Louise Lanctôt
Encyclopedia
Louise Lanctôt, born March 24, 1947, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
, is a convicted kidnapper
and writer.
A political activist for the cause of Quebec
independence from Canada, Louise Lanctôt was an active member of the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
political party that later merged with the Parti Québécois
. She was also a member of the Front de libération du Québec
(FLQ) and is the sister of convicted kidnapper Jacques Lanctôt
, and was married to Jacques Cossette-Trudel
who joined the FLQ with her.
During what became known as the October Crisis
, as a member of the Liberation Cell
, on October 5, 1970, Louise Lanctôt along with her brother Jacques Lanctôt
, Yves Langlois
, Nigel Hamer
, and Marc Carbonneau put their plans into action. They carried out an armed abduction of James Cross
, the British
Trade Commissioner to Canada, from his Montreal home as part of their violent attempt to overthrow the elected government and to establish a socialist Quebec state independent of Canada
.
On October 10, Chenier Cell
leader Paul Rose and his brother, Jacques Rose along with Bernard Lortie
and Francis Simard
, kidnapped and then murder
ed Quebec Vice Premier
and Cabinet Minister, Pierre Laporte
. Believing many others would follow in an uprising, the goal of the FLQ was to create an independent state based on the ideals of Fidel Castro's
Cuba
.
Louise Lanctôt, with the help of her husband and other members of the "Liberation Cell," held James Cross hostage, taking his photo and sending it to police with a list of demands that included money and the release of other convicts. They advised authorities that Cross would be executed and further threats to Cross' life were delivered to several radio stations along with their demands.
Early in December 1970, police discovered the location of Louise Lanctôt and her fellow kidnappers holding James Cross. His release was negotiated and on December 3, 1970, Lanctôt with her husband and child, plus the three other known members of her cell, were granted their request for safe passage to Cuba
by the Government of Canada after approval by Fidel Castro
. Although Louise Lanctôt and her friends who wanted to go to Cuba were exiled from Canada for life, they were later found in France
. For four years, Louise Lanctôt lived in La Courneuve
in Île-de-France
.
Over the years, all of the Front de libération du Québec members wanted to return to Canada and began secret negotiations through the reigning government Parti Québécois
to achieve that goal. On October 13, 1977, Quebec Premier René Lévesque
announced he was considering a request for a pardon
for Louise Lanctôt and her husband. Eventually, the Federal Government consented. On her return to Montreal on December 13, she pled guilty at trial and was sentenced to two years in jail for her part in the kidnapping. She was freed on parole after serving eight months following which she received Quebec government financial assistance (just as any other citizen is eligible to) to attend the Université du Québec à Montréal
where she received a degree in communications in 1982 and continued on to doctoral studies in human sciences.
Divorced from her husband, during the times when the Parti Québécois
has been in government, she has been employed by numerous Quebec government funded institutions, including as a researcher for the Collège de Maisonneuve
, the Université du Québec à Montréal
, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Université de Montréal
health administration department, and the "Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec".
The author of several books, Louise Lanctôt is a member of the Quebec Writers Union.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is a convicted kidnapper
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and writer.
A political activist for the cause of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
independence from Canada, Louise Lanctôt was an active member of the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
The Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale was a political organization dedicated to the promotion of Quebec national independence from Canada.-History:...
political party that later merged with the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
. She was also a member of the Front de libération du Québec
Front de libération du Québec
The Front de libération du Québec was a left-wing Quebecois nationalist and Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group in Quebec, Canada. It was active between 1963 and 1970, and was regarded as a terrorist organization for its violent methods of action...
(FLQ) and is the sister of convicted kidnapper Jacques Lanctôt
Jacques Lanctôt
Jacques Lanctôt is a Canadian writer and publisher, restaurateur, and former militant separatist.Lanctôt is a former member of the FLQ, a violent separatist group.He was one of the FLQ members who kidnapped James Cross, a British diplomat in October 1970....
, and was married to Jacques Cossette-Trudel
Jacques Cossette-Trudel
Jacques Cossette-Trudel Jacques Cossette-Trudel Jacques Cossette-Trudel (born 1947 in Shawinigan, PQ, convicted kidnapper, Quebec separatist (FLQ), communication counsellor and filmmaker.Jacques Cossette-Trudel was the son of a senior Federal Government official with the Department of Energy during...
who joined the FLQ with her.
During what became known as the October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
, as a member of the Liberation Cell
Liberation Cell
The Liberation Cell was a Montreal-based cell that was part of Front de libération du Québec terrorist group in Quebec whose members were responsible for a decade of bombings and armed robberies in the 1960s that led to what became known as the October Crisis.As part of a violent attempt to...
, on October 5, 1970, Louise Lanctôt along with her brother Jacques Lanctôt
Jacques Lanctôt
Jacques Lanctôt is a Canadian writer and publisher, restaurateur, and former militant separatist.Lanctôt is a former member of the FLQ, a violent separatist group.He was one of the FLQ members who kidnapped James Cross, a British diplomat in October 1970....
, Yves Langlois
Yves Langlois
Yves Langlois a.k.a. Pierre Seguin was a Canadian terrorist and member of the Quebec terrorist group Front de Libération du Quebec , a group most notably known for the 1970 October crisis...
, Nigel Hamer
Nigel Hamer
Nigel Barry Hamer was a key member of the Front de libération du Québec . He was a student at McGill University when he joined the Liberation Cell of the terrorist group and participated in the October Crisis of 1970. He actively participated in the hostage-taking of the British Trade Commissioner...
, and Marc Carbonneau put their plans into action. They carried out an armed abduction of James Cross
James Cross
James Richard Cross, CMG was a British diplomat in Canada who was kidnapped by the Front de libération du Québec terrorist group during the October Crisis of October 1970....
, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Trade Commissioner to Canada, from his Montreal home as part of their violent attempt to overthrow the elected government and to establish a socialist Quebec state independent of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
On October 10, Chenier Cell
Chenier Cell
The Chénier Cell was a Montreal-based cell of the Front de libération du Québec terrorist group in Quebec whose members were responsible for a decade of bombings and armed robberies in the 1960s that led to what became known as the October Crisis...
leader Paul Rose and his brother, Jacques Rose along with Bernard Lortie
Bernard Lortie
Bernard Lortie of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a member of the Chenier Cell of the Front de libération du Québec who were responsible for a decade of bombings and armed robberies in the province of Quebec....
and Francis Simard
Francis Simard
Francis Simard, born 1946, of Montreal, Quebec was a member of the Chenier Cell of the militant Front de libération du Québec , a group dedicated to the creation of an independent Marxist state out of the Canadian province of Quebec...
, kidnapped and then murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed Quebec Vice Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
and Cabinet Minister, Pierre Laporte
Pierre Laporte
Pierre Laporte was a Canadian lawyer, journalist and politician who was the Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour of the province of Quebec before being kidnapped and killed by members of the group Front de libération du Québec during the October Crisis. Mr...
. Believing many others would follow in an uprising, the goal of the FLQ was to create an independent state based on the ideals of Fidel Castro's
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Louise Lanctôt, with the help of her husband and other members of the "Liberation Cell," held James Cross hostage, taking his photo and sending it to police with a list of demands that included money and the release of other convicts. They advised authorities that Cross would be executed and further threats to Cross' life were delivered to several radio stations along with their demands.
Early in December 1970, police discovered the location of Louise Lanctôt and her fellow kidnappers holding James Cross. His release was negotiated and on December 3, 1970, Lanctôt with her husband and child, plus the three other known members of her cell, were granted their request for safe passage to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
by the Government of Canada after approval by Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. Although Louise Lanctôt and her friends who wanted to go to Cuba were exiled from Canada for life, they were later found in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. For four years, Louise Lanctôt lived in La Courneuve
La Courneuve
La Courneuve is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:The history of La Courneuve begins as the rest of the region with the invasion of European tribes and the eventual conquering of the area by the Romans. During the Middle Ages,...
in Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
.
Over the years, all of the Front de libération du Québec members wanted to return to Canada and began secret negotiations through the reigning government Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
to achieve that goal. On October 13, 1977, Quebec Premier René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
announced he was considering a request for a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
for Louise Lanctôt and her husband. Eventually, the Federal Government consented. On her return to Montreal on December 13, she pled guilty at trial and was sentenced to two years in jail for her part in the kidnapping. She was freed on parole after serving eight months following which she received Quebec government financial assistance (just as any other citizen is eligible to) to attend the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
where she received a degree in communications in 1982 and continued on to doctoral studies in human sciences.
Divorced from her husband, during the times when the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
has been in government, she has been employed by numerous Quebec government funded institutions, including as a researcher for the Collège de Maisonneuve
Collège de Maisonneuve
Collège de Maisonneuve is a francophone Cégep pre-university and technical college located at 3800 Sherbrooke Street East in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Partnerships:...
, the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
health administration department, and the "Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec".
The author of several books, Louise Lanctôt is a member of the Quebec Writers Union.