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22/6/1774

Expanded Quebec’s territory and guaranteed French Canadians freedom of religion (Catholicism) and civil law, angering many English colonists and contributing to tensions leading to the American Revolution.

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Upper/Lower Canada Rebellions and the Lord Durham Report

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Upper/Lower Canada Rebellions and the Lord Durham Report

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1839

Rebellions in Ontario (Upper Canada) and Quebec (Lower Canada) against unrepresentative colonial rule. Lord Durham’s 1839 report recommended responsible government and union of the Canadas.

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2/2/1848

First British colony to gain responsible government—an elected assembly controlling the executive, a key step toward democracy in British North America.

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8/3/1867

Created the Dominion of Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick) with a federal system, while leaving Britain control over foreign policy.

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12/4/1876

Gave the federal government control over First Nations peoples, reserves, and status, entrenching assimilationist policies and restricting Indigenous rights.

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Women Granted Right to Vote in Federal Elections

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Women Granted Right to Vote in Federal Elections

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24/5/1918

Extended federal voting rights to most Canadian women (though many Indigenous and racialised women were still excluded for decades).

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11/12/1931

Granted Canada and other Dominions legislative independence from Britain, though Britain still amended Canada’s constitution on request.

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1/1/1947

Established a distinct Canadian citizenship, ending the status of Canadians being solely “British subjects.”

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4/8/1960

A federal statute recognising certain human rights and freedoms, though limited because it was not constitutional law.

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9/7/1969

Made English and French the official languages of Canada, guaranteeing federal bilingualism.

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8/3/1982

Ended Britain’s ability to legislate for Canada, fully patriating the Constitution.

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17/4/1982

Enshrined fundamental rights and freedoms in the Constitution, giving courts the power to strike down laws that violated them.