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Champlain establishes Quebec City
He was an explorer who established New France and was credited for founding Quebec City, an establishment where the fur trade with the First Nations could be controlled more easily. This event was important because it allowed French expansion with the fur trade. -
Acadian expulsion
The British took over Acadia (Nova Scotia/New Brunswick) and didn't trust the Acadians, they thought they would try to fight against them so they neutralized the threat by rounding them up and sending them on ships to the 13 colonies. This event changed the geography of the Maritimes, it wiped the Acadians and their culture out and was taken over by American settlers. -
Battle of the plains of Abraham
A British invasion defeated French troops that led to the surrender of Quebec as well as Canada. This event was important because it lead to the creation of Canada but was changed to British rule instead of France. -
Royal Proclamation
Issued by King George III to establish the basis for governing the North American territories, it introduced policies to assimilate French to British rule and to negotiate treaties with the Indigenous. This is an important event because it began a relationship between the First Nations and acknowledged their lands and rights, it wasn't done in the right way because King George used it to gain land just for himself. -
Quebec act is passed
It revoked the royal proclamation of 1763, it was passed to gain the loyalty of the French-speaking majority of Quebec, it guaranteed freedom of worship, and restored French property rights. It was one of the direct causes of the American Revolutionary War and was important because it helped get away from British rule, it increased the size of Quebec, and allowed the French language to continue which is part of Canadian identity. -
Lord Durham's report
He was sent to the colonies to find out the reason for rebellions, his report recommended uniting upper and lower Canada and for responsible government. This event was important because it united them into one Canada, a unified province under a single legislature. -
LaFontaine/Baldwin fight for responsible government
These men became part of the new parliament in 1848 and were able to help each other be voted into assemblies and became a part of the New Ministry, they were able to create a government based on the will of the people based on elections instead of a governor making the decision only. They were great friends and respected each other greatly. This event is important because they started the first responsible government in Canada. -
Indian Act
Law that the federal government administers Indian status, management of reserve land and communal funds. It consolidated earlier colonial laws to assimilate and control indigenous people and their culture. This is an important event because it lumped all Indigenous people into one category and was discriminating as well as restricting them to be who they were. -
Chinese Head Tax
Was enacted to restrict immigration of Chinese people to Canada. They had to pay a tax to enter and was in effect for 38 years. It was a very racist policy and is important to Canadian identity because it shows how the government tried to control immigration by not allowing other diverse groups to settle. -
Conscription Crisis
The military service act became law and made all males aged 20-45 to go to war. PM Borden was determined that Canada should play a role in the war but because their forces were depleted and no one wanted to volunteer they had to force men to fight. This event is important because it helped Canada win the war but it divided the English and the French which led to riots and continued French Canadian nationalism. -
Statute of Westminster
British law enacted to recognize independence of Canada from Britain with full legal freedom. This was important to Canadian identity because it allowed Canada to make decisions without being under complete British rule, it increased sovereignty and legislative equality. -
Canada adopts maple leaf flag
The first government attempt at giving Canada a flag started in 1925, through many designs, committees, and debates it was finally voted in. This is an important part of our identity because it is something that represents our country and we are proud of it. -
White Paper
Policy attempted by Trudeau and Cretien to abolish legal documents relating to indigenous peoples, aimed to achieve equality among all Canadians making Aboriginals's as citizens with the same rights as all other Canadians. This is an important event because this shows how the government just tried to sweep all the history of mistreatment under the rug, ignoring the treaties and rights to their land. -
Canada adopts multi-culturalism
Was an official government policy by Trudeau to recognize the contribution of cultural diversity and was intended as a solution to manage Francophone nationalism in Quebec and the unrest in trying to protect their culture. This was important because it recognized the Francophone culture and others and allowed some government enforcement to keep culture and language protected and an important part of Canadian identity. -
Bill 101
Made French the official language of the Government and the courts of Quebec. French became the everyday language in schools, work, commerce, and business. This was an important event because it made the province unique being the only province with French everything. -
NEP is adopted
This was an energy policy, the goal was to guarantee the supply and price of Canadian natural gas and oil, increase Canadian ownership, control the petroleum industry, and gain a greater share of energy revenues. This shows a perspective of Canadian identity of our natural resources being very important and that they needed to be protected. -
Quebec refuses to sign constitution
Separatist government Levesque and parti Quebecois refused to sign the Constitution Act of 1982 because he believed it would reduce Quebec's power and force going back to providing more English education for the minority. This was an important event for Canadian identity to keep Quebec as a unique French-speaking province, to preserve their culture. -
The Oka Crisis
78 day standoff between Mohawk protesters and the Quebec police, RCMP, and Canadian army. They were protesting against the expansion of a golf course onto lands that were on their burial grounds. It ended with cancelling the expansion and the government purchased the land. This was an important event because the Indigenous took a huge stand in voicing their concerns about their lands and it did stop the expansion from happening. -
Sikh RCMP allowed to wear turban
Baltej Dhillon became a police officer in 1998 but refused to shave his beard and remove his turban as this was part of his religious culture, he decided to try and change the dress code. PM Brian Mulroney approved it and also changed the dress code for women police officers to be allowed to wear pants. This was an important decision because it shows how Canada is open to diversity and can be respectful to the Sikh religion. -
Metis settlement Act
Alberta/Metis settlement accord provided the framework for self government and land recognition, an appeals tribunal was formed to resolve disputes of membership, land use and resources on the settlements. This event was important because Canada recognized the Metis' rights to their land and gave them the power to manage them. -
Second referendum for Quebec to separate
Quebec wanted to be a distinct and autonomous nation. The result was no just as in the first referendum in 1980. This event was important since Quebec remained a province of Canada and they were declared a distinct society and gave the provinces a greater say in reforms. -
Nunavut is created
Canada created a third territory, the Inuit people make up almost 85% of the population, encompasses over 200 million km², represented the first major change in the political map of Canada since 1949 when Newfoundland was incorporated. This event is important because it was the first time an Indigenous group was able to peacefully establish a government that they controlled within the Canadian state. They had control over their land and resources for the future unlike all others in the past. -
Canada's apology for residential schools
Prime Minister Harper stood in the House of Commons to offer an apology to the Indigenous peoples for the abuse, suffering, and generational and cultural dislocation that resulted from assimilation through forcing the removal of children from their homes into schools. This was an important event because it recognized the wrongs that were done to the Indigenous peoples and started a healing process.