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Timeline of Human Rights Development in Canada

By TimelineCreator007

  • MB Women because first in Canada to win rights to vote & to hold provincial office.

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    Timeline of Human Rights Development in Canada

    By: Adrian

  • All female citizens age 21+ became eligible to vote in federal elections in Canada

  • Women in Canada gain the right to stand for the House of Commons.

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  • Women in Canada gain the right to hold a seat in the Senate.

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  • MB passes a Libel Act that allows legal action to stop personal attacks based on race or religion that expose people to hatred, contempt or ridicule.

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  • Tommy Douglas becomes premier of Saskatchewan and enacts a “humanity first” policy in government - making free health care available to the poor and to senior citizens.

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  • End of WWII and founding of the United Nations "to save future generations from the scourge of war" - Canada is one of the original members.

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  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is signed by U.N. members. Canadian John Humphrey plays a large role in drafting the declaration (Canada is among the signing nations).

  • The federal Elections Act is changed so that race is no longer an exclusion from voting in federal elections.

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  • Japanese Canadians receive the right to vote in federal elections.

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  • Equal Pay for Equal Work law is adopted in MB, preventing discrimination in salary based on gender.

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  • Prime Minister John Diefenbaker brings in the Canadian Bill of Rights.

  • Aboriginal people receive the unrestricted right to vote in federal elections.

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  • The barring of immigrants based on nationality, citizenship, ethnic group, occupation, class or region of origin is ended in Canada.

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  • The last executions take place in Canada.

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  • The Criminal Code is amended to decriminalize homosexuality.

  • The Criminal Code makes it a crime to advocate genocide or publicly incite hatred against people because of their colour, race, religion or ethnic identity.

  • Capital punishment is removed as a penalty for crime in Canada (still permitted in the military for serious offenses).

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  • The federal government passes the Canadian Human Rights Act and sets up the Human Rights Commission.

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  • The Immigration Act removes all restrictive regulations based on "nationality, citizenship, ethnic group, occupation, class or geographical area of origin."

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  • The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms becomes part of Canada’s constitution and the Canadian identity. Many landmark decisions have been made by the Supreme Court to uphold the human rights provisions of the Charter.

  • The Constitution Act specifically recognizes Aboriginal rights and the Métis as an Aboriginal people.

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  • Bill C-31 is Changed....

    Bill C-31 changes the Indian Act to end some forms of discrimination that had existed since 1860. Prior to Bill C-31 Indian women who married non-Indian men were no longer considered to be Indian nor were their children. They were now allowed to reclaim their status under the Indian Act. Other First Nations people were also allowed to reclaim their status as Indians under the Act i.e.) people who had lived outside of Canada for more than five years.

  • The federal Employment Equity Act comes into force.

  • Prime Minister Brian Mulroney acknowledges Canada’s wrongful actions against Japanese Canadians during WWII and offers a compensation program.

  • Elijah Harper (an Aboriginal Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly) is instrumental in the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord as it neglected to acknowledge Aboriginal Canadians’ significant role in shaping Canada’s future.

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  • The federal government announces a five-year national plan to help bring persons with disabilities into society’s mainstream.

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  • Sexual orientation is added as a grounds for discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act.

  • The Canadian government issues a statement of reconciliation to residential school survivors and victims and establishes the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

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  • Canada's Extradition Act...

    Canada's Extradition Act states that Canada will refuse to forcibly return anyone to a country that wants to punish that person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, language, colour, political opinion, sex, sexual orientation, age, mental or physical disability or status.

  • The Canadian government announces a $1.9 billion compensation package to benefit tens of thousands of survivors of abuse at native residential schools.

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