Canadian Constitutional Documents and Proposals

• Constitution Act, 1867 (Formerly British North America Act)
  • Founding document of the Dominion of Canada

• Constitution Act, 1871 (Formerly British North America Act)
  • Gave Parliament the power to create new provinces out of the Northwest Territories (recently acquired from the Hudson's Bay Company and the Queen)

• Constitution Act, 1886 (Formerly British North America Act)
  • Representation for citizens in Territories

• Constitution Act, 1907 (Formerly British North America Act)
  • Amendments to the federal-provincial transfer payment schedule

• Constitution Act, 1915 (Formerly British North America Act)
  • Refines rules for Senate seat allocation

• Statute of Westminster, 1931
  • Removed legislative authority of Parliament at Westminster (London) over the Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Newfoundland), with the following caveat:
  • As the Canadian delegation had been unable to settle on an amending formula, the existing scheme (ie. a simple British law, subject to amendment) was retained. (See 1982.)

• Constitution Act, 1982 / Loi Constitutionelle de 1982
  • Act which 'patriated' Canada's constitution, due to Trudeau
  • Included a domestic amending formula
  • Includes Charter of Rights and Freedoms (HTML version)
  • Never signed by Quebec, although it remains legally binding throughout Canada

• Meech Lake Accord (1987)
  • Featured the "5 minimal demands" for Quebec, so they could sign 1982 constitution "with dignity and honour".
  • Timed out after 3 years, on June 23, 1990. At deadline, had been ratified by the House of Commons and eight of the ten provincial legislatures. Ratification in Manitoba was obstructed by a filibuster of Native MLA Elijah Harper. With the defeat of the Accord apparent, Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells, having previously 'unratified' the Accord, declined to call the reratification vote in the Nfld. legislature.

• Clark Proposal for Constitutional Amendment (1991)
  • in English
  • en français

• Charlottetown Accord (1992)
  (Unofficial and Draft Legal texts, plus a representation of the Government mailing via gopher)

  • Meech Lake demands plus "Canada Clause"
  • Included proposal for Equal (by province) Senate
  • Included promise of autonomy for First Nations
  • Included social charter
  • Defeated in Oct 26th 1992 referendum in Quebec and also in rest of Canada (two coincident referenda).

NOTE: File Compression