Trudeaumania

by Robert Wright

  32.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Ramsay Cook, Watching Quebec: Selected Essays (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005), 50.

  33.Trudeau, “The Conflicts of Nationalisms in Canada,” 66–68.

  34.Trudeau, Federalism and the French Canadians, xi.

  35.Trudeau, “The Conflicts of Nationalisms in Canada,” 68–69.

  36.This conviction helps to explain the apparent paradox, one among many, that Trudeau was an outspoken critic of federal meddling in Quebec education policy in the 1950s, a position that put him on Premier Duplessis’s side of the issue. See Trudeau, “Federal Grants to Universities,” in Federalism and the French Canadians, 79.

  37.Trudeau, Federalism and the French Canadians, xix.

  38.Trudeau, Memoirs, 71–75.

  39.See John English, Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, vol. 1, 1919–1968 (Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2006), 222; Nemni and Nemni, Trudeau Transformed, 318; and Christina McCall-Newman, Grits: An Intimate Portrait of the Liberal Party (Toronto: Macmillan, 1982), 92–93. Trudeau’s “La nouvelle trahison des clercs” was itself a play on Julien Benda’s influential La trahison des clercs, originally published in 1927. See Benda, The Treason of the Intellectuals, trans. Richard Aldington (New Brunswick: Transaction, 2009).

  40.Chaput, Pourquoi je suis séparatiste, 1.

  41.Trudeau, Federalism and the French Canadians, 153–54.

  42.Ibid., 166.

  43.Ibid., 167–68.

  44.“7 Quebec Moderates Offer Anti-Separatism Blueprint,” TS (May 15, 1964), 7; and Thomas Sloan, “Anti-Nationalists Counterattack,” GM (June 6, 1964), SM4.

  45.Cited in “7 Quebec Moderates,” 7.

  46.“René Lévesque Speaks of Quebec, National State of the French Canadians,” in Scott and Oliver, Quebec States Her Case, 132–45.

  47.Daniel Johnson, cited in Kenneth McRoberts, Misconceiving Canada: The Struggle for National Unity (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1997), 34–35. See also Donald Smiley, “Federalism, Nationalism and the Scope of Public Activity in Canada,” in Russell, Nationalism in Canada, 104–5.

  48.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Frank Howard, “Special Status or Separatism?” GM (December 18, 1965), 8.

  49.Trudeau, Federalism and the French Canadians, 3–43.

  50.Norman DePoe, interview with Pierre Trudeau, CBC-TV (Available online as “The Many Lives of Pierre Elliott Trudeau,” CBCDA, http:www.cbc.ca/player/play/1797435890.

  51.Trudeau, Memoirs, 69.

  52.Gérard Pelletier, “Trudeau Travelled the World with a Knapsack on His Back,” TS (January 6, 1968), 8.

  53.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Robert McKenzie, “Quebec Students Tell Trudeau He’s ‘Isolated,’” TS (March 27, 1968), 8.

  54.See Howard, “Special Status or Separatism?” 8.

  55.René Lévesque said in 1963: “I am a Quebecer first, a French Canadian second . . . and I really have . . . well, no sense at all of being a Canadian.” Cited in Ramsay Cook, Canada, Quebec and the Uses of Nationalism, 2nd ed. (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1995), 140.

  56.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Peter C. Newman, “Canada at the Crossroads,” TS (February 2, 1968), 1, 4. Charles Taylor wrote of Trudeau as the guarantor of the status quo: “The Trudeau image offered all the excitement of change, the ‘spirit of Expo’ and all that, while offering the reassurance—which the average man could read in the benign reactions of power and privilege—that no serious challenge would be offered to the way things are.” See Taylor, Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1993), 30.

  57.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Peter C. Newman, “Trudeau Tells the Star: This Particular Parliament Has Worn Itself Out,” TS (April 27, 1968), 1; and Peter C. Newman, “Trudeau: I Have a Feeling for Canada,” TS (April 29, 1968), 1, 4.

  CHAPTER TWO: THE THREE MUSKETEERS

  1.Mason Wade, ed., Canadian Dualism: Studies of French-English Relations (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1960). The article is also reprinted in Against the Current: Selected Writings 1939–1996 (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1996), 79–101.

  2.Robert Fulford, “Manifesto for Separatists,” TS (January 24, 1962), 35.

  3.Robert Fulford, “‘Seven Days’: If You Can’t Lick ’Em, Go Low-Brow,” TS (December 12, 1964), 21, 28. Reviews of other edited collections adopted the same tone. Globe and Mail reviewer Ronald Bates identified “Pierre-Elliott Trudeau” as fighting the good fight against “leftist separatists,” for example, in his review of Frank Scott and Michael Oliver, eds., Quebec States Her Case (Toronto: Macmillan, 1964). See Bates, “An Education for the Xenophobes,” GM (November 28, 1964), A15.

  4.“Four-Part Series Evaluates Confederation,” GM (January 4, 1963), T1.

  5.“Alcock Will Head Peace Institute,” GM (March 31, 1962), 5; and Harold Morrison, “Norman Alcock’s Peace Dream Is Dying for Lack of Money,” TS (January 26, 1966), 7.

  6.See “A Matter of Basic Justice,” GM (June 11, 1963), 6; and “After Coroner’s Act, Quebec Group Urges,” GM (June 28, 1963), 2.

  7.Editorial, “The Problem: Stifle Hate While Preserving Freedom,” GM (January 12, 1965), 6.

  8.See Robert Wright, “From Liberalism to Nationalism: Peter C. Newman’s Discovery of Canada,” in Creating Postwar Canada: Community, Diversity, and Dissent, 1945–1975, ed. Robert Rutherdale and Magda Fahrni (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2007), 111–36.

  9.Peter C. Newman, “Separatism? It’s Dying Says Quebec Thinker,” TS (January 30, 1965), 7.

  10.Pierre Trudeau, cited in George Radwanski, Trudeau (Toronto: Macmillan, 1978), 89.

  11.See George Grant, Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1965).

  12.Trudeau was never a card-carrying member of the NDP. A scribbled memo in the Trudeau papers circa 1965 reads, “If I ever had been in the NDP-CCF I would have left it in 1961 founding convention [sic] when it adopted the 2 nation theory. What is the use in belonging to an ideological party if it is going to be opportunist?” See LAC Trudeau Fonds (MG26-020, Volume 28, File 1).

  13.Lester B. Pearson, Mike: The Memoirs of the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, vol. 3, 1957–1968, ed. John A. Munro and Alex I. Inglis (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1975), 217.

  14.Trudeau, “Some Obstacles to Democracy in Quebec,” Against the Current, 97–98.

  15.Pierre Trudeau wrote, “Pelletier and I had on numerous occasions written scathing criticisms of the Liberals. I seem to recall one of my articles using the word ‘donkeys:’ not in a complimentary way.” See Trudeau, Memoirs (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1993), 76–77.

  16.See “Cowan Out to Block Trudeau as Leader,” TS (February 15, 1968), 1; and Geoffrey Stevens, “Smear Tactics Against Trudeau Start in Ottawa,” GM (February 15, 1968), 1.

  17.Pierre Trudeau to Ramsay Cook, cited in Cook, The Teeth of Time: Remembering Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2006), 29.

  18.Marc Lalonde, cited in Radwanski, Trudeau, 88.

  19.Pearson, Mike, 219.

  20.Jean Marchand, cited in Langevin Coté, “Political Party End, Not Means, New Look Quebec Liberals Say,” GM (October 25, 1965), 8.

  21.Pearson, Mike, 218. René Lévesque’s recollection was that it was Trudeau and not Pelletier whose entry into the ranks of the federal Liberals made things difficult for Pearson. Lévesque was with Maurice Sauvé when Marchand called. “I’ve just come from seeing Pearson,” Marchand told Sauvé, “and things aren’t going too well. As for myself, there’s no problem, they’re dying to get me. They’re ready to take Pelletier, too. But as far as Trudeau is concerned, it’s no soap. In their eyes he’s nothing but a little drawing-room socialist who had the nerve not so long ago to call them a bunch of idiots.” See Lévesque, Memoirs, trans. Philip Stratford (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1986), 194.

  22.See Andrew Webster, “Marchand, Pelletier, Trudeau Plan to Run,” GM (September 11, 1965), 4
.

  23.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Peter C. Newman, “PM Stabbed in the Back from Quebec He Tried to Reconcile,” TS (November 25, 1964), 1; and Robert Rice, “Trudeau Battles Three at Mount Royal Meeting Tonight,” GM (October 7, 1965), 9.

  24.Andrew Cohen, Lester B. Pearson (Toronto: Penguin, 2008), 70.

  25.Lester Pearson, cited in Kenneth McRoberts, Misconceiving Canada: The Struggle for National Unity (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1997), 39–43.

  26.André Laurendeau and Arnold Davidson Dunton, A Preliminary Report of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (Ottawa: Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, 1965), 13.

  27.See Matthew Hayday, Bilingual Today, United Tomorrow: Official Languages in Education and Canadian Federalism (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005), ch. 2; and Lucie Lecomte, Official Languages or National Languages? Canada’s Decision (Ottawa: Parliamentary Information and Research Service, 2015), ch. 1.

  28.Pearson, Mike, 241.

  29.Bora Laskin, cited in Philip Girard, Bora Laskin: Bringing Law to Life (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005), 214. See also Bora Laskin, “Amendment of the Constitution: Applying the Fulton-Favreau Formula,” McGill Law Journal 11, 1 (1965): 2–18.

  30.Pearson, Mike, 245.

  31.See Donald Smiley, “Federalism, Nationalism and the Scope of Public Activity in Canada,” in Nationalism in Canada, ed. Peter Russell (Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 1966), 106.

  32.See McRoberts, Misconceiving Canada, 39–43.

  33.Historian John English uses this term to describe Pearson’s approach to Quebec, likening it to his approach to Nazi Germany in the 1930s. See English, The Life of Lester Pearson, vol. 2, The Worldly Years (Toronto: Vintage, 1992), 181–82.

  34.Smiley, “Federalism, Nationalism and the Scope of Public Activity,” 107–8. Peter C. Newman would later write perceptively that bringing Trudeau, Pelletier, and Marchand into the federal Liberal Party “flies directly in the face of Prime Minister Lester Pearson’s policy of non-confrontation. By dealing on all important issues directly with Jean Lesage instead of through the Quebec ministers in his own Cabinet, Pearson has sacrificed much of the remaining respect for Ottawa among thinking French-Canadians.” See “Quebec’s ‘Three Musketeers’ Carry the Gospel to Ottawa,” TS (September 14, 1965), 7.

  35.Pierre Elliott Trudeau, “Concepts of Federalism” (June 11, 1964), LAC Trudeau Fonds (MG26-020, Volume 28, File 1), 1–30.

  36.Ibid.

  37.Cook, The Teeth of Time, 30.

  38.Lester B. Pearson, cited in “Text of Prime Minister’s Speech,” GM (September 8, 1965), 8. See also editorial, “An Unnecessary Election,” OC (September 8, 1965), 6; and Don McGillivray, “Election Battle Lines Drawn,” OC (September 8, 1965), 7.

  39.Jean Marchand, cited in “Liberals Press 3,” VS (September 10, 1965), 10.

  40.See Struan Matheson, “Three ‘New’ Liberals Win Seats,” MG (November 9, 1965), 3.

  41.Dominique Clift, “Splash! It’s Quebec’s ‘New Wave,’” TS (September 11, 1965), 18. See also Frank Howard, “Election Word Expected from Unionist today,” GM (September 10, 1965), 4; and Robert McKenzie, “Liberals Launch Quebec ‘New Look,’” TS (September 11, 1965), 1, 18.

  42.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Webster, “Marchand, Pelletier, Trudeau Plan to Run,” 4.

  43.Dominique Clift, “Marchand May Face Opposition, County Liberals Lure Candidate,” TS (September 25, 1965), 4.

  44.Editorial, “Power for Power’s Sake,” GM (November 2, 1965), 6.

  45.See Frank Howard, “Three Quebec Moderates Begin an Election Odyssey,” GM (September 14, 1965), 7.

  46.Cited in editorial, “Trading Pulpits for Power,” GM (September 16, 1965), 6.

  47.“Quebeckers to be Gobbled Up—Cliche,” TS (September 17, 1965), 32.

  48.John Diefenbaker, cited in “Quebec Trio Called Three Wise Men,” GM (September 29, 1965), 42.

  49.Jacques Bouchard, cited in “Quebec Farmers Will Back PCs, Party Chief Says after Parley,” GM (September 20, 1963), 8.

  50.Cited in Langevin Coté, “Political Party End, Not Means, New Look Quebec Liberals Say,” GM (October 25, 1965), 8.

  51.“Separatism Could Be Fatal,” CP (September 9, 1965).

  52.Keith Cronshaw, “Trudeau Tops Taylor in Mt. Royal,” MG (November 9, 1965), 3.

  53.Editorial, “A New Guard from Quebec?” GM (September 14, 1965), 6. See also editorial, “A Gain for the Country” OC (September 13, 1965), 6.

  54.Editorial, “A New Guard?” 6.

  55.Editorial, “Quebec’s ‘New Wave’ Good News for Canada,” TS (September 13, 1965), 6.

  56.Peter C. Newman, “Quebec’s ‘Three Musketeers’ Carry the Gospel to Ottawa,” TS (September 14, 1965), 7.

  57.Howard, “Three Quebec Moderates,” 7.

  58.Editorial, “The Voice of Moderation Has an Inflamed Throat,” GM (January 31, 1966), 6.

  59.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Robert Rice, “Mount Royal Riding Chosen by Trudeau, Only Pelletier Left,” GM (September 27, 1965), 8.

  60.Taylor was two years younger than Trudeau but the product of a similar bilingual upbringing and Ivy League education. Never did Trudeau and Taylor see eye to eye on Quebec. “We disagreed at the beginning and we disagreed at the end on a very fundamental issue that I still think he was terribly wrong about—that you can treat Quebec exactly like any other province,” Taylor recalled in 2007. “I think he had a very different reading of Quebec nationalism. He overreacted against it.” Cited in “Canadian Philosopher Taylor Wins $1.5M Religion Prize,” CWM (March 14, 2007).

  61.Rice, “Trudeau Battles Three,” 9.

  62.Ibid., 9; and Jean Marchand, cited in Dominique Clift, “Diefenbaker Out to Crush Quebec Says Firebrand Marchand,” TS (September 28, 1965), 1, 2.

  63.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Robert Rice, “Mount Royal Liberals Nominate Trudeau,” GM (October 8, 1965), 8.

  64.Pierre Trudeau, “Open Letter to the Delegates to the Mount Royal Nominating Committee” (October 1965), LAC Trudeau Fonds (MG26-020, Volume 28, File 1), 1. Writing in the local Town of Mount Royal Weekly Post on October 28, 1965, Trudeau would appeal to constituents to return a majority government: “There are challenges that must be met squarely and realistically, for the time has come to claim our heritage. . . . To build a great Canada, there is no better base than constitutionalism and the rule of law. But the present conflicts over the constitution, although urgent, are not as overwhelming as some claim. Now, without ignoring the possibility of constitutional amendment in the future, we should devote our energies to more constructive and rewarding endeavours. This calls for strengthened cooperation between a strong central government and strong provincial governments.” See clipping, “The Liberal Point of View,” 2, LAC Trudeau Fonds (MG26-020, Volume 28, File 1).

  65.Arthur Blakely, “Liberals Still on Top but Not Much Change,” MG (November 9, 1965), 1.

  66.W.A.C. Bennett, cited in Ian MacAlpine, “PM Must Resign, Bennett Insists,” VS (November 9, 1965), 13.

  67.Editorial, “Get Back to Work,” GM (November 9, 1965), 6. See also editorial “Pearson Wins But Loses,” MG (November 9, 1965), 6; editorial, “Not the Same as They Were,” MG (November 10, 1965), 6; and editorial, “Time for Party Leaders to Bow Out,” SDR (November 9, 1965), 4.

  68.Frank Rutter, “As you Were, Says British Columbia,” VS (November 9, 1965), 12. See also editorial, “Rebuff to Mr. Pearson,” WT (November 9, 1965), 2.

  69.“Les Canadiens ont voté exactement pour rien,” JM (November 9, 1965), 3.

  70.Editorial, “Du pareil au même,” LS (November 9, 1965), 4. See also Benoit Houle, “Gouvernement minoritaire: Libéraux reportés au pouvoir,” AC (November 9, 1965), 1; editorial, “Où trouver la lumière?” LP (November 9, 1965), 4; Lorenzo Paré, “Les jeux sont finis!” AC (November 9, 1965), 4; “Les Canadiens en étaient à leur cinquième scrutin général depuis 1957,” AC (November 9, 1965), 8; “Ce qu’a déclaré Pearson en déclenchant l’
élection,” LP (November 9, 1965), 2; Vincent Prince, “Le gouvernement reste libéral et minoritaire,” LP (November 9, 1965), 1; editorial, “Rien n’a changé,” LD (November 9, 1965), 1; and “Pearson accepte le verdict du peuple,” LD (November 9, 1965), 2.

  71.See “Les trois intellectuels de la nouvelle garde libérale élus,” AC (November 9, 1965), 8; “Jean Marchand a connu une soirée angoissante,” LP (November 9, 1965), 31; and “New Liberal Hopeful Pushed Quebec Bid Right to Wire!” CH (November 8, 1965), 3.

  72.The NDP managed to improve its standing in the popular vote in Quebec from 7.2 per cent in 1963 to 12 per cent in 1965, though without winning any seats in the province (it had never won a Quebec seat).

  73.Cited in Cronshaw, “Trudeau Tops Taylor,” 3. See also Michèle Juneau, “Pierre-Elliott Trudeau: majorité de 12,966 voix,” LP (November 9, 1965), 3.

  74.Charles Taylor, cited in “Charles Taylor a été défait par un vieil ami,” AC (November 9, 1965), 8. See also “Elliott-Trudeau regrettera sa nouvelle adhésion,” LS (November 9, 1965), 9.

  75.Gretta Chambers, cited in “Canadian Philosopher Taylor Wins $1.5M.

  76.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Cronshaw, “Trudeau Tops Taylor,” 3.

  77.Alec Bollini, interview with Pierre Trudeau, CBC Radio News (November 8, 1965). Available online as “Pierre Trudeau: A Triple March Toward Ottawa,” CBCDA, http:www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/pierre-trudeau-a-triple-march-toward-ottawa.

  78.Pierre Trudeau, cited in Robert Rice, “Liberals Hold Montreal Bastion,” GM (November 9, 1965), 11. See also “Lester Pearson doit un gros merci à la province de Québec,” LS (November 9, 1965), 9.

  79.See André Béliveau, “Les trois ‘colombes’ prennent leur envol dans un ciel incertain,” LP (November 9, 1965), 5.

  80.Stan McDowell, “Lazy Liberal Swing Halted by Tories’ Quebec Strength,” VS (November 9, 1965), 12. See also “Three Intellectuals Win Seats in Quebec,” WT (November 9, 1965), 7.

  81.Frank Howard, “Another Minority Government Could Ease Quebec’s Exit from Confederation,” GM (November 10, 1965), 9.

  82.Robert Rice, “Quebec’s New-Look Trio to Play Powerful Role for Liberals,” GM (November 10, 1965), 9.