Quebec-Canada Timeline 1945-2000

Events

New Flag of Quebec

January 21, 1948

The new flag of Quebec was created during the time of the Maurice Duplessis government. It included the traditional French fleur-de-lis.

Quiet Revolution Began

1960

The Quiet Revolution began in Quebec. Major changes happened in Quebec without the rest of the country necessarily noticing.

Canada's New Flag

February 15, 1965

Canada's new flag was raised on Parliament Hill for the first time. The symbol of the new flag was the maple leaf and the purpose was to bring all Canadians together.

Canadian Immigration Policy

1967

Canada's immigration policy officially became colour-blind. This means no part of you ethnic, culture or skin colour matters when applying for immigration.

Parti Quebecois

1968

Rene Levesque formed the Parti Quebecois. The Parti Quebecois was a political party based on Quebec's separation from Canada.

Official Languages Act

1969

The Official Languages Act was passed, making French and English equal in the Canadian government. Every Canadian citizen was encouraged to learn both languages.

October Crisis

October 1970

The October Crisis. The FLQ kidnapped James Cross and Pierre Laporte. The federal government was concerned about what was happening in Quebec and reinstated the War Measures Act, allowing them to arrest anyone without a reason. The FLQ later murdered Pierre Laporte. Being a member of the FLQ was considered a crime.

Multiculturalism Policy

1971

The federal government introduced a multiculturalism policy. This said to recognized and respect diversity in languages, customs, religions, etc.

Bill 101

1977

Bill 101, also known as the Charter of the French Language. It was a law passed in Quebec making French the only official language in Quebec.

Referendum of 1980

1980

The 1980 Referendum determined Quebec's political future. If it was voted yes, Quebec would begin to negotiate a new agreement with Canada based on sovereignty-association. This would make Quebec politically independent.

New Constitution Act

April 17, 1982

The new Constitution Act was signed into law. This was the last step towards Canada becoming a completely independent nation.

Meech Lake Accord

1987

The Meech Lake Accord would recognized Quebec as a distinct society and give more power to all provinces. Aboriginals too have a distinct society that needs to be recognized and protected. Manitoba and Newfoundland withheld their support.

Asian Immigration

1990

In the 1990s, immigration from Asian countries increase. It got to the point where more people were immigrating from Asian countries then Europe.

Bloc Quebecois

1991

The Bloc Quebecois was formed by Lucien Bouchard. The party supports the aim of Quebec's separation from Canada.

Charlottetown Accord

1992

The Charlottetown Accord was put to national referendum in October of 1992. It was rejected by 54.5% of Canada. It proposed reforming the Senate and supported First Nations self-government.

BC Treaty Commission

1993

The BC Treaty Commission was established. This started the land claims negotiation process. It was established to resolve outstanding issues with British Columbia's First Nations.

Quebec Referendum

1995

Quebec held a referendum in 1995 to separate from Canada. 49.4% voted yes and 50.6% voted no, Quebec almost separated from Canada.

Nunavut Created

1999

Nunavut was created as a separate territory. This was the first major change to Canada's political map since Newfoundland and Labrador were added as a province in 1949.

Clarity Bill

2000

The Clarity bill was introduced to establish some conditions which would apply to a referendum regarding the separation of a province from Canada.

Nisga'a Treaty