Trudeau Mania
Pierre Elliot Trudeau is known as one of the greatest political figures in Canada’s history. He touched the lives of many Canadians, inspiring them to believe they were capable of accomplishing many things. Trudeau’s successes impacted greatly on Canada, and his efforts will be remembered by future Canadian generations. During his time of influence, Trudeau gained the respect of the majority of the Canadian population. His popularity to the public began a great phenomenon because “he did what no politician before or since has done: he touched the dreams of an entire generation of Canadians”1 Mr. Trudeau’s fame and popularity was named Trudeaumania by the media. With the support of his Canadian citizens, Trudeau accomplished many tasks, which positively affected Canada, perhaps forever. Pierre Elliot Trudeau was a great Prime Minister because he balanced the equality between the French and English Canadians, promoted multiculturalism to help Canada’s independence grow stronger, and he passed many acts and bills that made a great impact on Canada to grow as a nation. During his years in office, Trudeau kept Canada united, avoiding Quebec from separation. Expressing his opinion towards Quebec, Trudeau said in 1968, “I am trying to put Quebec in its place, and the place of Quebec is in Canada.”2 Before becoming Prime Minister, Trudeau was already concerned about Quebec’s political situation. To help the French feel more comfortable and feel like they belonged in Canada, Trudeau established a French magazine, which he named “Cité Libre”3 (Community of the Free) and he helped organize “Le Rassemblement”3 (The Gathering Together), which explained democracy to the people of Quebec. In 1968, Trudeau said, “Of course a bilingual state is more expensive than a unilingual one –but it is a richer state.”4 With his “Just Society”, Trudeau made a priority to make the French Canadians feel comfortable and at home. With this in mind, Trudeau passed the Official Languages