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Start of WW1
Canada was dragged into the war as a dominion of Britain. There was no choice to be made by the Canadian government or public. This shows how much control the British still had over Canada and it's government. Image: Morton, Desmond, "First World War (WWI)". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published August 05, 2013; last modified September 13, 2018. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-world-war-wwi -
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Involvement in WWI
Canada had a very strong involvement in WWI. Despite the fact that the majority of Canadian troops fought alongside British troops, WWI was a large demonstration of Canadian strength and sovereignty. This was especially prominent during The Battle of Vimmy Ridge which is often cited as the birth of the Canadian identity. -
Paris Peace Conference
During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Prime Minister Robert Borden, along with attempting to confirm peace in Europe for the rest of time had another, much more realistic goal in mind. Borden insisted that Canada, a nation that had 60,000 men dead deserved to sign the treaty separate from Britain. Despite this, his signature was put indented under that of the British Empire, however this was one of the first public shows of the Canadian effort to be recognized separate from Britain. -
The Chanak Crisis
In 1922, a nationalist Turkish force were threatening British troops stationed inside Turkey after WWI. Soon after, Britain sent a telegram to the leaders of the Dominions asking them to pledge support in the form of troops to the British cause. William Lyon Mackenzie King's government ruled that only the Canadian parliament could decide whether Canada went to war, however by the time that this decision was rendered, the situation in Turkey was over. -
Halibut Treaty
The Halibut Treaty was negotiated between Canada and the United states in 1923 to try to help to preserve fish stocks in North America. This agreement is notable because it is the first international treaty that Canada negotiated and signed without any input from the British government. -
1926 Imperial Conference
The 1926 Imperial conference passed the Balfour Report which declared that Canada, along with the other British dominions were equal to Britain on a constitutional level. Before this legislation was passed, Britain had the theoretical power to block any Canadian legislation put forward. -
King-Byng affair
The King-Byng affair was of note because it was the last time that a Governor General ever publicly denied a request from the Prime Minister. After a vote of non-confidence was put forward against King, he called for a federal election. The affair had messy party politics, a minority government and intervention from candidates from smaller parties but ultimately, it ended with King winning a 1926 federal election. -
Statute of Westminster
The statute of Westminster was passed in 1931 and it was a law that clarified and declared the powers of the parliaments of many British colonies, among them, Canada. The statute gave the former colonies full legal control of themselves with the exception of areas where the colony may want to remain dependent of Britain. The major responsibility that the Canadian government didn't take on was the modification of their own constitution. -
Appeals to Privy Council For Criminal Cases Abolished
In 1933, appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in criminal cases were abolished under Canadian law. This meant that all criminal cases in Canada couldn't be raised to a British court and that all criminal cases could only be solved in Canadian courts. -
Start of World War Two
When WWII broke out, Canada was not dragged into the war by the British as they were in WWI. Canada's choice to join the war independent of showed that Canada weren't morally opposed to who the British were or what they did but it showed that they were only supporting them because they believed in what the British were doing, not because Canada was being controlled. -
First Canadian Embassy Opened.
In 1947, the first ever Canadian embassy was opened in the United States. This event was significant because up until this point, any embassy duties as they related to Canadians were taken care of by the British. -
Appeals to Privy Council For Civil Cases Abolished
In 1949, appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for civil cases were abolished under Canadian law. This meant that all civil cases in Canada couldn't be raised to a British court and that all civil cases could only be solved in Canadian courts. -
Tradition of Canadain Governor Generals Started
In 1952, Vincent Massey was appointed as Governor General, the first Canadian Governor General since 1755 and his appointment started a tradition of appointing Canadians in the position. The Governor General functions as Canada's head of state, legally appointed by the British monarch. Having this position filled by someone who is Canadian is a strong showing of separation from the British. -
Immigration Policy Change
For most of Canadian history, there was a clear bias in immigration policy towards white people, specifically those of British descent. This changed in 1962 when Canadian immigration policy officially decided not to include race. Before this, almost any British person was considered suitable for Canada. When this policy was put in place, the British were said to be equal to any other people when it came to their suitability for Canada. -
Canadian Flag Officially Adopted
In 1965, Canada's current flag was made that of Canada. The red and white design featuring a maple leaf dislodged the Union Jack and showed a further cultural and legal separation from Britain. -
Order of Canada Established
To mark the 100th anniversary of confederation, The Order of Canada was established. The order is the highest level of distinction in the Canadian honours system. The creation of the order symbolized a separation from the British and meant that Canadians could no longer be knighted. -
O Canada Replaces God Save The Queen
In June of 1980, the National Anthem Act was passed and declared "O Canada" to be the official Canadian national anthem. Prior to this, Canada used Britain's national anthem, either "God Save The Queen" or "God Save The King" depending on who is in power. This was one of the later steps in the separation of the Canada and Britain and while it had very little legal effect, it showed a splitting of cultures between the two nations. -
Constitution Act Passed
The constitution act of 1982, in respect to Canadian independence was a very important law. The most important effect of the constitution act as it relates to Canadian independence was that it allowed Canada to amend its own constitution for the first time in its history. This act also added into the constitution the Canadian Charted of Rights and Freedoms (linked below). https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/constitution-act-1982 -
Canada Day Renamed
In 1982, the Canadian government changes the national holiday of "Dominion Day" to "Canada Day". -
Battle of Medak Pocket
In 1992, Canada provided 14,000 peace keeping soldiers to attempt to mediate diplomatic talks between Croatia and Serbia. This was Canada's most significant military engagement since the Korean war and the battalion was awarded the UN Force Commander’s Commendation. The Battle of Medak Pocket is significant because it is actually the first ever time that Canada was engaged in a war that did not involve the British. -
Policy on Letters of Credence
In 2004, it was declared that all letters of credence written to Canada needed to be addressed to the Governor General of Canada, as opposed to the Queen of England. This was a show of even symbolic powers in Canada being given to the Governor General over the Queen.
