Milestones Matter

Tuesday April 17, was Charter Day.  It marked thirty years since Pierre Elliott Trudeau signed on behalf of Canada a document that enshrined our rights in law.  I started a thread over on the Hawthorne Villager about it, and it quickly disintegrated into Trudeau bashing.

It got me thinking about the Canadian Identity, and how milestones matter. In the last two weeks two important anniversaries were marked.  The first was the 95th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.  Canada was barely 50 years old.  At the outset of World War I Canadian soldiers were scattered among British regiments fighting under British commanders.  At Vimy Ridge they were gathered together forming four divisions under a Canadian commander and asked to fight.  In the war's context it wasn't a very significant battle, but after it was done Canada had an army.  And that made it very significant for Canadian history.


  On April 17, 1982 the  Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was officially signed into law.  Before then Canada enjoyed a kind of half-nation status; some decisions could be appealed to the British Privy Council as late as the 1970's. Until the Constitution and Charter's passage Canada was ruled by the British North America Act- something that originally created the country.  There were no firm rights for First Nations, and the Provinces had little idea on their responsibilities; ie: what they had to provide for the citizens.

Thanks to the Charter, as of 1982 Canadians had their rights enshrined- as close to set in stone as you could get.  It made it illegal for someone to be discriminated against based on their colour, sexual orientation, or religion.  It guaranteed people the right to vote in an election, and the right to stand themselves for election.  It cemented people's freedoms of mobility- to leave the country/ province.  It guaranteed that citizens were treated fairly under, and before the law (people were given a free trial).  In short, and in hindsight it was a remarkable achievement.  Making it even better, did you know the Charter of Rights served as inspiration for something similar in South Africa?

And that's why I'm disappointed in the Harper government for marking it with merely a press release; a statement.  I get that it's a hyper partisan atmosphere in Ottawa these days; and Pierre Trudeau was after all a Liberal.  But he did get the leaders of 10 different provinces and territories to agree on something- and that's an achievement few Prime Ministers have been able to duplicate since.  And arguably the charter and its stated freedom of expression is the reason why politicians can call each other names.  Shouldn't such an achievement have greater recognition?

Canada is so eager for newcomers to appreciate our culture, and history. It's time we started making milestones matter despite the politics behind them.  You never know, that could be the start of a different identity apart from being "not American."