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Acadian Deportation
The Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to Britain. After this, Charles Lawrence imprisoned them and had them deported. Acadian families were being separated, houses and crops were burnt to the ground. -
The Conquest
There was a British invasion led by General James Wolfe. Both commanding officers were killed in the battle and the British defeated the French. Quebec was never recaptured by the French. -
The Royal Proclamation Determines First Nations are Sovereign
The Royal Proclamation promised that First Nations would have a level of land security. By doing this, the British were trying to stabilize the western frontier. They decide to do this because of the appearing Indigenous confederacy fighting. -
Lord Durham's Report
Lord Durham was sent to British North America to look into the causes of the rebellions of 1837-38 in Upper and Lower Canada. He reported the need for unification of Upper and Lower Canada and a responsible government. The British Parliament carried out only the first. Durham suggested that they assimilate the French and unite the two Canadas. This would allow the English-speaking majority to take control. -
Indian Act
The Indian Act was aimed to eliminate First Nations culture in favor of assimilation into Canadian society. It outlines governmental obligations to First Nations. The Act has been amended several times, most significantly in 1951 and 1985. The changes mostly consist of removing discriminatory sections. -
Chinese Head Tex
After the Canadian Pacific Railway was built, some Chinese people wanted to immigrate to Canada. Their labor was not needed, so the Canadian government didn’t really want them anymore. The Chinese were forced to pay Head Tax, levied under the Chinese Immigration Act. The Chinese had to pay $50 per person, it was later raised to $100 and then to $500. In the end, Chinese people paid $23 million. -
Louis Riel Execution
Louis Riel was a Metis leader. He was executed for treason for his role in the 1885 resistance to Canadian encroachment on Metis land. He is seen as a hero and rebel. He fought to protect his people from the Canadian government. -
Manitoba Schools Question
The Manitoba Act created the principal of denomination Catholic and Protestant school systems. This means they would have French schools for the Catholics and English schools for the Protestants. -
Conscription Crisis
In 1916, men stopped volunteering to fight in the first World War. Canada didn’t have enough recruits to reinforce the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The conscription crisis started in 1917. It divided the whole country into two groups, the people who were opposed to the idea and the people who supported it. -
The White Paper
The White Paper was a Canadian government policy paper. The purpose was to try to abolish previous legal documents involving Indigenous peoples. It was also to get rid of treaties and assimilate all Indigenous people. Indigenous people called it the Red Paper because they saw the name as racist. -
The FLQ Crisis
The FLQ Crisis was the peak of a long series of terrorist attacks performed by the FLQ, which was an aggressive Quebec independence movement. The FLQ kidnapped British trade commissioner James Cross. They later kidnapped and murdered Quebec Minister of Immigration and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte. Quebec called for federal help to help deal with the crisis. -
Canada Officially Adopts Multiculturalism
Canada was the first country in the world to develop a multicultural policy. Multiculturalism was meant as a policy solution to rising francophone nationalism and the rising cultural diversity in Canada. In 2021 will be the 50th anniversary of when Canada officially adopted multiculturalism. -
Bill 101
Bill 101 made French the official language of the government and of the courts in Quebec. It also made it normal to speak French and habitual language. It protects the French language in Canada. -
National Energy Program
Canada applied the National Energy Program which was an energy policy. Canada wanted to make sure that Canada could supply its own oil and gas needs by 1990. Private industry and some provincial governments were against it, but it was popular with consumers and was a symbol of Canadian economic nationalism. -
Quebec Refuses to Sign the Constitution
Quebec refused to sign the constitution because it would lose its veto over future constitutional change, and the end of Quebec’s Bill 101. -
RMCP Allow Turbans
Baltej Dhillon wanted to be an RCMP officer but the dress code went against his religion. Instead of going against his beliefs or giving up his dream, he sought to change the RCMP uniform policy. He was the first officer to wear a turban and have a beard. -
The Oka Crisis
The 78-day standoff was over a piece of land. It was a Mohawk burial ground that non-Indigenous wanted to turn into a golf course. After the death of a police officer, tensions were high. The army was called in and the protest ended. The land was bought by the federal government and the building of the golf course was canceled. -
Quebec Separates from Canada
The alienation of Quebec made many people living in the area very angry. They wanted to separate from Canada and become sovereign. This was voted against. -
Canada Apologises to Indigenous People
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood in the House of Commons to apologize to Aboriginal people for the abuse, suffering, and generational and cultural dislocation on behalf of the Canadian government. The cause of all the trauma brought to Aboriginal people was Residential Schools, which were used to assimilate them.