je me souviens

When the Patriotes were hung outside the City prison in February of 1838 they strangled more than just twelve men.A whole nation was shut down for generations long after the echo of the trap door on the gallows slamming open had died out of memory.I was witness to the power of that terrible defeat even before I learnt about the crushing of the Rebellion of 1837
In 1962 in the Verdun City Hall library there were books under censor by the Catholic Church officially stamped as unsuitable reading material.
Only in Quebec did any religious organization hold such power over public education.It was the Catholic Church’s reward for sanctioning the execution of the Patriotes by the British.
In 1963 they stopped the religious censoring of books
In 1968 they stopped flying the Union Jack over public buildings in downtown Montreal.
One hundred and thirty years later