By Canadian Press

Timeline of Bloc Quebecois events since it was founded

Feb 28, 2018 | 1:00 PM

MONTREAL — Seven of the 10 Bloc Quebecois MPs quit the party Wednesday because of seemingly irreconciliable differences with Leader Martine Ouellet. Here is a timeline of events that have marked the party over the years:

June 1991: Founded by Conservatives and Liberals around the time of the demise of the Meech Lake constitutional accord, which would have recognized Quebec as a distinct society.

October 1993: Wins 49.3 per cent of vote in Quebec as well as 54 of province’s 75 seats to become official Opposition under Lucien Bouchard.

January 1996: Bouchard leaves to lead Parti Quebecois and is succeeded by Gilles Duceppe on interim basis.

February 1996: Michel Gauthier becomes leader. 

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March 1997: Duceppe becomes permanent leader. 

June 1997: Duceppe leads Bloc to 44 seats and 37.9 per cent of vote as it finishes third overall in terms of ridings won across Canada.

November 2000: Bloc earns 39.9 per cent support but seat total drops to 38.

June 2004: Party puts in another strong electoral performance with 48.9 per cent support and 54 seats.

January 2006: Share of vote slips to 42.1 per cent but party still wins 51 ridings.

October 2008: Vote percentage slips to 38.1, although Bloc is successful in 49 ridings.

May 2011: Bloc tumbles to 23.4 per cent and a paltry four seats, prompting Duceppe to step down.

December 2011: Daniel Paille named leader.

June 2014: Mario Beaulieu gets the top job.

June 2015: Duceppe returns to the helm.

October 2015: Party wins 19.4 per cent of vote and bounces up to 10 seats.

October 2015: Duceppe stands down and is replaced on interim basis by Rheal Fortin.

March 2017: Ouellet named leader even though she does not have Commons seat. Goes on to quit as PQ member of the legislature but continues to sit as Independent.

February 2018: Seven of 10 Bloc MPs storm out of party because they can’t handle Ouellet’s leadership style.

The Canadian Press