1959: The End of Duplessis & Other Quebec Curios
By the end of the 1950s, Maurice Duplessis had been in politics for thirty-two years of his life, eighteen of which had been as Premier of Québec. From humble beginnings as [read on]
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1959: Mr. Roncarelli, Speaking & Other Quebec Curios
Frank Roncarelli was a businessman. The owner of a highly successful restaurant on Crescent Street, Quaff Café, Roncarelli had accumulated a certain wealth. He was also a [read on]
1958: The Other Chief & Other Quebec Curios
John Diefenbaker’s law practice that began in a shack that he had built on a vacant spot of land and ended with his competitor being run out of town. His political career [read on]
1957: Québec’s Natural Gas Company & Other Quebec Curios
Natural gas, a fossil fuel substance that occurs naturally in the soil, can be harnessed to power homes and vehicles and is generally less toxic to the environment than other [read on]
1956: Bourassa Departs and Duplessis Marches On & Other Quebec Curios
In 1956, while the big movers and shakers of the next generation such as Jean Lesage and René Lévesque were already in politics or moving towards that goal, Robert [read on]
1956: The Coffin Affair & Other Quebec Curios
Wilbert Coffin was firstly a Gaspésien. A prospector by trade, his chance run in with three men and six hundred dollars led to one of the most hotly-debated cases in [read on]
1955: The Other Maurice & Other Quebec Curios
As Maurice Duplessis reigned the world politics, there was another Maurice who reigned the hearts and minds of sports fanatics: Maurice Richard, the star hockey player of the [read on]
1954-6: Duplessis Decides to Tax Everybody & Other Quebec Curios
It’s officially tax time in Canada, and you might be wondering why residents of Québec must fill out two income tax forms. Surprisingly, this is one of Maurice [read on]
1952: Radio-Canada and the Young Lévesque & Other Quebec Curios
September 1952 marked a leap in Canadian media: Radio-Canada marked its first television broadcast. Its English counterpart, the CBC, broadcasting days after Radio-Canada’s [read on]
1949: Asbestos in the Air & Other Quebec Curios
Well into his third term as Premier, Maurice Duplessis‘ campaign to electrify the countryside was going well, while his operation that imprisoned hundreds of thousands [read on]
1945-8: Duplessis’ Countryside Controversies & Other Quebec Curios
Maurice Duplessis, back in power after a stunning election, was once again at the very top of the provincial politics pecking order. Many things had changed as he sat as the [read on]
1944: The End of Godbout & Other Quebec Curios
The 1944 election saw old and new brought together. The first provincial election in which women could vote and where there were not only one but two new political parties [read on]
1943: Montreal and the Atomic Bomb & Other Quebec Curios
The race to create an atomic bomb started shortly after World War II began, with the United States spearheading the Manhattan Project. The USSR, acting on intelligence that [read on]
1941: Godbout and Conscription & Other Quebec Curios
The issue of conscription, an issue that was almost inherent in the consciousness of many French Canadians, had brought along many consequences: in recent memory, Maurice [read on]
1940-44: Camillien Houde & Other Quebec Curios
Camillien Houde, at one-time part of the provincial Conservative Party and a collaborator with Maurice Duplessis, found provincial politics boring and decided to try his hand [read on]
1940: Votes for Women & Other Quebec Curios
Shortly before the end of World War I, certain groups of women were able to vote in federal elections, on the condition that they were working for the military or a male [read on]
1939: Duplessis and Godbout Rescue UdeM & Other Quebec Curios
Despite Maurice Duplessis and Adélard Godbout’s many disagreements, the two governments indirectly worked towards the same goal in the late 1930s: ensuring the Université [read on]
1939: The Return of Godbout & Other Quebec Curios
The world continued marching on. As Maurice Duplessis fought his way to the top, Adolf Hitler had gained control over Germany and in September of 1939, Nazi forces invaded [read on]
1936: Padlocks and Propaganda & Other Quebec Curios
Maurice Duplessis sat at the forefront of the Legislative Assembly by the time he was in his mid-forties; Québec was virtually at his command. His memory was long, and he [read on]
1936: The Fall of Gouin & Other Quebec Curios
Paul Gouin and Maurice Duplessis’ collaboration would last less than a year. Gouin, the leader of the newly-created Action libérale nationale and Duplessis’ [read on]