Action: The October Crisis of 1970

  «I was living on Maiseneuve, 3 stories up, 2 blocks crossways from where the taxi drivers gathered, when the QPP moved in cause Montreal police were on strike. I had no idea what was happening. I was painting, in my room, watercolour, of the lights flashing on red brick wall across the street, 3 stories up....I went down to get a cup of coffee from a corner diner 2 doors over about 2 A.M. and a QPP car come screeching in front of me with men with Tommy guns throwing me against the red brick wall with barrels poking into my kidneys...I could feel the blood running down my cheek...and the red brick wall. Then the FLQ struck. Soon there were machine gun nests on Mont Royale and army trucks surrounding blocks at a time with jeeps at corners mounted with machine guns. I left town. You see that one and a half year prior I was in Vietnam, almost to the day in the Marine Corp in my first combat. I left and got a job in St. Adele at the Quidi Vidi where Pierre and Margaret would come when they went skiing. I was the pantry chef. I made their o'deurves. Later in life I would crossroads with them again....with sun shining and river running by. I left. I went to B.C. Haida Gwaii. I had enough of war...enough of killing....Canada was a way out of it and when the October Crisis came....I didn't know if I was following it...or it was following me. I left. I became a fisherman. God bless Canada and God bless Quebec and God bless the Canadian Film Board for remembering me to make these comments. »

  «I was living on Maiseneuve, 3 stories up, 2 blocks crossways from where the taxi drivers gathered, when the QPP moved in cause Montreal police were on strike. I had no idea what was happening. I was painting, in my room, watercolour, of the lights flashing on red brick wall across the street, 3 stories up....I went down to get a cup of coffee from a corner diner 2 doors over about 2 A.M. and a QPP car come screeching in front of me with men with Tommy guns throwing me against the red brick wall with barrels poking into my kidneys...I could feel the blood running down my cheek...and the red brick wall. Then the FLQ struck. Soon there were machine gun nests on Mont Royale and army trucks surrounding blocks at a time with jeeps at corners mounted with machine guns. I left town. You see that one and a half year prior I was in Vietnam, almost to the day in the Marine Corp in my first combat. I left and got a job in St. Adele at the Quidi Vidi where Pierre and Margaret would come when they went skiing. I was the pantry chef. I made their o'deurves. Later in life I would crossroads with them again....with sun shining and river running by. I left. I went to B.C. Haida Gwaii. I had enough of war...enough of killing....Canada was a way out of it and when the October Crisis came....I didn't know if I was following it...or it was following me. I left. I became a fisherman. God bless Canada and God bless Quebec and God bless the Canadian Film Board for remembering me to make these comments.»

  «Good movie. I like how you took an effort to show multiple perspectives ranging from the NDP to the Conservatives, as well as people from both within and outside of Quebec. I would like to have seen a little more about Duplessis, though. From this movie and The Champions film, it seems like the Duplessis regime in Quebec shaped the points of view of Trudeau, Levesque and the FLQ. Do you jhave any movies that could explain what happened during the Duplessis regime?»