Group says man maimed by FLQ bomb is Quebec hero

A growing social media movement is asking Quebecs National Assembly to commemorate an unsung hero from the provinces FLQ crisis.

In the 1960s, engineer Walter Leja was deployed by the Canadian army to defuse bombs planted by the radical Front de Libration du Qubec.

On May 17th, 1963, he defused three bombs planted in Westmount mailboxes.Leja dismantled the first two without incident, but the third bomb cost him his arm and paralyzed him for the rest of his life.

Robert Ct, who is now retired, was an officer with Montreals police bomb squad at the time.

"Everyone in the squad knew we thought that he was dead," Ct said.

Leja survived the explosion, but lived the rest of his life with severe disabilities. He died in a hospital more than 20 years ago.

Ct fought to have a plaque in honour of Leja posted near the site of the explosion, but he thinks more should be done to remember his colleagues sacrifice.

Now hundreds of people have joined in through social mediaand are asking Quebec's National Assembly to commemorate Leja as a hero.

A Facebook page called "Declare Walter Leja a Hero" hasmore than400 likes and is asking the National Assembly to officially recognize Leja as a hero.

"He didn't stand for any political position, for any cause or language issue he very selflessly sacrificed himself for the betterment of all Quebecers," said Steve Mace, founder of the Facebook page.

Anotherpetition posted on change.org describes Leja as a man who "gave up everything for us."

The movement has caught the attention of Liberal MNA Robert Poti, and his office says he isconsidering presenting a motionat the National Assembly.