How modern Canada was shaped: rights, language, healthcare, and the Charter.
Voting and rights expand
- Manitoba was first to grant women the vote in 1916.
- By 1918, most female citizens aged 21+ could vote in federal elections.
- Indigenous (First Nations) people gained the unrestricted right to vote in federal elections in 1960.
- Canadian Bill of Rights (1960) — predecessor to the Charter; introduced by PM Diefenbaker.
- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrined in the Constitution Act, 1982, under PM Pierre Trudeau.
Languages and identity
- Official Languages Act (1969) gave English and French equal status in the federal government.
- Maple Leaf flag — adopted Feb 15, 1965, under PM Lester B. Pearson; February 15 is National Flag of Canada Day.
- Multiculturalism Act (1988) — Canada was the first country to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy.
Universal healthcare
- Tommy Douglas, a Saskatchewan premier and Baptist minister, championed the first single-payer, universal medical insurance plan (Saskatchewan, 1962).
- Federal Medical Care Act extended publicly funded healthcare across Canada.
Quebec and federation
- Two Quebec referendums on sovereignty: 1980 (60% no) and 1995 (50.6% no).
- Quebec remains part of Canada with a distinctive French-speaking culture and civil-law tradition.