National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
The British victim of FLQ terrorists during the October Crisis, James Cross, passed into history at the age of 99 on this date in 2021. While serving as British Trade Commissioner in Montreal, Mr. Cross was kidnapped by FLQ thugs and held captive for almost two months during the October Crisis.
anniversary of his 1970 kidnapping, Mr. Cross granted a rare interview about his experiences. Part of the transcript of the conversation he had with journalist Anna Maria Tremonti is below.I was wandering, between the bedroom and the bathroom, half dressed, when a man came through the door and pointed a gun at me and said, get down on the floor or you will be f-ing dead. They ripped the phone in the bedroom, out of its socket and told my wife not to contact the police for an hour. She said, you must let me say goodbye to my wife, to my husband, and allowed her to come across to say goodbye to me and they took me out of me down the stairs. Where, that was another man with a gun standing by the door. And we went out into the streets where there was a taxi with the fourth man driving it and I was pushed into the back of the taxi and taken away.Well, I wasn’t abused or beaten or anything, but I mean, I was under sentence of death if you’d like, like for 59 days, which was extremely stressful. I didn’t get a great deal to eat. So, I lost 22 pounds. And of course, the whole time there was the constant worry as to what was going to happen, particularly after Laporte was killed.So how would you describe your feelings toward Lacto and the others who kidnapped you today?Do you consider them to be terrorists?Mr. Cross had served with the British diplomatic service in India and other postings before his arrival in Canada. During his first posting to Canada, in 1957, he helped represent the UK in both Halifax and Winnipeg. He returned to Canada in 1968 when he was appointed his government’s senior trade representative in Montreal. Mr. Cross was serving in that post when he was kidnapped. After his release he returned to the UK and continued his highly successful career in the British civil service. Mr. Cross died at his home from complications related to COVID-19. His wife and daughter predeceased him. Six FLQ members were sent to prison after their convictions for their roles in the kidnapping of Mr. Cross.is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel. The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on National Newswatch are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.
Please follow us on Google to support us Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Today in Canada’s Political History: PM St.-Laurent attends Commonwealth meeting in London | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »
History’s Forgotten | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »
Holiday travel mess shows why Canadian air travel industry needs competition: NDP | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »
Conservatives, NDP request urgent committee meeting following holiday travel mess | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »
‘A disaster’: Speaker fight exposes GOP leadership vacuum | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »
The lack of RCMP protection officers is a risk to Canada’s national security | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »