Social+Studies+24+April

Today we're going to take a step away from the reading and writing about the future of politics, and take a look at one of Canada's most influential leaders from the past -- and a personal hero of mine -- Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1984 (with a brief pause in '79). With a flair and arrogance not seen before or since, Pierre Trudeau led our country through a time where we were truly forming our identity out from under the influence of the British Commonwealth. Issues like same-sex marriage, language differences, women's rights, and personal rights and freedoms became pet causes for the most charismatic individual performer in Canadian federal politics.

Unlike many of the politicians before him, Trudeau didn't feel the need to follow in American footsteps. He was a known compatriate of Fidel Castro of Cuba and was the first western leader to make economic ties to communist China. He was forbidden from travelling to the United States after a visit to Moscow (where he was arrested for throwing a snowball at a statue of Stalin). Many of his behaviours seemed a bit odd -- he wore sandals in the House of Commons, and did a pirouette behind Queen Elizabeth -- but his name and influence spread throughout the world and made our country known for something other than our ties to England.

Trudeau was known for being a wordly visionary. Before beginning his career, he saw it as a must to travel the world, soaking up the languages, customs and values of cultures from Holland to Africa. Many feel that this experience made him more open-minded and willing to work for change in the growing culture and identity of Canada.

This leadership style, however, did not always make Mr. Trudeau very popular to anybody who did not agree with his politics. Many people thought he was brash and arrogant. Rather than seem weak in the face of those who opposed him, he would often make aggressive decisions when he felt he was right, and go toe-to-toe with any reporter or politician who dared challenge him...often using tactics that did not always paint him as a professional.


 * //Fuddle Duddle//**

media type="youtube" key="bsZRxyK2YMg"

In 1970, after the Quebec political party //Front de Liberation to Quebec (FLQ)// kidnapped Quebec minister of Labour Pierre Laporte, Trudeau instituted the //War Measures Act//, effectively imposing the use of military force in the city of Montreal. Tanks and troops moved through the city streets keeping order until the situation was resolved. When asked by a reporter how he could do such a drastic thing, he replied, "Just watch me". Trudeaumania was alive.

In 1982, Trudeau left an indelible stamp on our nation by creating the Canadian Constitution and our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, officially making us a fully independent and nationalist country.

media type="youtube" key="-7_a2wa2dd4"
 * //Just Watch Me...//**

Pierre Elliot Trudeau passed away from Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer in September of 2000. His influence on Canadians, both politically and personally, continues.