on The 1st of July marks the anniversary of the birth of the canadian confederation, which is celebrating 150 years this year. And on the day of the national day of Canada.
On July 1, 1867 came into effect the Constitution of Canada. It formalizes the organization into a federation of four provinces that have chosen to unite : the Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova scotia. Since this date, the national day of Canada is celebrated on the 1st of July. And this year, we celebrate the 150 years of the birth of the country.
Serge Joyal, senator, and historian, reminds us in the text below, extracted from the edition 2017 of the number “moving to Canada”, the challenges which the founders of the canadian Confederation have had to respond.
The birth of the canadian confederation, as told by Serge Joyal
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“How to manage shared economic prosperity while protecting the values, languages and cultures ? This is the challenge that must be met, in 1867, the politicians who have given birth in Canada today. Since North America became british following the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and the treaty of Paris in 1763, London has established separate governments in the six different colonial settlements that have developed on the territory, over the years, at different rates. This fragmentation is not conducive to the development of the resources as much as new means of transportation – railways and steamships – faster and more efficient, have appeared, and that the aim of harnessing this potential is essential. The rapid industrialization adds to the pressure to come to a form of union.
But there’s more: the United States is in a civil war since 1861, and there are some rumors that the american forces, once victorious, would turn to the north and take over Canada. They had already attempted in 1775, and in 1812-1814, but without success. In 1864, political leaders from Ontario, the colony the more populated, support the formation of a legislative union with a single parliament on the Westminster model, in London. The other colonies are strongly opposed. Quebec, with its francophone majority and catholic, which had always kept its French civil law, is afraid of being overwhelmed by a majority unilingual English and protestant. As for the colonies of the maritime, farming and turned to fishing, they are marginalized to the detriment of the centre of the country called upon to benefit in priority the benefits of the new union.
These distinctions are cultural, religious, and economic will ultimately be reconciled in a union of “confederal” bilingual, under the british crown, to form a new nationality – canadian, based on the difference of identities. This vision, expressed in the Constitution of 1867, lasted for 150 years despite numerous challenges and setbacks.”
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Celebrate the 150 years of Canada in Paris : Saturday, 1 July from 17h to 19h, in the Library World Travelers (48 rue Saint-Anne, Paris 2nd), an event that brings together the author Guides Odysseus on Canada and the journalist-producer Catherine Pont-Humbert, author of Books of Montreal (Editions du Passage).