of the Quebec flag

    Adoption of the Quebec flag
    *Cause: Duplessis wants provincial power-- Independent of Federal Gov
    - He criticized equalization system *Result:
    - creation of flag (fleurdelisé)
    - Made it clear to the federal government the values of Duplessis *Impact:
    - Later premiers would continue vouching for Quebec independence + identity
    - eventually creates more distinct Quebecquois culture (Class notes, slide 10)
  • Asbestos Strike

    Asbestos Strike
    *cause: Workers want better conditions, more $
    - Duplessis against unions-- thinks them communist
    - Duplessis supports Employers *Effect: strike, police violently acted to suppress it *Impact: Common workers treated badly, led to more protests + hatred of Duplessis (class notes 14+16)
  • Arrival of Television in Québec

    Arrival of Television in Québec
    Cause:
    -Higher wages-- More purchasing power-- more people buying TVs
    -work hours had decreased-- more time for leisure
    Effect:
    -More people bought + watched TV
    Impact:
    - TV causes society to start to become mass consumers due to advertisements + more purchasing power
    -Quebecers gained increasing exposure to American shows which promoted the "American Lifestyle" (values: freedom, economic success, individualism)-- Americanism
    -change in the lifestyle of families Textbook p.217+218
  • Québec Introduces Provincial Income Tax

    Québec Introduces Provincial Income Tax
    Cause:
    - Duplessis criticized the federal government's equalization system
    - Duplessis Refused subsidies from Federal government for joining its programs
    - Duplessis though Quebec should collect its own tax -- greater provincial autonomy Effect:
    - Created its own tax
    - Federal government obliged to reduce the taxes it collects from Quebec Impact:
    - More Quebec autonomy (less federal involvement)
  • Increase in Accessibility to Contraception

    Increase in Accessibility to Contraception
    Cause:
    - There were already tensions where Women wanted to work and not have large families that they would have to manage
    - beginning of new values (less important to have large families)
    - Women wanted a choice Immediate Effect:
    - More women took contraceptives
    - Fertility rate decreased Long-term Impact
    - Birth rate decreased (Decreased by 10 births per 1000 of a population from 1961 to 1971)
    - People had smaller families Textbook p.240
  • Period: to

    Lesage Govornment

    *Who is in power: Jean Lesage, Parti Liberal
    *Major changes: Welfare state, interventionist, secular, economic nationalism
    *Significance:
    - more educated people
    - people are healthier-- accessible free health care
    - workers are supported via pension plan (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Quebec ) + labour code
    - Crown corporations-- French Businesses-- Fewer American businesses have power.
    - Quebequois identity ( Affirmation mesures)
    - Increase civil service class notes (28,30,31,34)
  • Nationalization of Electricity

    Nationalization of Electricity
    Cause:
    -private (usually American) companies formally in charge of hydroelectricity -- gov not in control of economy (economic liberalism)
    Effect: make electricity government owned + operated by buying all electricity companies to become Hydro Quebec
    Impact:
    -reliable supply of electricity (even remote regions)
    -many new jobs for Quebecers
    -increased revenue for the state
    -gov more in charge of the economy (interventionist) via economic nationalism Class slides: 31
  • Creation of the Ministry of Education (Parent Report Recommendations)

    Creation of the Ministry of Education (Parent Report Recommendations)
    Cause:
    -Previously, education was the church's jusristdiction, and it needed major reforms -- education was not free, and children left school at a young age to work
    -wanted more standardized edu.
    -part of the Quiet Revolution
    Effect:
    -create high quality + accessible public system regardless of social class
    -co-ed to promote girl's education
    -compulsory attendance to 15
    impact:
    -More people get education
    -Higher levels of education overall class slides 28
  • Bill 16 – Married Women Gain Legal Independence

    Bill 16 – Married Women Gain Legal Independence
    Cause:
    - Women were previously not allowed to carry out financial transactions or sign legal documents without getting their husband's consent -- this is unjust, and Women demanded this change Effect:
    - Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain got bill 16 passed Act Respecting the Legal Capacity of Married Women which allowed them to to carry out their own financial transactions + sign legal documents
    Impact:
    - Women have more rights, + more autonomy textbook p.250
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    Daniel Johnson Sr. is premier

    Who:
    - Daniel Johnson Sr. (Union Nationale) Major changes
    - creation of the Department of Immigration
    - Adoption of the Family Allowance plan
    - Grants Indigenous people the right to vote (1969)
    - Creates CEGEPS (1967) + Université du Quebec program (1968)
    - Creates BNQ and Radio-Quebec Importance:
    - Gives indigenous people more power (to vote)
    - Promotes education
    - Promotes art
    - New direction for the Union National (After Duplessis) Textbook p. 231-232
    Class slides p. 36
  • Expo 67

    Expo 67
    Cause in Quebec:
    -Wanted to be part of Expo 67
    Effect:
    -MTL metro opens
    -arts and cultural vitality ( a result of the quiet revolution) at Place des arts
    -shows off Quebec's industrial progress (ex. metro)
    Impact:
    -Puts Quebec on world map
    -Continues to build Quebec identity (Quebec nationalism) class slides 37
  • October Crisis

    October Crisis
    Cause:
    - FLQ becoming more radical in their separatism -- targeting Anglophone power (eg. bombs in Westmount mailboxes + stock exchange)
    - More separatism overall Effect:
    - The kidnapping of British diplomat James Cross and Liberal minister Pierre Laporte,
    - The killing of Laporte
    - The Invocation of the War Measures act Impact:
    - leads to the rise of the parti Quebecois (continued and increased separatist beliefs) class slides slide 46
  • Health insurance Act

    Health insurance Act
    Cause:
    - To expand free healthcare services -- previously, only hospitalization had been free and standardized Effect:
    - All Quebecers can now access free general medical services through medicare. Impact:
    - More people can be medically cared for
    - Inspires the creation of CLSCs in 1974
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    Robert Bourassa is Premier

    Who: Robert Bourassa (Liberal party of Quebec) Major changes: political
    - Health Insurance act (1970)
    - CLSCs (1974)
    - James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (1975) Major changes: Social
    - 1974 Quebec adopts child care laws
    - 1975 Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms: significance:
    - Continuing to improve healthcare
    - James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement treats Indigenous people more respectfully
    - Feminist demands are answered class slides: 49
  • 1st oil crisis

    1st oil crisis
    cause:
    - Arab-Isreali war breaks out -- OPEC increases oil prices to weaken countries that support Israel (such as USA) Effect:
    - Inflation in oil prices + transportation
    - Reduced Quebecers' purchasing power Impact:
    - Put an end to the 30 year period of economic growth -- start of economic downturn
    - Stagnation of economic growth (increase in prices) textbook p.259
  • Bill 22 – French as Québec’s Official Language

    Bill 22 – French as Québec’s Official Language
    Cause:
    - allophone's children would go to English school instead of French school - English = language of trade
    - Francophones worried that french was losing ground to English Effect:
    - French=only official language of Quebec
    - restricted access to English School Impact:
    • reinforced French identity in Quebec
    • since allophone's children went to french school- increased francophones
    • lingual separation from Canada: Canada=French and English while Quebec=French only
    Class slides 53
  • James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement

    James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement
    Cause:
    -Quebec gov wants to continue developing hydroelectricity
    -building -- disrupt indigenous land
    Effect:
    -treaty signed between Quebec gov + Inuit + Cree to:
    -Protect the land, fishing and hunting rights
    -grant the indigenous people monetary compensation for the hydroelectric development
    Impact:
    -move to respect the indigenous people more ( gov previously exploited whatever land they wanted without consulting + agreeing on terms with indigenous) class slide 47
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    René Lévesque and the parti Québecois are in office

    Who: René Levesque
    Major changes:
    -Charter of the French Language
    -Act to Govern the Financing of Political Parties
    -Act Respecting the Preservation of Agricultural Land
    -The prioritization of francophone immigrants
    -Rand Formula
    -Act respecting Labour Standards
    Significance:
    -The first time the Parti Quebecois is elected -- a party more focused on Quebec sovereignty and Quebecois identity Class slides: 55, 56, 58, 59 and 60
  • Bill 101 – The Charter of the French Language

    Bill 101 – The Charter of the French Language
    Cause:
    - Continuation of bill 22
    - Francophones continues to want to make Quebec more French (protect and promote it) Effect:
    - like bill 22: children of immigrants attend francophone school until end of high school
    - pubic and commercial signs in French only Impact
    - Quebec more Francophone
    - French more present in society
    - Anglophones leave for Ontario (90,000 over 5 years)
  • Second Oil Crisis

    Second Oil Crisis
    Cause:
    - Iran (oil producer) undergoes a revolution -- reduction in world supply of oil Effect
    - inflation -- Quebecers have less purchasing power
    - Businesses look for cheaper trading partners
    - Unemployment
    - Government goes into debt -- cannot afford to pay for social services (eg. Healthcare, education) Impact:
    - Government cannot pay for services (problem because of the nationalization of businesses that the gov can no longer pay for)
    - unemployed Quebecers Class notes 60