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1917 BCE
Conscription Crisis 1917
By 1917, many Canadian soldiers were killed and wounded and more troops were needed to win the WW1. Prime Minister Borden then introduced the Military Service Act to make the enlistment compulsory. The French-speaking Canadians didn't feel a patriotic connection in this war and thought they were forced to fight in a war that wasn't really theirs. So, as a result, the Conscription strained the relations between English- and French-speaking Canadians. -
Official Languages Act 1969
In 1968, Pierre Trudeau was elected to be the PM and determined to persuade people from Quebec that their future lay with Canada. Then the government passed the "official languages act" to make Canada a bilingual country. It was required, under the new law, that all services should be provided in both languages (French and English). Trudeau also called for an increase of understanding of the other national culture. -
October Crisis
Separatists from FLQ (Front du Liberation Quebec) wanted to separate Quebec from Canada by violence. On 5th October, 1970, members of FLQ kidnapped James Cross, the British trade commissioner, and demanded their manifesto be broadcasted. The Quebec government refused to release FLQ prisoners, as what they required. The FLQ then kidnapped Labor Minister Pierre, who then was found dead in the back of a track after PM Pierre Trudeau decided to invoke the War Measure Act to solve this crisis. -
Bill 101
Once Rene Levesque's PQ government was in power, they passed the so-called "charter of the French Language", Bill 101, to make French the only official language in Quebec. It required all public signs to be in French and children had to go to French-language schools. English-speaking Canadians in Quebec felt threatened and many of them prompted to leave. This bill is still be used these days -
1980 Referendum
In 1980, the Parti Quebecois called for a referendum on the future of Quebec's relationship with the rest of Canada. They proposed the "Sovereignty-association", being politically independent but still sharing close economic ties with Canada. Meanwhile, PM Pierre Trudeau promised that if people voted "no", he would re-negotiate the Constitution. Many were shocked seeing the result: 40% voted Yes and 60% voted No. This showed that separatism in Canada was much stronger than people thought. -
Patriatoin of the Consititution 1982
After 1980 Referendum, Pierre Trudeau planned to revise Canada's Constitution, bringing the British North America Act back to Canada, where the Canadian government would have the authority to make changes. This was also the last step towards making Canada a completely independent nation.
However the process was controversial since Rene Levesque, the Premier of Quebec was not invited to make an agreement like other Premiers. Quebec felt betrayed and refused to sign the Constitution. -
The Meech Lake Accord
In 1987. PM Mulroney met with the premiers and proposed amendments to the Constitution. Quebec would propose to be recognized as a "distinct society" while all provinces will be allowed to veto Constitutional changes. However this accord was failed as other provinces felt it would give Quebec too much power. Other groups like First Nations felt they should also get the similar recognition like the Quebecois. As a result of this failure, Bloc Quebecois was formed. -
The Charlottetown Accord
PM Mulroney believed he had to continue with the Constitution debate. He appointed a committed that travelled across the country to hear the views of Canadians on the future of the Constitution. As a result of this, Mulroney came up with another package of proposed constitutional amendments, called Charlottetown Accord. It failed, eventually, because everyone could find a problem with it. -
1995 Referendum
In 1994, Bloc Quebecois was in power and its leader, Premier Jacques Parizeau decided to call a referendum on "full sovereignty". On October 30,1995, the referendum votes were counted and the results was pretty close :49.4% "yes" vs 50.6% "no". The whole country was shocked but no permanent settlement was clear until PM Jean Chretien created the controversial "clarity bill". -
Clarity Bill
Passed in 2000 but was theoretically created in response to the 1995 Referendum by the new Liberal PM Jean Chretien. He created the new law and stated that a Referendum Question must be easy to understand and supported by at least 60% or more to be successful.
