Mr. Speaker, 150 years ago yesterday, some sad events took place in Montreal. On April 25, 1849, Orangemen rioted and burned the Parliament of Canada, because they did not accept the amnesty granted to Patriotes who had escaped the gallows.
Responding to a call to arms by The Gazette , the rioters trampled a portrait of Papineau and did not hesitate to burn thousands of documents. Ordinary citizens, both English and French speaking, tried to intervene, but the rioters had gone wild. This is a very sad episode in Canadian history.
Now, on the eve of the third millennium, democratic values are well known, but this episode is a reminder that democracy is fragile and that intolerance is never very far. Disputes, even serious ones, must be settled within a democratic framework. The Patriotes paid the ultimate price. Let us never forget that.