oct 16, 1970 - War Measures Act Invoked (3 AM)

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OCTOBER 16, 1970
War Measures Act Invoked

Prime Minister Trudeau assembles the federal cabinet at around 3:15 a.m. after receiving a request from the premier of Quebec, the municipal government of Montreal and the Montreal police force to invoke the War Measures Act to confront the state of “apprehended insurrection” in Quebec. The governor general signs the orders at around 3:30 a.m. Under the emergency regulations, the FLQ is outlawed and membership becomes a criminal act; normal civil liberties are suspended, and arrests and detentions are authorized without charge. Trudeau states that “the government had no responsible choice but to act as it did,” and that “the fate of the two kidnapped hostages weighs very heavily in my mind.” Progressive Conservative leader Robert Stanfield, former prime minister John Diefenbaker and NDP leader Tommy Douglas all voice dissenting opinions in the House of Commons. Douglas likens the move to using “a sledgehammer to crack a peanut.” René Lévesque and Le Devoir publisher Claude Ryan also condemn the decision. However, public opinion polls indicate a clear majority of Canadians support invoking the Act.

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