Quiet Revolution

Quiet Revolution, period of rapid social and political change experienced in Québec during the 1960s. This vivid yet paradoxical description of the period was first used by an anonymous writer in The Globe and Mail. Although Québec was a highly industrialized, urban, and relatively outward-looking society in 1960, the Union Nationale party, in power since 1944, seemed increasingly anachronistic as it held tenaciously to a conservative ideology and relentlessly defended outdated traditional values.

In the election of June 22, 1960, the Liberals broke the hold of the Union Nationale, taking 51 seats and 51.5 per cent of the popular vote as compared with the latter’s 43 seats and 46.6 per cent of the vote. Under Jean Lesage, the Québec Liberal Party had developed a coherent and wide-ranging reform platform. The main issue of the election was indicated by the Liberal slogan, “It’s time for a change.” As a new middle class battled for greater control over Québec’s economic resources, bitter and divisive attempts were made to redefine the role of francophone society in Canada.

Lesage Administration Reforms

In two years, the Lesage administration managed to carry out or plan many reforms: amongst others, the establishment of a public hospital network (1961), the creation of ministries of cultural affairs and of federal-provincial relations (1961), and the foundation of the Société générale de financement (General Investment Corporation) in 1962. A new age began as every aspect of society came under scrutiny. The government attacked political patronage and changed the electoral map to provide better representation for urban areas. To reduce the size of secret electoral funds, it limited authorized expenditures during election periods. It also lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Lesage attempted to put the public purse in order by promoting a dynamic provincial budget and by raising loans. From 1960–61 to 1966–67, the budget more than doubled. The rapid and dramatic development of government institutions and the vastly increased role of the state in the province’s economic, social, and cultural life unleashed forces that would have major consequences. Most notably, the Catholic Church’s role in society diminished, prosperity for French-speaking Québécois grew, and nationalist consciousness expanded.

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The pressures exerted by the baby boom generation, which had now reached adolescence, created a dramatic situation and pushed Québec’s weak educational system to its breaking point. The government introduced new legislation on education and established the Commission of Inquiry on Education, which was chaired by Alphonse-Marie Parent. The resulting 1964 Parent Report tackled the entire system. In recommending the creation of a department of education, it questioned the role of the Catholic Church, which controlled the public school system. The church resisted recommended changes but without success. The Parent Report contributed significantly to creating a unified, democratic, and modern school system accessible to the entire population.

The desire to modernize was also evident in the social sphere. Upon taking power, the government decided to participate in the federal-provincial hospital insurance program. In 1964, it introduced three major pieces of legislation: an extensive revision of the labour code; Bill 16, which abolished a married woman’s judicial restrictions by which her legal status was that of a minor; and a pension plan.

Maîtres chez nous: Economic Nationalism

The government’s main accomplishment in economics was the nationalization of private electricity companies, an idea that was promoted in 1962 by René Lévesque, minister of natural resources. The government decided to go to the electorate on this issue. On November 14, 1962, the Liberals won on a platform for the nationalization of power with 56.6 per cent of the vote and 63 seats. In 1963 all private hydroelectric companies were nationalized. As a result, Hydro-Québec (established in 1944) became one of the largest Crown Corporations in North America. Unlike in previous years, francophones were able to work entirely in French and to develop their technical, scientific, and managerial skills. Such francization also occurred in the fields of education, social welfare, and health services, as well as in all levels and departments of government bureaucracy.

The objectives of nationalization included standardizing rates across the province, coordinating investments, integrating the system, encouraging industrialization, guaranteeing economic benefits for the Québec economy through a buy-Québec policy, and making French the language of work in the sector. Hydro-Québec met most of these objectives and became a symbol of success and source of pride for the Québécois. Another major success was the creation in 1965 of the Caisse de dépot et placement du Québec. The Caisse was made responsible for administering the assets of the Québec Pension Plan, which rapidly grew to several billion dollars.

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The maîtres chez nous (“masters in our own house”) philosophy that permeated the government and its reforms was bound to have an influence on federal-provincial relations. The Lesage government demanded a review of federal policy and won a major victory following a stormy First Ministers’ conference in 1964. After initially approaching the federal government for additional funds to meet its needs, Lesage withdrew Québec from several cost-sharing programs—such as pensions, health care, and tax-sharing—in exchange for fiscal compensation. The issue of special status arose when Québec became the only province to opt out of some 30 joint programs that the other provinces stayed with. It was perhaps to calm the anxieties of English Canada and to show his goodwill that in 1964 Lesage agreed to a proposal for patriating and amending the Canadian constitution by a method known as the Fulton-Favreau formula. This would have allowed the Parliament of Canada to repeal or amend any provision of the Constitution, subject to a veto by any given province on certain major issues but to a two-thirds majority on others. However, because of the extreme reactions of various nationalist groups within the province, Lesage withdrew his support and dissociated from the other 10 governments that had accepted the formula.