# FLQ Crisis



## Lost_Warrior (21 Mar 2005)

I was speaking with some friends who have been in longer in the military than I have and the subject of the FLQ crisis and the Reserves called to duty.   One was saying that a Sgt in the reserves (who at the time was a Cpl) got live ammunition in their rifles.

The other guy was saying how he heard from a WO (who I have no clue what his rank was at the time) told him that only the reg force members patroling the streets got live ammo, and the reserves did not.

I was just wondering if anyone here can confirm who is right and who is wrong.

Thanks!


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## pbi (21 Mar 2005)

Your friends are referring to OP GINGER, which was the largest-ever deployment of the Canadian Army in Aid of the Civil Power, (OP GRIZZLY was Assistance to Law Enforcement/Other Government Department). This was an operation that was carried out in response to a request from the Province of Quebec in October 1970, after they assessed that municipal forces and the QPP could no longer maintain order in the face of the actions of the FLQ. The "October Crisis" was the culmination of several years of violent acts by the FLQ, including (IIRC) over 200 acts of arson and bombing against Federal structures such as armories.

AFAIK, OP GINGER was carried out IAW the current CF doctrine on Aid To The Civil Power, which IIRC in those days did not envision the use of Reserve soldiers in an emergency. In fact, in those days the Reserve was used for very little at all. There were very few slots overseas, and almost no use of Reserves in Dom Ops. Therefore, I would think that it was very unlikely that any Res soldiers were armed during OP GINGER.

I stand to be corrected if anybody has better facts.

Cheers.


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## TCBF (21 Mar 2005)

They did arm the federal cabinet with revolvers, did they not?  I read a post on another site about cabinet being issued snub nosed revolvers and being trained on the range with them.  Evidently, their best shot - Trudeau - was the only one who did not turn his in at the end of the crisis.  

Any one else able to confirm this? I only have one source, thusfar.

Tom


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## winchable (21 Mar 2005)

Has anyone ever seen that interview Trudeau did where the reporter asked him "how far he was willing to go?"


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## S McKee (21 Mar 2005)

Yes it was probably the only time I had any respect for Trudeau, "Just watch me"


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## pbi (21 Mar 2005)

TCBF said:
			
		

> They did arm the federal cabinet with revolvers, did they not?   I read a post on another site about cabinet being issued snub nosed revolvers and being trained on the range with them.   Evidently, their best shot - Trudeau - was the only one who did not turn his in at the end of the crisis.
> 
> Any one else able to confirm this? I only have one source, thusfar.
> 
> Tom



My God! What a horrifying thought! I could only imagine the results of arming THAT group of worthies!!

Cheers


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## pbi (21 Mar 2005)

Jumper said:
			
		

> Yes it was probably the only time I had any respect for Trudeau, "Just watch me"



During his address to the nation on the night that the WMA was proclaimed, he also stated that a civil society must be prepared to use force to protect itself against those who would use violence to destroy it. An interesting contrast to how we usually see him.

Cheers.


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## Lost_Warrior (21 Mar 2005)

But does anyone know for sure weather or not the reserves involved were given live ammo or not?


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## PPCLI MCpl (21 Mar 2005)

My Pl WO is in the process of writing a paper on Op Ginger for his ILQ and I managed to read the handouts provided to him.  It would appear that the reservists in Quebec during the late sixties/early seventies were not entirely trusted due to the possibility of FLQ sympathizers residing within the various units.  One of the tasks of the Van Doos and CAR was to secure several Reserve armouries in order to prevent Militia soldiers in assisting with the FLQ's Maoist style revolution.


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## Lost_Warrior (22 Mar 2005)

Thats strange considering all Vandoos I had the mis-pleasure of meeting were the most hardcore quebecois, or separatist people I have ever met.   I had one guy in the Vandoos jack me up because I didnt know french (which was retarded considering I was on and ENGLISH course). He took me in front of their banner (Regiment Francais du Canada or whatever) and told me "Learn da fukin language" in a heavy french accent and then walked off.....

Most militia units in Montreal are English, or English/French mixed...and they were worried about us?


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## pbi (22 Mar 2005)

Lost_Warrior said:
			
		

> Thats strange considering all Vandoos I had the mis-pleasure of meeting were the most hardcore quebecois, or separatist people I have ever met.   I had one guy in the Vandoos jack me up because I didnt know french (which was retarded considering I was on and ENGLISH course). He took me in front of their banner (Regiment Francais du Canada or whatever) and told me "Learn da fukin language" in a heavy french accent and then walked off.....
> 
> Most militia units in Montreal are English, or English/French mixed...and they were worried about us?



I don't think that the problem was really who "most" Militia soldiers were in 1970 (not now...). 

I think that the issues were a) that sympathizers in small numbers would infiltrate (or were already there-recall that we are talking about the good old days of "armoury basement recruiting" in which Res units did the recruiting and the paperwork pretty much as they liked--the degree of background checking was sometimes minimal, if it was done at all...); or  b) the armouries would be targeted for attacks.

I still believe that given the attitudes of the 1970s toward the Militia, and its virtual "non-involvement" in almost anything operational in those days, it would be extremely unlikely that any were armed. But, maybe somebody knows different?

Cheers


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## Fishbone Jones (22 Mar 2005)

We mounted guards in our armouries with live ammo outside the weapons lock ups as there was no alarm system at the time. Basically sat at a six foot table outside the door with a Browning, in the holster. We also put armed guards on our ammo shipments, to return unused ammo, held at the armouries, to the nearest CF base.


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## Lost_Warrior (22 Mar 2005)

Were you reserve or reg force at the time?


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## Fishbone Jones (22 Mar 2005)

Reserve.


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## Lost_Warrior (22 Mar 2005)

Ok, so Reserves were given live ammo.

Thanks.


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## pbi (24 Mar 2005)

OK. I'm surprised, but so be it. Thanks for that interesting info.

Cheers.


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## Harddriver (15 May 2005)

Hello all. I'm currently doing my ILQ and chose the topic of the FLQ. I can't seem to find any info on what if any hardships the troops went through wrt equipment and the media. Any help is welcomed. 8)


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## 1feral1 (15 May 2005)

If I remember correctly, a CF Member was killed as his 9mm SMG went off as he 'debussed' of the back of M35 Cdn 2 1/2T (Duece) truck. 

Do a search for that.


Cheers,

Wes


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## Acorn (16 May 2005)

You may have to resort to paper books for that one. Good luck on the course.

Acorn


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## Harddriver (17 May 2005)

Thanks for the help. Take care


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## a_majoor (17 May 2005)

I'm not sure what you are looking for, but a quick Google of "FLQ crisis" (select pages from Canada) produced 948 hits. "October Crisis" is less illuminating as it produced 769,000 hits.


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## PeterLT (9 Jun 2005)

During the October Crisis I lived down the street from Pierre Leporte's house in St-Lambert. In fact, I was the paperboy. It was a very interesting and scary time. I had to show ID which I was issued to deliver the paper and go catch my bus as I had to cross the lines. The front porch of his house had a GPMG set up and a platoon of RCRs in the garage. I still remember it very vividly. I got an extra paper customer in the garage and the soldiers would all chip in to pay for the paper, they were good tippers too! I think the experience was one of the motivating factors why I joined up 2 years later.

Peter


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## Spr.Earl (17 Jul 2005)

Film footage of the EOD Tech going in and the device goining off!
He lived,thank God.
I remember it,the boy's from the Wack patroling the Air Port with SMG's,F.N.'s helemts on,the observation deck closed and has never been reoponed since.
I was what 14,15?

When I first came to Canada from the U.K. in 64,arrived in Montreal and stayed at my grand perents house and they told us don't answer the door,go to the mail box etc.
We asked why? Mail Box bombs,yes it goes back that far.


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## FormerHorseGuard (3 Aug 2005)

i wrote a paper on the flq crisis in my  grade 13 history class, one of the books I read  metioned that  because of the army being called out for  police duty in canada and the tracked equipment looked too much like tanks in down town montreal and quebec city that  was one of the reasons the avgp wheeled came into service.

as for equipment used prior to that , my grandfather was the EOD Officer for Quebec City based there with the RCOC. He use to drive his own car on bomb calls because they  wanted to keep it low key  that  the army was dealing with the bombis and other eod work.

jsut some thoughts for you


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## 54/102 CEF (3 Aug 2005)

Follow me Boys! 

http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/97autumn/maloney.htm

More at this Google Search -- the Cdn Op was called OPERATION ESSAY 

http://www.google.ca/search?as_q=laporte&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Operation+Essay&as_oq=FLQ+QUEBEC&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images

The last hit was by a gunner who was there......


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## FlightSergeantRose (4 Sep 2005)

good read


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## medicineman (6 Sep 2005)

Here is a google search on Operation Ginger - also part of the deployment under the War Measures Act.

MM


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## DFW2T (6 Sep 2005)

Wesley H. Allen said:
			
		

> If I remember correctly, a CF Member was killed as his 9mm SMG went off as he 'debussed' of the back of M35 Cdn 2 1/2T (Duece) truck.
> 
> Do a search for that.
> 
> ...


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## DFW2T (6 Sep 2005)

Wesley H. Allen said:
			
		

> If I remember correctly, a CF Member was killed as his 9mm SMG went off as he 'debussed' of the back of M35 Cdn 2 1/2T (Duece) truck.
> 
> Do a search for that.
> 
> ...


Interesting.... My Father was a Gunner  and he told me about this event many times.  As I've been trying to get him on line for a while now (now that he's finally got a computer)  I think this may motivate him to subscribe. ................... He was on the Deuce.

As it was told to me , they were doing a tactical dismount (via Deuce)  and as his chum did so,  he struck the floorbed with  the butt of his "WIDOW MAKER"  (SMG)  he promptly inserted 30 rds  into his mid torso (and upwards).

Just a little background fellas

Stay safe


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## Jaxson (9 Sep 2005)

sorry to be a dumbass, but whats an ILQ  ??? i did a serch on this site incase of previous posts on ILQ and found nothing . thanks in advance.


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## Acorn (10 Sep 2005)

Jaxson said:
			
		

> sorry to be a dumbass, but whats an ILQ   ??? i did a serch on this site incase of previous posts on ILQ and found nothing . thanks in advance.



"Intermediate Leadership Qualification." The course required for Sgts to be promoted to WOs.

Acorn


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## jimb (13 Oct 2005)

For some one who had such a low regard for the military in Canada, PET sure didn't waver when he made the decision to put the WMA into effect.

 Of course nobody at that moment could have predicted that the main leadership of the FLQ would be able to talk the Canadian government into giving them a plane to use to escape to CUBA. And further, who could have seen into the future about 20 years when those same FLQ leaders would not only be allowed to come back to Canada, but a few of them would be elected to the Quebec legislature as MLA's.

In many other nations, those that try to overthrow the elected Government by force are called traitors and get a quick trip to the wall. In Canada they wind up working for the French langauge CBC or as a consultant to the Quebec government. What a country, eh?

For those here that were not ALIVE in 1970, it was quite the scene, with nobody in power being at all clear about the size of the FLQ nor it's ability to act as a real revolutionary military force. In fact it had less than 50 hard core members, and a few dozen more " hang arounds" It's main support came from the leftists at Laval University, both students and faculty, and some of the sympaticos in the CBC french service. As was previously noted the Montreal mail box bombings had been going on for quite some time and were usually put into "Royal Mail" boxes, both because it was easy and also because of the sybolisim of attacking a "Royal " target. 

After the fact the RCMP's Security Service was roundly condemed, for not having much intell on the FLQ, or it's agenda. That was the beginning of the idea of having a seperate intelligence service, which eventually became CSIS. The RCMP at that time had a really poor record of being able to "get inside " political radical groups, mainly due to thier stupid "personal grooming" rules. Even when they did get a young copper who could possibly get into a campus radical meeting, due to his age, he still "Looked like a cop" and got nowhere.The SDQ, was all most as hopeless, but did have the advantage of speaking French, which few of the "horsemen " did. Imagine trying to work undercover in Montreal if you don't speak french?


Finally, the troops were sent  back to barracks in 10 days, after the investigation showed that the main FLQ leaders were in Cuba, and no other threat exisited. The debrief showed huge CF problems, to do with logistics, and the need to improve rapid response to a domestic emergency of any type. Why was it needed to have troops come by road, from London, by truck, with the speed governed at 52 mph? They also found out that radios won't work in the underground ( Metro) and when you have 4 differnt levels of control ( Montreal city Police Quebec Provincial, RCMP and CF) it won't work at all. You have to have a clear leading agency, with clear lines of defined powers.

 I'm sad to say that if this happened in 2005 the same problems would   probably still be there.

Jim B Toronto.


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## Old Sweat (13 Oct 2005)

As one who lived through it, I can tell you that we were all scared s...less. Just before the War Measures Act (WMA) was imposed there was a giant rally in the Paul Sauve Arena in the Montreal area where a large crowd chanted separatist slogans and demanded the Quebec government  turn over power to the people. The last was typical sixties and early seventies rhetoric, used by among others the NDP at rallies. However in this case, it was not a case of gentle leftist slogans; these people were quite capable of taking to the streets. (Montreal was a hot bed of leftist agitation and had been plagued by nasty strikes by various groups including taxi drivers and even the police force.) The WMA was used to lock up a number of the more influentail leaders of the movement, which bought the politicians and the security services some time.


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## jimb (14 Oct 2005)

Old Sweat>

I too remember those days, but with a very different point of view. I was and still am, adamant that those who fled to cuba should NEVER have been allowed to re-enter this country, let alone make a large pile of money from the re-telling of their version of our history.

On the Montreal Police at that time...............corrupt and dirty are the words that come to mind. Not very concerned with the fine points of the law and prone to out breaks of stupidity such as the firing of their service weapons at that arena, was it the Paul Sauve? during a strike vote.  No wonder they were not respected by other levels of authority.

Jim B.


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## Hardrations (10 May 2009)

I had a thought (dangerous those things) while looking through the history forum. About the FLQ Crisis. There must be veterans like my self who served during the FLQ Crisis, as I did. I was with HQ's & Sigs 3 CMBG. Our role in Ottawa was security at DND HQ's on Elgin St and various dignitaries residence. Some interesting times were had. Any one out there care to share those memories? What do you think of it now? Do you think that P.M. Trudeau made the right decision to invoke the Wars Measures Act?  I'll leave it at that and see what happens.

Thanks


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## Old Sweat (11 May 2009)

I was a student on the army staff college course at Kingston during the FLQ crisis.

The sixties had been very turbulent with riots in major American and European cities. In Quebec there was a fair amount of social unrest with violent labour unrest and agitation by the separatist movement. The radical left (and I mean really far left) was vocal and had sympathetic advocates in parts of the media, including Radio Canada. The previous fall (1969) there had been a major riot in Montreal that had resulted in Vandoos being deployed in riot control formation, with bayonets fixed and ball ammunition in the magazines. They faced the mob, which dispersed when ordered to by a magistrate. Last, the troubles had also started in Northen Ireland in 1969, so the background situation was unstable.

The War Measures Act was imposed after the body of the kidnapped Quebec Minster of Labour was discovered in the trunk of a car in St-Hubert. At about the same time there had been a massive rally in the Paul Sauve Arena. The rally was in support of the FLQ and openly called for insurrection and the overthrowing of the Quebec government. Using the powers of the act, the police rounded up a number of prominent separatists, especially those who were openly advocating violence. In my opinion, this defused the situation. What had been a revolutionary movement with broad support was reduced to a matter of kidnapping and murder by a small group of thugs.

A bit on the state of the CF at the time. In the fall of 1970 the force reductions ordered by Trudeau had just taken place in terms of units being disbanded, relocated or whatever. However the run down in numbers was to be by normal attrition, so many units were overstrength. As it was, every field unit in Canada except 1 PPCLI (national reserve) was deployed either on Op Essay (aid of the civil power in Quebec) or Op Ginger (support of the RCMP primarily in the national capital area). Again, my personal opinion, but the CF would not have been able to provide the same response two years later.

By a fortunate combination of events, the government's reaction took the wind out of the sails of the violent separtist movement. 

All of the above are my impressions based on close observation of events at the time and some serious study of events over the following several years. I am reasonably confident of the validity of my conclusions, but I am not infallible.


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## Hardrations (11 May 2009)

Interesting. I always thought the War Measures Act was enacted that Thanksgiving week end in Oct/70 when we were called out. Also mentioning about ammunition. We were initially issued 40 rounds of ammunition than a further 20 at around 0300 hrs of morning that we were informed that Mr. LaPorte had been found murdered. We were quartered in Rockcliffe in a hanger. They woke us up at around 0300 hrs told us of his murder then issued the ammo. Which kind of made us wonder just how serious this was going to get. We were to have a fully loaded ( 20 rounds) magazine on the rifle at all times, but no round in the chamber while on duty. If I remember correctly our orders were on using our weapons was 1: Halt 2: Halt and raise your hands 3: Halt and raise your hands or I will open fire. Needless to say there were times when people were being very foolish and pushed their luck thinking we were not armed with live ammunition.


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## Michael OLeary (11 May 2009)

October Crisis Timeline

October 5, 1970 - British Trade Commissioner James Cross was kidnapped

October 16, 1970 - Prime Minister Trudeau announced the proclamation of the War Measures Act, emergency legislation dating from World War I. 

October 17, 1970 - The body of Pierre Laporte was found in the trunk of a car

(Much more at link.)


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## Old Sweat (11 May 2009)

I stand corrected. The incidents all happened in very short order and none of us were sure how it was going to end. Fortunately the FLQ were more revolutionary blusterers than serious insurgents and had not thought through their actions if the government stood firm.


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## OpieRWestmrR (12 May 2009)

To a nine-year-old kid living in Montreal it was both scary and comforting to see the trucks and men in green with rifles out on the street. I had only ever seen soldiers on TV and my dad had to tell me they were not Americans but "our guys". The FLQ terrified me; I was afraid they would come and get me in my bed. Thanks for being there, and for being patient with the knuckleheads, all who were.


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## OldSolduer (12 May 2009)

I was 13 when that happened. My father detested Trudeau as most Western Canadians did, but he totally agreed with him on this one.


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## Hardrations (12 May 2009)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> I was a student on the army staff college course at Kingston during the FLQ crisis.
> 
> A bit on the state of the CF at the time. In the fall of 1970 the force reductions ordered by Trudeau had just taken place in terms of units being disbanded, relocated or whatever. However the run down in numbers was to be by normal attrition, so many units were over strength. As it was, every field unit in Canada except 1 PPCLI (national reserve) was deployed either on Op Essay (aid of the civil power in Quebec) or Op Ginger (support of the RCMP primarily in the national capital area). Again, my personal opinion, but the CF would not have been able to provide the same response two years later.
> 
> ...



I'm not the fastest thinker on the block, but Old Sweats comments about the state of the Cdn. Forces of the time got me thinking. 
Now I know in our unit ( 3 Sigs Sqn) all troops were committed to an infantry role except for the cooks. Name a trade in the Sqn and it was out there. In the case of Vehicle Techs, they were expected to do their trade after 8 hrs of sentry/security, Radio Techs, etc. There were some communication nets set up but not many. I remember 1 Sigs Regt had a Kratz set up by DND HQ's for awhile. So as Old Sweat said many units were over strength, but to meet their role fully, the military had to use every body. Incidentally the Brits did the same in Ireland I found out from a REME Sgt in Cyprus in 76. Another example which I found very foolish, was that some one in authority decided that the Signals in the underground site at Carp were not doing their part and could be used. So personnel from Carp were brought in to DND HQ's on their days off dressed in their dress greens and their duty was to check on people entering by car or foot and decide if they could enter. We were to stand there in all our combat glory and follow their orders. If I remember correctly this didn't last to long. I remember one young lad from Carp telling me, it was rough having to eat meals out of a hay box and going home late in the evening (They only did days). I think we pointed out that we didn't go home in the evening.
   Another side effect of all this, was that it became a prestige thing to have soldiers guarding your home. So many senior civil servants and political appointees were lined up asking for their homes to be guarded. 
    To OldSoldure and OpieRWestmrR I never really thought of it as youngsters would, especially those who lived in Montreal and to Opie. many people on the street in Ottawa said exactly the same comments as your dad. 
     Please take note, I'm remembering this as a retired soldier who did this a Jnr NCO who had no decision in what was happening, but had lots of time to observe and experience this time at ground level in one small area.


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## Old Sweat (12 May 2009)

To lighten the discussion up for a minute, the officer who was the CO of 3 RCR (or up to a short while before 2 Cdn Gds) walked into the Uplands Officers' Mess in his combats. He was taken aside by the Base Commander, who told him that is was unacceptable that his officers and troops were eating in the various messes in combat when the policy was acceptable civilian attire or CF greens. Furthermore, he added, he had given direction that no one in combat was to be allowed into the messes, let alone served. I9 thanked him, picked up the phone and called the VCDS. The conversation as overheard by the adjutant went something like this:

CO: Good afternoon, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Ron ___ here.

(pause)

CO: Fine, sir, I'm calling to tell you I am taking my battalion back to Petawawa to pick up our dress uniforms as the Base Commander here at Uplands won't let us use the messes and institutes in our combats.

(pause)

CO: He's right here, sir. (Hands phone to Base Commander with evil grin.)

(pause, although muffled shouts could be heard.)

Base Commander: Yes Sir. I understand, Sir.

Needless to say the no combats order was rescinded.

I confirmed with the then-CO that this conversation did take place.


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## exspy (12 May 2009)

Hard,



> So personnel from Carp were brought in to DND HQ's on their days off dressed in their dress greens and their duty was to check on people entering by car or foot and decide if they could enter.



Was in this the same complex of three WWII vintage buildings at Elgin and Laurier, or did DND have a separate location from CFHQ?  Do you recall what the arrangements were at CFHQ as to building security?

As to the calling out of troops, 1 RCR had just returned from Cyprus in October of 1970 and were on their post tour leave when the crisis occurred.  The entire battalion was recalled from their homes and sent Eastbound.  

Historical Note:  It was as a result of this move, which took place in the backs of 2 1/2 ton trucks, that the CF invested in highway buses to move troops.  Not so much for the trip out but as a result of the trip back, in the backs of the trucks, in the dead of winter.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## Hardrations (12 May 2009)

Yes Old Sweat: I can well believe that happening. I eventually remustered to the cook trade. When posted to CFB Winnipeg the base commander was strict on dress in the mess. Fighter pilots passing through dressed only in flight gear would have to come up the back way to the kitchen from the bar to get a meal which was to be eaten in the bar. I never had the heart to charge for the meal and would let them eat from the ala-carte menu. Air Force always struck me as liking uniforms and parades. 

Yes exspy: It was at the old DND HQ's at Laurier and Elgin. Our duties were external and internal security. All around the exterior of the building and inside it was at the Comms Center and out side the entrance to some planning room. Can't remember if there were any other spot inside that we covered. The building was a rabbit warren of offices, rooms, corridors and over heated. I remember Brigadier Gen. Radley - Walters telling me I wasn't to stand for every field grade officer coming out of the planning room. It was hard to stay awake in that heat. But like the CO of 3 RCR I had my moment of fun to. One time two PPCLI Lt/Col's came out of the planning room talking back at some on in the room. Basically they were saying this person didn't know the facts of life and were doing it in flowery 4 letter language. This person followed them out the door saying, " but, but...." he was an Air Force Brigadier Gen. Yup, there were some eye opening moments in that place. I've been back since and see that there is a court house on the property. I got my wife to take a  picture of me where there was a parking place on the the front by the teachers college. That was my favourite spot to do duty, it was a busy spot that made time go a bit quicker.


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## Dennis Ruhl (14 May 2009)

I remember a chat with an Airborne sergeant and I don't know what they told these guys but it was truly serious business to them.  Apparently they were told that they were the only unit in their sector and anyone else in a uniform was a suspected insurgent.  This led to some tense moments when they disarmed some Van Doos, language being a barrier.  The reaction to the Quebec Crisis sent the message that violence was going to be met head on and probably had value.  My opinion at the time was supportive.  My opinion now is that Trudeau was being a prima donna.  "Just watch me."

I remember having a long chat with BGen Radley-Walters when he was Colonel Commandant of the Armoured Corps.  He said, I believe, he had 8 tanks and armoured cars shot out from under him.  He seemed like a true gentleman.  Someone said his nickname was Colonel Smoke referring to his favoured tactic for advancing.  I've never heard it anywhere else.


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## The Bread Guy (14 Mar 2013)

> Paul Rose, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Quebec labour minister Pierre Laporte during the October Crisis of 1970, died this morning of a heart attack at the age of 69.
> 
> He was a member of the Chenier cell of the FLQ which took part in the kidnapping of Laporte from outside his St. Lambert home on Oct. 10, 1970. He was held at a home a few blocks away and found strangled to death exactly a week later at the St. Hubert military base, in the trunk of the car used in the kidnapping.
> 
> ...


CJAD 800 Montreal, 14 Mar 13



> L'un des principaux acteurs de la crise d'Octobre qui a marqué le Canada en 1970, est décédé. Paul Rose, le militant, politologue et syndicaliste québécois, est mort d'une crise cardiaque. Il a été le chef de la cellule Chénier du Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ).
> 
> Paul Rose a été condamné pour le meurtre en 1970 du ministre Pierre Laporte. Les trois autres membres du groupe ont aussi été condamnés pour le meurtre du ministre libéral. Il était le frère d'un autre membre du FLQ, Jacques Rose.
> 
> En 1970, le Québec traversait l'une des pires crises de son histoire. Pendant plusieurs semaines, la population a été tenue en haleine après l'enlèvement de deux personnages publics, Pierre Laporte et le Britannique James Cross.


Radio-Canada, 14 Mar 13


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## dapaterson (14 Mar 2013)

I guess if I can't say anything nice...


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## The Bread Guy (14 Mar 2013)

Well, THIS didn't take long ....


> Convicted terrorist Paul Rose, who died Thursday of a stroke, is best known as an architect of the 1970 October Crisis, which saw political kidnappings and murder and troops flooding into Quebec.
> 
> Now a member of Quebec’s legislature wants him recognized as a hero.
> 
> ...


Toronto Star, 14 Mar 13


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2013)

:facepalm: really?


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## The Bread Guy (14 Mar 2013)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> :facepalm: really?


Even those commenting on the CBC story are.... underwhelmed


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## cupper (14 Mar 2013)

Had to check the calendar to see if April 1st had arrived. :not-again:


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## GAP (14 Mar 2013)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Even those commenting on the CBC story are.... underwhelmed



The CBC? Well, that's because it Harper's fault but the story didn't point that out..... :


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## OldSolduer (14 Mar 2013)

So we regale a murderer while we crucify others.


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## cupper (15 Mar 2013)

It's too bad that we don't still have the Bonnie. We could have given him a funeral befitting a terrorist.


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## George Wallace (15 Mar 2013)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> So we regale a murderer while we crucify others.



Why does Louis Riel come to mind?


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