High Tensions

 In 1980, the country saw a referendum in Quebec, triggered by the separatist government under Rene Levesque. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau led the side against the question of separation. This editorial cartoon pretty much personifies their relationship.

Here we have Trudeau and Levesque giving speeches in the run up to the referendum, with pauses in the video as the other person takes over. The effect is as though they're debating in the same room. In the end, the referendum was defeated.

A Conservative government under Brian Mulroney attempted to amend the Constitution with the provincial and territorial premiers, through the Meech Lake Accord to alleviate the concerns that had led to the referendum in the first place. In the end, the Accord failed.

1995 saw another referendum on the issue of Quebec separation. It was narrowly defeated- the closest the country ever came to coming apart.

Francophone communities are found throughout the country, and the nation is officially bilingual.

The next section focuses on human rights, and the country has evolved over time to embrace them, from voting rights to citizenship to discrimination

This is the work of an artist, Laila Binbrek, called Mirror Mirror. It has two sides of a dressing table, with her dual identities represented- western on the one side and middle eastern on the other.

The Stand Off

 Here we have a mock up of a command center of the Cold War, one done with monitor screens that play out scenarios in English and French as to how a potential World War Three might play out. As events proceed and casualties mount, a scroll tells the story on the bottom of the screens.

Weapons of the Warsaw Pact are found here. On its own is one of the things that the Soviets built well- the Kalashnikov, which is all over the world today.

Here we see a NATO tank.

It was a tense time, with the very real possibility of nuclear annihilation.

Here we have the crest of NORAD- a joint agency of American and Canadian air forces which carries on today, vigilant about the possibility of a missile attack.

Here we have a UN Peacekeeper scout vehicle.

The concept dates to the Suez Crisis. Lester Pearson, who was our foreign minister at the time, proposed neutral soldiers be used to prevent the escalation of hostilities.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his concept, a replica of which is here. And he would later be one of our greatest prime ministers.

Canadians have taken part in numerous peacekeeping operations.

The era was, as noted, a time of worry about nuclear war, and a map of the continent is found here, with documents that get into things like fallout shelters.

In 1970, the country faced the October Crisis. FLQ terrorists, who had been active for years in bombings, kidnapped a Quebec provincial cabinet minister and a British diplomat. The former would die while the latter was freed. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, seen on screen speaking to a reporter about his decision to invoke the War Measures Act to bring the crisis to the end, was asked how far he would go. His answer was "just watch me."

Times change. Women were active in the military. A staff uniform and dress uniform stand in contrast to field utilities.

Majestic Interior

 As impressive as the Supreme Court of Canada is outside, its main interior space is all the more so.

This is a picture of the current members of the Court.

The main courtroom is at the top of these stairs. The room directly ahead contains photographs of all of the Supreme Court justices.

Here we have the ceremonial robes of the justices. These are not commonly used- Canadian mink makes up part of the material, and so tends to be hot. Justices usually use black robes.

A number of busts of chief justices are found inside the interior hall.

Displayed are copies of two sheets originally signed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1982, enshrining the Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. One of the copies she signed was later the subject of paint being thrown at it by a protestor.

The Royal Canadian Mint puts out into general circulation certain coins each year marking an anniversary or some other kind of theme. This year, that is the 150th anniversary of the Court. I have not yet seen this one in my change.

We conclude today with the Court emblem, designed by Cormier to be bilingual. In French, it is Cour Supreme.

The Crisis

 Picking up where I left off yesterday. The actions of the FLQ culminated in the October Crisis in 1970, with the kidnapping of a British diplomat and provincial cabinet minister. The federal government invoked the War Measures Act. By the end of the crisis, the diplomat was released, but the minister was murdered.

The province continued to question its future- as a province within country or as a country on its own. By 1976, a separatist party would win power in the province.

License plates reflect the change in leadership. The editorial cartoon at top shows the two rivals- the Quebec premier Rene Levesque (perpetually seen with a cigarette dangling from his lips) and the Canadian prime minister, Pierre Trudeau.

It came to a referendum over separation in 1980. Trudeau was one of the leaders of the No movement, to keep Quebec as part of Canada. Here video clips of both leaders play against each other in turn, this one being Trudeau making a speech at a rally on the subject.

The other features Levesque in the provincial legislature, with his own remarks on the subject.

The 1980 referendum did not get the result Levesque wanted. In 1995, separatists were back in power, and had another go at another referendum. 

Jacques Parizeau, the premier of Quebec, was one of the leaders of the Yes side. He is represented here by a puppet.

Another puppet, but this being a leader of the No side- the prime minister at the time, Jean Chretien.