Madness on the Hill: The 1966 Parliamentary Bombing

Episode 360: On May 18, 1966, Paul Joseph Chartier, among other things, a disillusioned and unemployed security guard and former truck driver, attempted a deadly act of terrorism on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Chartier planned to throw a homemade dynamite bomb into the House of Commons chamber, targeting politicians he blamed for societal injustices and his personal failures. However, the bomb detonated prematurely in a washroom, killing only Chartier himself. This tragic incident drew significant attention at the time, leading to investigations by the RCMP and led to a federal inquiry.

Sources: Robert N. Wilkins: Remembering the man who tried blowing up Parliament, 50 years ago The Munsinger Affair Miner, Author, Singer, Lone-Actor Terrorist: The Lives and Death of Paul Joseph Chartier - University of Toronto Press The Mad Bomber of Parliament Hill by Fontana, James A The Parliament bombing of 1966 Citizen@175: 'I might as well give you a blast to wake you up' IMV_-_Terrorism-Research-Key-findings-eng Learn the lesson of the bad bomb Hewitt_2021_HistoryofLoneActorsinCanadaFinal Inquest Paul Joseph Chartier bombing of Parliament Miner, Author, Singer, Lone-Actor Terrorist: The Lives and Death of Paul Joseph Chartier - University of Toronto Press 201604_clat_final_report — Lone-Actor Terrorism “Happy-Go-Lucky Fellow”: Lone-Actor Terrorism, Masculinity, and the 1966 Bombing on Parliament Hill in Ottawa TSAS-Working-Paper-Hofmann-Lone-Actors-Final Paul Joseph Chartier Parliament will carry on Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices