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The Duplessis Era
-The Duplessi era was lead entirely by Duplessi and his government
-The period was marked by movements towards autonomy, including the creation of the first provincial flag and provincial taxes. It was a scary time for unions because they were seen as communists and socialists.
-The era was important to shaping Quebec because of its socially conservative policies that were said to “keep people in the dark.” however Duplessi was able to obtain more autonomy for Quebec
-(class slides, pg.10-14) -
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Baby boom
-Maurice Duplessi and Jean Lesage were in power over the Baby Boom
-There was a large increase in population due to high reproduction and low infant mortality.
-This affected Quebec by increasing the number of families, overflowing the housing market causing people to move out to the suburbs and therefore the development of nearby areas. Boomers were also growing up and rebelling, causing the hippie movement centred around peace and love.
-(class slides, pg.17, 43) -
Canada's signing of the GATT agreement
-After the Second World War, Canada’s economy benefitted from the rebuilding of war-torn Europe.
-Duplessi signed the General Agreement on Trade (GATT) agreement for Canada alongside other countries to promote international trade.
-Canada’s exports grew, especially in America, which had depleted its resources during the Cold War, this caused America's investment in Canada to rise.
-(Reflections, pg.207) -
The Creation of the New Provincial Flag
- At the time, Dueplessi wanted more provincial autonomy, he refused to give up the rights given to him when the BNA Act was signed which caused tensions to rise between him and the federal government
- As an act of rebellion, he removed the Canadian flag to replace it with the Quebec flag to represent autonomy.
- In the long term, the flag was officially recognized by the government, and allowed for Quebec citizens to identify with a more automized identity.
- (Class slides, pg.10)
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Refus Global Manifesto Published
- At the time more artists wanted modernization and secularism, due to the poor conditions of living in Quebec at the time
- 15 artists, including Borduas and Riopelle, banded together to sign the Refus Global Manifesto in order to control the strength of the church over society
- This manifesto encouraged young intellectuals, including Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Gerard Pelletier, to spread the word about individual freedoms
- (class slides, pg.14)
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Asbestos Strike
-Many workers were performing their jobs in dangerous conditions with very little compensation and safety measures, at the time, unions were not helpful due to the padlock law that targeted them
-This caused miners in the town of Asbestos to go on strike in order to gain safer conditions and better wages, however, the strike turned violent and was suppressed by the police.
-Seeing the violence caused Duplesssi to side with employers and declare strikes illegal
-(class notes, protest movements) -
The Indian act of 1951
- Residential schools were aimed to assimilate Indigenous kids, along with the rest of their population
- Although assimilation was still their top priority, in 1951 the government introduced a new amendment to the Indian act, allowing Indigenous kids to attend local schools but the government added more restrictions
- Many kids still attended residential schools seeing as they were not shut down, but it allowed some children to stay on the reserves
- (class notes, indigenous communities)
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The Arrival of Television in Quebec
- Much like after WW1, at the end of WW2 many families have more purchasing power, and American culture becomes a big influence in Canada's
- With the money that Canadians now have, many chose to invest in television which further expands the influence of America, selling the American dream
- Due to this Montreal establishes the first French film production company, the National Film Board. By 1960 Quebec have 9 TV stations.
- (class notes, a changing and evolving society)
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Introduction of Quebec's own Provincial Taxes
- Dueplessi was not happy with the Federal government, he refused to participate in the programs Ottawa was offering and rejected subsidies delegated for Quebec universities.
- As another way of demonstrating Quebec’s autonomy, Duplessis introduced provincial taxes, which were followed by the reintroduction of provincial income tax.
- These acts forced the federal government to reduce the amount of taxes that they collected from Quebec...
- (Reflections, pg.211)
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Opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
- There was an increase in trading with the United States and exports being sent there so, something needed to be created to connect the two countries' ports.
- The seaway connected the five Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean, allowing large ships to access Canadian and American ports.
- With the new exposure and access to Canadian ports, regional trade was improved.
- (Santamaria notes, pg. 4)
- There was an increase in trading with the United States and exports being sent there so, something needed to be created to connect the two countries' ports.
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Adoption of the Labour code
- Lesage’s government attempted to be more accepting towards unions, which at the time were becoming more and more common in order for workers to receive proper compensation and benefits
- The labour code was created to govern labour relations, state employees now had the right to unionize and participate in strikes
- Due to the code, the unionization rate rapidly increased among state employees. -(Reflections, pg.230)
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The Creation of the Department of Education
- The education system became secularised from the church, and the parent commission suggested major reforms in education to create a high-quality system that would be available to all.
- The Department of Education was created by the Lesage government to handle these reforms and ensure the modernisation of the system.
- Due to the department, comprehensive schools that offered general and vocational programs were established a year later. -(Reflections, pg.226)
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Creation of a Workers Pension Plan
-The Lesage government was focused on updating and accepting unions, although they were now legalized they needed to be organized.
-The Lesage government created the workers' pension plan which collected a percentage of all workers' wages between 17 and 70 to allow their income to grow, the money would then be returned to them when they retired.
-As time went on, more unionized workers were set up for retirement with their investments being dolled out to them over time.
-(Reflections, pg.227) -
Creation of the CEGEP System
-Daniel Johnson had just won Quebec’s provincial election and was deeply against social conservatism with an aim to continue the modernization that the Lesage government had started.
-As per one of the recommendations of the Parent report, Cegeps were created, offering a continuation of general education with the end goal of university or vocational training.
-The creation of the CEGEP system later influenced the opening of the Universite de Quebec network...
-(Reflections, pg.231) -
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Expo 67
-Daniel Johnson was in charge during Expo 67
-Since Expo 67 only lasted a couple of months there weren’t any massive changes however Montreal did put in an effort to modernize and innovate to make themselves presentable, notably the metro which was introduced right before the expo.
-This event shaped Quebec through the international exposure that it received, the expo offered a chance for citizens to experience and discover other cultures...
-(Reflections, pg.234) -
Charles de Gaulle’s “Vive le Québec libre” Speech
-In the 1960s a form of neo-nationalism blossomed from nationalism. The majority of Quebec francophones had a sense of belonging to Quebec's territory, referring to themselves as “Quebecois” instead of “French Canadians.” With the rise of sovereignty internationally, the movement started to gain momentum in Quebec.
-During Expo 67, General Charles de Gaulle shared a speech with a strong message, “Vive le Quebec libre,"...
-(Reflections, pg.235) -
Creation of the Université du Quebec network
- In a time of modernization of education, the Cegep system was created with the aim of universities or the pursuit of vocational training.
- The creation of the Université du Quebec system was introduced by the Johnson government
- Soon after the opening of the university network, university training was required for future teachers in order to ensure the quality of their performance after school. -(Reflections, pg.231)
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The Health Insurance Act
- When Bourassa won the election, his goal was to implement a plethora of reforms, free healthcare at the time was limited to hospitalisation, which did not offer support to minor cases.
- The Health Insurance Act expanded access to free healthcare services beyond hospitalization, which provided all Quebec residents with free Medicare.
- This act further influenced the opening of the CLSCs around communities in order to provide free standard services.
- (Reflections, pg.254)
- When Bourassa won the election, his goal was to implement a plethora of reforms, free healthcare at the time was limited to hospitalisation, which did not offer support to minor cases.
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Period: to
The October Crisis
-At the time of the crisis, Bourassa was in charge.
-The October crisis saw the rise of radical groups such as the FLQ, who took extreme measures to convey their message. The War Measures Act was implemented after the kidnapping of James Cross and Pierre Laporte.
-This event shaped Quebec by allowing francophones to represent their anger at British colonialism and anglophone power. The FLQ was also an inspiration for many other radical groups following theirs.
-(Reflections, pg.258) -
Launch of the James Bay Hydroelectric Project
Bourassa was also focused on stimulating the economic growth of the population, with a larger focus on hydroelectric development.
Bourassa launched the James Bay hydroelectric project, which focused on developing the area for its potential. The program was carried out in phases throughout the following years.
The development of the area threatened the way of life of Indigenous peoples located there, due to the development, there were effects on traditional methods...
(Reflections, pg.255, 257) -
Introduction of CLSCs (community clinics)
-To continue his goal of reforms, Bourassa wanted to expand healthcare even more.
-Les Centres Locaux de Service Communautaries (or CLSCs) were established to provide their community with free standard social and health services. They offered services such as vaccinations and home care for seniors.
-This act, along with the Health Insurance Act, made medical services more accessible by reducing the cost and increasing the availability of healthcare.
(Reflections, pg.254) -
Bill 22 - The Official Language Act
Most immigrants were settling into anglophone communities and many more opportunities were offered to English speakers, this caused the Francophones to worry about their language losing traction among the population.
The Official Languages Act (Bill 22) made French the only official language of Quebec and limited access to schooling in English.
Attendance in French schools rose as English school enrolment lowered. Quebec later prioritised French-speaking immigrants.
(Reflections, pg.263,268) -
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Montreal hosts the Olympics
-Robert Bourassa was in charge when the Olympics happened.
- Montreal focused on the modernisation of the city, highlighting the massive Olympic Park site with the stadium in its centre.
-Events like the Olympics allowed Quebec to highlight itself internationally, which encouraged tourism, therefore stimulating the economy.
-(Reflections, pg.272) -
Automobile Insurance act
- During Levesque’s time in government he adopted a series of reforms, in order to demonstrate his ambition to fix longstanding problems.
- In the sector of social reforms his government passed the Automobile Insurance Act which introduced no-fault insurance and established compensation standards for road accident victims.
- There was now more road safety thanks to the availability of free healthcare and compensation for road accident victims, so driving became safer.
- (Reflections, pg.269)
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The Second Oil Crisis
-The end of the 1970s saw an economic downturn, along with a rise in unemployment.
-The second oil crisis happened in Iran, which led to a wave of inflation internationally. Industrial relocations occurred, due to the lower cost of labour in some countries, and business moved their operations causing job losses in Quebec. Both governments raised taxes and went into debt.
-Due to the recommendations of some experts and politicians, a long debate ran for many years...
(Reflections, pg.271)