Over the years, many influential Canadian activists and citizens have changed Canada for the better, whether it be by their actions or by their overall dominance on Canadian history. This exhibit, the Canadian Activists and Citizens exhibit, was created to demonstrate the righteousness of 10 different Canadian activists or citizens who have contributed positively towards the history of Canada. These people demonstrated a sense of responsibility, devotion, and above all, a strong mentality which assisted Canadian citizens in many ways. These figures, ranging from a group of female rights advocators, to a man who ran across Canada, possessed such traits. Their actions contributed greatly towards the peace in Canada, as it brought order and freedom.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau was arguably one of the most vivacious and charismatic Prime Ministers Canada has ever seen. He wore capes, dated celebrities and always wore a red rose boutonniere. He looked like a superhero, and often acted like one too. Some of the landmark occurrences in Canadian history all happened during the Trudeau era, such as patriating the constitution, creating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the 1980 Quebec Referendum. However, it is Trudeau’s 1969 “white paper” and the Calder legal challenge which many consider to be one of his most influential contributions to Canadian history.
In the year 1957, Canada elected its first Prime minister without English or French root, John Diefenbaker. While growing up in the city of Toronto, because of his German name, he was often teased. [1] He grew up as an outcast, and so he was able to relate to the discrimination and inequality many of the minorities in Canada felt. This essay will attempt to answer the question: To what extent did Prime Minister John Diefenbaker help promote equality to the minority communities. . The minorities in this time period were the women, aboriginals, and immigrants. During his time as the Prime Minister, he was able to help protect the rights of this group because many of their rights were being abused by the society. Diefenbaker also helped the minorities to stand up for themselves and other groups. Diefenbaker was able to bring positive change to the minority communities by making an official Bill of Rights and appointing people of discriminated groups to the parliament while other members did not.
Any person, place or event that has held the honour of being commemorated in Canada has been recognized of an extreme importance to the country. It is impossible to research commemoration in Canada without reading about world war one and two; The great wars are arguably the most commemorated events in History let alone Canada. Understanding this they are not the only events that receive attention from Canada, the government recognizes many other occurrences as, well, anything from Sir John A. Macdonald day on the 11th of January to the anniversary of the statute of Westminster on the 11th of December. I do not believe that any one event can be placed above or below another, and that they all hold a value in whatever way that may be. This Essay
Morris, M. (2000). Some facts and dates in Canadian women’s history of the 20th century. Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, 20(1). Retrieved from http://criaw-icref.ca/millenium.
Democracy is more than merely a system of government. It is a culture – one that promises equal rights and opportunity to all members of society. Democracy can also be viewed as balancing the self-interests of one with the common good of the entire nation. In order to ensure our democratic rights are maintained and this lofty balance remains in tact, measures have been taken to protect the system we pride ourselves upon. There are two sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that were implemented to do just this. Firstly, Section 1, also known as the “reasonable limits clause,” ensures that a citizen cannot legally infringe on another’s democratic rights as given by the Charter. Additionally, Section 33, commonly referred to as the “notwithstanding clause,” gives the government the power to protect our democracy in case a law were to pass that does not violate our Charter rights, but would be undesirable. Professor Kent Roach has written extensively about these sections in his defence of judicial review, and concluded that these sections are conducive to dialogue between the judiciary and the legislature. Furthermore, he established that they encourage democracy. I believe that Professor Roach is correct on both accounts, and in this essay I will outline how sections 1 and 33 do in fact make the Canadian Charter more democratic. After giving a brief summary of judicial review according to Roach, I will delve into the reasonable limits clause and how it is necessary that we place limitations on Charter rights. Following this, I will explain the view Professor Roach and I share on the notwithstanding clause and how it is a vital component of the Charter. To conclude this essay, I will discuss the price at which democr...
Our government’s predecessors have attempted to eradicate Canada’s first people, which is not only an insult to the indigenous people of the past, but to the present. This country did not start off as a joint endeavor of the two general groups of people that inhabited it during its birth, but decimation and forced assimilation of great traditions and people. The assimilation of a great culture, the destruction of oral histories, and the forced loss of language destroyed the chance trust. Only by teaching disgust towards that type of attitude and action, by not excusing it or attempting to justify, will begin a new age of
During the last 4 months, I’ve studied a lot about Canadian history and come across many great historical events that have shaped Canadian identity. The two most defining moments between the years 1900 to 2000 were women’s suffrage which was an issue to determine if women should have the right to vote or not. The other defining moment for Canada was Expo 67, which was the most successful worlds fair in history.
Currently, Canadian women are helping women in third world countries gain the same rights Canadian women have received. Some well known foundations are ‘Because I Am A Girl’, donations are sent to girls in the third world country so that they can obtain food, shelter, and an education, allowing them make a change in their society. Canadian women would not have been able to create projects to help women in other nations gain their rights if not for The Married Women’s Property Act, World War I, The Person’s Case, and Canadian Human Rights Act. These key milestones in Canadian history have allowed Canadian women to continue fighting for women rights on a global stage.
I visited witness blanket on 27 September which is currently located at S Block, UFV Abbotsford. I attended this place along with some members of Friends without Border. This memo will provide the readers with the information regarding the witness blanket and my experience. Before sharing my experience, I would like to share some details related to this vital part of the Canadian history.
Newman, Garfield et al. Canada A Nation Unfolding. Toronto: Mc Graw – Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000.
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
Canada might only be 148 years old, but its origin of law can be traced back nearly centuries ago. The rule of law dates back to 1215, when King John, in England, issued the Magna Carta. Magna Carta was essentially a document about judicial procedures. The rule of law is intended to be equal and protect individuals and that no one person is above the law. All persons are compelled, obligated, and liable by the law and are entitled to be protected by the very same law. Having ties with England over the course of history, Canada as adopted many standard principles from the English system. Along with the Magna Carta and other documents, the rule of law became the foundation of English law, which also laid the foundation for the Canadian (English-speaking)
Samuelson, Leslie, and Wayne Andrew Antony. Power and resistance: critical thinking about Canadian social issues. 5th ed. Halifax, N.S.: Fernwood Pub., 2012. Print.
The Famous Five are prominent people in Canadian history and they have established many of our rights. The Famous Five consists of Emily Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parbly. They are most well-known for winning the Persons Case, but the Famous Five also contributed to the creation of libraries, travelling health clinics, distance education, mother’s allowance, equal citizenship of mothers and fathers, and prison reform. The Famous Five have made many significant contributions to Canada.
In 1904, the Prime Minister of Canada, Wilfrid Laurier stated “I believe that we can claim that the 20th century will belong to Canada.” From my viewpoint, Laurier was correct in saying this, as the 21th century was a high time for Canadian innovation with Canadian women gaining the right to vote in 1916, the declaration of the Statute of Westminster in 1931 and the victory at Vimy Ridge in 1917. This quote has left a mark in Canadian History, and has also left room for many different insights that allow us to truly comprehend and understand its significance, and how exactly it was correct.