What was the October Crisis of 1970?

The October Crisis was a political crisis in Quebec from October 5 to December 28, 1970 sparked by the kidnapping of British trade commissioner James Cross and Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte (who was murdered) by Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) cells. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act on October 16, 1970, the only peacetime use of the Act in Canadian history. The crisis reshaped Canadian civil-liberties and federalism debates for decades.

The crisis began on October 5, 1970 when four members of the FLQ Liberation Cell kidnapped James Cross, the senior British trade commissioner in Montreal, from his home in Westmount. The FLQ demanded the release of 23 political prisoners (mostly previous FLQ convicts), 500,000 dollars in gold, the publication of the FLQ manifesto by Quebec media, and other concessions. On October 7, 1970, the manifesto was read on Radio-Canada (at Pierre Laporte's reluctant approval). On October 10, 1970, the second FLQ cell (the Chénier Cell) kidnapped Quebec Deputy Premier and Labour Minister Pierre Laporte from his front lawn in Saint-Lambert.

On October 12, 1970, Trudeau famously dismissed press questions about civil liberties with 'Just watch me'. On October 15, 1970, Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa formally requested federal assistance, citing 'apprehended insurrection'. On October 16, 1970, federal Cabinet invoked the War Measures Act under section 6 (peacetime apprehended insurrection). The proclamation made FLQ membership and FLQ-supportive activities criminal offences and authorised the arrest without warrant and detention without charge of any person reasonably suspected of being a member of the FLQ. About 500 people were detained without charge over the following weeks; about 18 were eventually convicted of actual offences.

On October 17, 1970, Pierre Laporte's body was found in the trunk of a car at Saint-Hubert airport; he had been strangled with the chain of his own crucifix on October 16. The Cross kidnappers were located on December 3, 1970 in a north Montreal house. Cross was released in exchange for safe passage of his kidnappers to Cuba. The Laporte murderers were captured later in December 1970. The War Measures Act regulations expired on April 30, 1971; many detainees had already been released. Long-term consequences included the passage of the Public Order (Temporary Measures) Act of 1970 (a less drastic measure than the War Measures Act); the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (which included civil-liberties protections that the War Measures Act could not override); and the discrediting of revolutionary violence in Quebec, contributing to the rise of the democratic Parti Québécois (which won provincial power in 1976). The Public Order Act was replaced by the more limited Emergencies Act of 1988.