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Trudeau's invoking of the War Measures Act remains a controversial issue. Research the situation in Quebec in 1970 and today. Also review United Nations reports on terrorism. Then debate the issue of whether invoking the War Measures Act was justified.

On October 11, 1970, in a letter to Premier Robert Bourassa, Pierre Laporte told his premier, "You have the power of life and death over me, I depend on you and I thank you for it." On October 16, 1970, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his cabinet invoked the War Measures Act. On October 17, 1970, Pierre Laporte's body was found in the trunk of an abandoned car.

In this activity, you will research the situation in Quebec in October 1970, and decide whether Trudeau was justified in declaring the War Measures Act. When considering the controversy over Trudeau's action, remember the context of that time in Canadian history.

Review, in Canada: Our Century, Our Story, The FLQ and the October Crisis (pages 314-315) and Flashpoint: The War Measures Act (pages 316-317). Then, using the primary sources on the websites listed below, travel back in time to Quebec and Ottawa in October of 1970. As you read these documents, try to put yourself in the shoes of Trudeau and his cabinet as they make their difficult decision and then face the consequences of that decision. To help you gain a perspective on terrorism in a global context, read Resolution 1269, which was adopted by the Security Council of the United Nations at its 4053rd meeting, on October 19, 1999.

After you have completed your research, write on an index card a concise summary of your argument either for or against Trudeau's decision. You only have a small space for your argument, so be sure to select the most significant and convincing points among your ideas. Plan, draft, and revise your statement carefully. Then sign and post your card on a Debate Wall on either the For or Against side.

Once everyone has posted his or her card, read through the arguments on both sides of the Debate Wall. Take notes on three of the arguments that oppose your position, and write a paragraph to refute each argument (three paragraphs in total). You should also consult your research notes as you plan, draft, and revise your paragraphs.

Use the following questions to focus your research for this activity:

• What options did the Quebec and Canadian governments have during October 1970?
• What problems did the governments see at the time? What threats were made in the FLQ's demands and its Manifesto?
• What would have been the consequences (pro and con) of alternative courses of action?
• What was the global context regarding terrorism at that time? What was the Canadian context?
• If I had been prime minister at the time, what would I have done? What would have been the likely outcome of my decision?
• Was the invoking of the War Measures Act justified? What reasons can I give for my judgment? How would I answer the arguments of those who take the opposite view to mine?
  

Visit the following Internet websites to help you in your research:

• The Demands of the FLQ, released to the public October 6, 1970
• Trudeau's speech on the proclamation of the War Measures Act on October 16, 1970
• The Manifesto of the Front de Liberation du Quebec, of October 1970
• The reaction of René Lévesque to the War Measures Act, October 17, 1970
• Other documents on the October Crisis (letters from Pierre Laporte to his wife and to Premier Bourassa, reactions from government figures, interviews with Prime Minister Trudeau)
• Resolution 1269 (1999) relating to terrorism adopted by the United Nations Security Council at its 4053rd meeting (on October 19, 1999)

While Trudeau and Lévesque agreed on the connection between the French language and the survival of French culture in Canada, they clash on how to ensure that survival. On the Internet, read speeches of these two orators and note their arguments for and against separation. Which political leader presented the stronger arguments?