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The Constitution Act
The Constitution Act of 1982 was an Act that gave the right to amend the Canadian constitution without British approval to Canada from Britain. It was done to fulfill a promise to change the Canadian constitution which was given to Quebec. This Act was significant to Canada as it brought the right to freely change our constitution into Canadian hands. It also created the Charter of Rights & Freedoms which permanently ensures the rights and freedoms of Canadians. -
Meetch Lake Accord
The Meetch Lake Accord was an Accord from 1987-1990 which aimed to revise the constitution with the express assent of the province of Quebec. It also could have lead to a weaker federal government and stronger provincial governments, though the accord failed to the dismay of French Canadians. This Accord was important to Canada as it caused the people of Quebec to think that they should leave Canada as English Canada did not care for them, causing the Quebec independence referendum. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall was the destruction of the Berlin wall by residents of Berlin (both East and West Berlin) and by the East German border guard. The last parts of the wall were destroyed in 1994. The fall of the Berlin Wall was significant to Canada as it signaled the reunification of Germany who would become a crucial ally and trade partner to Canada as well as the fall of other Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. -
Oka Crisis
The Oka Crisis was a protest of the native Mohawk people against the building of a golf course in their sacred land. In this case, the protest turned violent as the police attacked the protesters in an attempt to disperse them. This crisis was important to Canada as it started the development of land policy regarding the first nations. It also kickstarted the push for discussion of indigenous issues in Canada. -
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Desert Storm was the response given by Canada and her allies to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Canada and her allies liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation and took the first steps to end the despicable regime ruling over Iraq. This operation was significant to Canada as it was one of the first times if not the first time where the Canadian public was openly hostile to the involvement of Canada in a war. -
The Creation of the GST
The GST is a tax on goods and services bought by Canadians. The GST replaced the FST and in some provinces it has been replaced by HST. The GST is significant to Canada as it lowers tax fraud and evasion. It also increases the efficiency of the tax system. -
The Collapse of the USSR.
The collapse of the USSR was the dissolution of the USSR into multiple smaller states due to the economic and political instability in the USSR. This event ended the Cold War. The collapse of the USSR was significant to Canada as it destroyed Canada’s biggest threat. -
The Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was an Accord from August 28th – 26th October 1992 that was held to convince Quebec to consent to the 1982 Constitution Act. It also had the goal of decentralizing the government and giving more power to the provinces. This accord was significant to Canada as it helped cause the 1995 Quebec independence Referendum by once again letting down the French Canadians. -
The Establishment of NAFTA
NAFTA was a free trade agreement among the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 1994 to 2020, being replaced with CUSMA. NAFTA called for the elimination of trade tariffs so that the economies of all three nations may benefit from shared economic growth. NAFTA was significant to Canada as it grew the Canadian economy. The agreement also grew Canadian trade with Mexico and America. -
The Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was a 100-day genocide on the Tutsi minority and moderate Hutu of Rwanda. This genocide started after anti Tutsi propaganda was spread by the government and the assassination of key moderating figures within Rwanda. The Rwandan Genocide was extremely significant to Canada as the UN peace keeping mission to Rwanda was led by a Canadian general. -
The 1995 Quebec Referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was a referendum that would decide whether Quebec would stay in Canada or become an independent nation. The referendum resulted in Quebec staying in Canada as only 49.42% of the voters supported independence while 50.58% did not. This Referendum was important to Canada as it kept Quebec from separating from Canada, keeping Canada whole. -
The Creation of Nunavut
The creation of Nunavut was the creation of a new territory in Canada due to the plea of the people in modern Nunavut who wanted to protect their culture by having their own province. The people of modern Nunavut wanted a government elected by them for them. This event was significant for the country as it displayed the government’s care for the wishes of its people. Nunavut was also the last province/territory to join Canada. -
The Nisga’a First Nation Treaty
The Nisga’a First Nation Treaty is a treaty between British Columbia and the Nisga’a First Nations about their land and rights in said land. It negotiated many things like fishing and hunting rights and sustainable resource exploitation. This treaty is significant to Canada as it is the first modern treaty to give native people fair rights over their own territory. It also is significant as it sets an example on how we should treat native nations further reconciliation. -
Canada in Afghanistan
Canada went to Afghanistan to topple the government of Afghanistan and defeat the terrorists behind 9/11. In 2011 all Canadian combat actions were ended, causing many soldiers to leave while some stayed and trained Afghan soldiers for 3 years. This deployment was significant to Canada as Canada had poured $18 billion and the lives of more than a hundred Canadians into the reconstruction and restabilizing of Afghanistan. Many immigrants to Canada also came from Afghanistan. -
9/11
9/11 was a terrorist attack on multiple buildings in America such as the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. This attack committed by Al-Qaeda caused the US to initiate the War on Terror. 9/11 was important to Canada as it placed Canada on track to begin fighting against terrorism around the world along with Canadas allies. Many Canadians also lost their lives in this event. -
The Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage
Same sex marriage was legalized in Canada at the federal level in 2005, allowing men to marry men and women to marry women etc. in Canada. The legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada is significant as it made Canada one of the first nations to formally legalize same-sex marriage in the entire world. It also further grew Canada’s culture into one of acceptance and plurality. -
Steven Harper's Residential School Apology
Steven Harper officially apologized for the Canadian governments building and usage of residential schools. This was more than a decade after the Oka crisis which began the discussions on the topic of indigenous people in Canada. This apology is significant to Canada as it helped the nation apologize for unjust acts committed by the government and to build a new and better future. -
The 2010 Vancouver Olypmics
The 2010 Winter Olympics were hosted in Vancouver. The winter sport events of the Olympics were hosted in Vancouver by Canadians. This event was significant to Canada as it was the third time that Canada ever held the Olympics. Canada also got the most gold medals ever won in one Olympic game; a record only matched in the Beijing 2022 Olympics. -
Canada & the Syrian Refugees
Canada took in 25,000 refugees from Syria in a period of 100 days due to the war in Syria. The biggest humanitarian crisis of the modern day is the war in Syria, and Canada decided to help the people in Syria without guns by resettling the people in Canada. The resettlement of Syrian refugees was significant to Canada as it brought thousands of new people into the country and showed the commitment of Canada to help people in need. -
Tragically Hip's Final Concert
The final concert of Tragically Hip was the last concert of a concert tour from Victoria, British Columbia to Kingston, Ontario. This concert was also the final concert ever performed by Tragically Hip. This concert was significant to Canada as it signaled the ending of an era of Canadian music and the beginning of a new era. It also reminded Canadians to look to the future and not be left behind.