Mila B.
The History of Canada’s Government
Mila B.
Edmonton Regional Heritage Fair
Edmonton, AB
Canada is a representative democracy where citizens vote for a representative using majority rule. We are also a constitutional monarchy meaning even though we go by our own constitution the Governor General carries out all our decisions to the crown. That is how our government works now but long before we came here, there were the First Nations. The Aboriginals were self-governed people but they had a very complex social structure. They elected chiefs, healers, and elders. A few hundred years later Great Britain colonized this land. From the years 1871 to 1921 the Crown negotiated eleven treaties with the First Nations. Canada was originally a colony of Britain when the four British colonies joined together. The British North America Act of 1867 signified constitution rules for Canada. Only Great Britain could make major changes to the constitution. This brings us back to the original question; why is Canada a representative democracy? Colonies set up by Britain had a long history of representative democracy. Their system is very similar to ours today. This is because four British colonies joined together to create Canada in 1867. That is why Canada is a representative democracy. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of our Canadian constitution. Since 1982 our constitution has been an essential part of our democracy. It guarantees us rights and freedoms. Women's rights are now supported by the constitution. Originally, they had no rights to vote. In 1916 women won the right to vote provincially only in Manitoba. By 1918 all Canadian women had the right to vote provincially. We have learned Canada has a very interesting history but has evolved to be an amazing country from just a colony of Britain. All Canadians should be very proud.
What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?I used websites like The Canadian Encyclopedia, Justice.gc, Canada.ca, and ourcommons.ca. These websites did not clearly express opinions and were quite objective. This is because my project was not controversial. Everything that happened was a fact so the websites I used had nothing to express opinions about. Not very many sites were written by a single author most were written by large companies, organizations and some were even run by department or people who work for the Canadian Federal Government.
What is the historical significance of your topic?
My project covers how Canada was created and how its government was formed. Some of the most important events that I talked about in my project were The British North American Act of 1867, The Canada Act of 1982, as well as many laws that were passed giving women equal rights. These acts are so important for Canada. The British North American Act made Canada an independent country. The Canada Act guaranteed Canadians rights and freedoms by making Canada’s constitution their own and adding a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Why did you choose this topic?
I really enjoy government and the study of politics. When I grow up I aspire to be the Prime Minister of Canada. I thought it would be interesting to research the history of our country’s government.
