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The ability to vote in Canada for women was a long process that took decades. By 1900 women were allowed municipal voting rights in many cities. The first time that women were given the opportunity to vote and run for office was on January 28, 1916 when Manitoba allowed it. On May 24, 1918 all women in Canada were allowed to vote federally. By 1940 all provinces allowed women to vote provincially with Quebec being the last to allow it. By 1960 Aboriginal women were given the right to vote. -
In 1928 women were ruled to be not considered "persons" according to the British North America Act and could not be appointed to senate. In 1929 The Persons Case (Edwards v. A.G. of Canada) initiated by a group of women called the famous five allowed women to be part of senate. This case was a beginning step in Canada to help reach full gender equality. -
The Indian Act Revisions of 1951 was the first time that the Canadian government consulted First Nations peoples during the changes to the Indian Act. This was the start of allowing Indigenous people have more say in what happened to them and was a start towards equality. The revisions removed some of the most offensive political, cultural and religious restrictions. Some of these restrictions include restrictions on ceremonies like the sun dance that were lifted. -
After Canada was formed Indigenous people were allowed to vote in federal elections if they owned property. By 1917 with the Military Voters Act Indigenous people could vote if they were in the army. Before 1950 Inuit people couldn't vote but after they were given the opportunity after 1950. By March 31, 1960 all indigenous men were given the opportunity to vote and could do so without losing their Indian status.
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The Canadian Bill of Rights was the first federal law in Canada that protected Canadians fundamental rights and freedoms. The Bill of Rights was considered to be a groundbreaking step in protecting Canadians. However, the Bill of Rights in practice proved to be limited in its application because it only applied to federal statutes. The Bill of Rights was later superseded by the The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. -
The Ontario Human Rights Code was created to help ensure equality across certain social areas and prevent common forms of discrimination. Some of the protected grounds of the Human Rights Code are race, creed, age, sexual orientation, marital status, and disability, along with many others. The protected social areas are employment, housing, services, contracts, and union and professional associations. -
The Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada was established in February 1967 and more than 900 people appeared at its public hearings. It provided an overview on the status of women and created a report with 167 recommendations on how to reduce gender inequality. The specific mandate of the commission was to report on the status of women in Canada. -
The Canadian Official Languages Act made English and French both official languages in Canada. This act also made it a legal requirement that all federal institutions provide services in English or French if requested. The purpose of the act was to help language minorities speaking English or French in an area where the opposite is predominantly spoken. -
The Immigration Act of 1976 is an act that was created to define the main objectives of Canada's immigration policy. The act helped to promote economic, social, cultural, diversity, and non-discrimination goals. This act was also what created a distinct group for refugees giving the government more obligations under international law.
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The Canadian Human Rights Act was an act introduced that was meant to help ensure equality between Canadians. The act prohibited discrimination because of race, age, sex, and many other categories. This act only governs federal jurisdictions. Provincial jurisdictions such as schools are governed by the provinces specific human rights legislation. -
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights and freedoms of Canadians. It was an improvement on the things that came before it because it was put into the constitution meaning that it is very difficult to change. Being in the constitution also makes it the highest law in Canada forcing all other laws to follow the rights and freedoms of Canada. -
Big M Drug Mart opened their store on a Sunday which was in violation of the Lord's Day Act. The store was going to be charged because it was illegal to open on a Sunday. The case went to the Supreme court where they decided that the law was forcing people to act in accordance with the Christianity violating Canadians freedom of religion. -
David E. Oakes was found with drugs and accused of possession of drugs with the intention of trafficking. The law was that people found with drugs were assumed to be in possession of them with the intention of trafficking and the accused had to prove they were not intending to. The case went to the Supreme Court of Canada where they decided that the law was unconstitutional because it was assuming guilt instead of assuming innocence.
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Abortion in Canada was a crime until 1988 when the Supreme Court of Canada decided that it was unconstitutional as it violated peoples right to their body. The sentence for the woman caught with having an abortion done was two years and for the doctor doing it the maximum sentence was life in prison. Despite being legal the access to it is still very different and people are still fighting to have more access. -
The purpose of the Act was to eliminate inequality in the workplace because of reason other then their ability in the field. This act was meant to help protect women, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and people of visible minorities such as race or ethnicity. This Act also was intended to ensure equity and not equality meaning that everyone should not be treated the same and some people may require specific assistance such as a ramp being put in place for someone in a wheelchair. -
The Delgamuukw case was a case about the extent and existence of the Aboriginal Title. In 1991 The Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled that the aboriginal title was taken away when British Columbia joined Canada. There was an appeal made to the Supreme Court of Canada and they ruled that the provincial government had no right to remove the aboriginal title and clarified the definition of the aboriginal title as Indigenous peoples’ exclusive right to the land. -
Delwin Vriend worked at a private Christian college in Edmonton and he was fired after the school became aware that Vriend was a gay man. Vriend attempted to file a human rights complaint but was told that he should not file a complaint because sexual orientation was not protected under the Individual's Rights Protection Act. Vreind went to the Supreme Court and they ruled that this was a violation of s. 15 of the Charter and ordered that sexual orientation was to be put into the provincial law. -
In 1993 Donald Marshall Jr. a Mi'kmaq man living in Nova Scotia caught and sold an eel with an illegal net outside of fishing season. He was later arrested and found guilty in provincial court and the court of appeals. It later went all the way to the Supreme court where his charges were reversed because of the hunting and fishing rights promised in the Peace and Friendship Treaties. These treaties were signed between the British and the Mi'kmaq in 1760-1761. -
The first provinces that legalized same sex marriage were Ontario and British Columbia in 2003. On July 20th 2005 the Civil Marriage Act was made that legalized same sex marriage throughout Canada making it the third country to do so. However there was also a part in the act that stated a religious figure would not be required to perform same sex marriage if it is against their beliefs because of The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. -
The TRC was created through a legal settlement between many native indigenous groups and the branches of government in charge of schooling. The purpose of the TRC was to inform Canadians of about what happened in residential schools. They went and documented stories from anyone that was personally affected by the schools. The TRC ended in 2015 and moved all of the documentation it had to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.