Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Just Watch Me

 The Cyprus mission was one of risk for peacekeepers. A quote from one of the Canadians is placed within a large photograph.


This beautiful painting always catches my eye. Paphos Gate, C-73, Observation Post, Cyprus is by Real Gauthier.


Tensions blew up in 1974 and resulted in the Turks invading. Canadians were caught in the middle of it all as part of the peacekeeping force.


A shell casing is a souvenir brought home from Cyprus.


Terrorism reared its ugly head in the 1960s in Canada, with the rise of the FLQ in Quebec and the carrying out of bombings. It came to a climax with the October Crisis of 1970 and the kidnapping of a British diplomat, James Cross and a provincial cabinet minister, Pierre Laporte. Cross was later released, while Laporte was murdered.

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the rarely used War Measures Act during the Crisis. A video clip features him speaking with a reporter. When asked how far he was willing to go to bring things to an end, Trudeau replied, "Just watch me."


A remote controlled vehicle with a mounted shotgun is seen above. It was a standard tool used for bomb disposal. Sergeant Major Walter Leja was badly wounded during bomb disposal work of FLQ bombs on May 17th, 1963.

30 comments:

  1. Its a beautiful painting. Not easy to be peacekeepers. Have a wonderful day.

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  2. Love the painting, peacekeepers do have a hard job. It seems there is no end to terrorism.
    Take care, enjoy your day!

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  3. I had moved from Québec just before the FLQ crisis. That was a long time ago!

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  4. That is certainly a quote that most Canadians of a certain vintage know.

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  5. ...terrorism at home is a huge problem here today!

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  6. That sentence uttered by Trudeau is etched in my brain.

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  7. @Magiceye: it's quite a painting.

    @Linda: indeed.

    @Nancy: true.

    @Eileen: thanks.

    @David: a lot of memories.

    @Anvilcloud: for good reason.

    @Tom: it never goes away.

    @Marie: it has that effect.

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  8. I like the old photo of the small street and the colorful painting.

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  9. That painting is truly beautiful.

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  10. Thank you for educating me on this issue. And the painting is really nice.

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  11. Nice paintings and oh, the peacekeepers...

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  12. It's a good thing that all that terror is behind us for the time being.

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  13. I can see why you like that painting; I do too.

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  14. @RedPat: it was quite something to say.

    @Jan: I do as well.

    @Sharon: I think so.

    @Bill: me too.

    @DJan: you're welcome.

    @Iris: thank you.

    @Red: one hopes.

    @Jeanie: I would like to see the original location.

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  15. La paz, es el bien más preciado que anhelamos todos.

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  16. Informative post and it is a lovely painting ~

    Wishing you lots of happy moments,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  17. A good peacekeeping mission: no one is killed, especially the peacekeepers.

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  18. That is a beautiful painting.

    All the best Jan

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  19. That painting is really beautiful.

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