Soldiers in the Suburbs: the FLQ crisis in Montreal

STORY BY: Debbie Thompson
YEAR: 1970
LOCATION: Pointe-Claire, QC

Debbie shares a story about the FLQ crisis in Montreal in October of 1970. She was 10 years old, living in the suburb of Pointe-Claire, and she clearly remembers walking to the playground and seeing sandbags around the mayor’s house, and armed soldiers patrolling the streets. This was in response to the the murder of provincial cabinet minister Pierre Laporte, and the kidnapping and release of a British diplomat James Cross, by members of the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ). Thanks for sharing, Debbie.