-
Manitoba was the first Canadian province to allow women to vote on January 28, 1916. A wave of reforms was triggered by this historic accomplishment, and later that year, Saskatchewan and Alberta followed suit. Suffragettes non stop efforts to promote female equality were the driving force behind these early victories. The first steps toward more larger and important changes at the federal level were taken by provincial democracy. In Canada, this was the beginning of women's political voice. -
The majority of Canadian women were granted the right to vote in federal elections on May 24, 1918., which was a significant win for the suffrage movement. Indigenous women and some other groups were still an exception, though, not all women were included. One of the most important steps towards attaining full political equality in Canada was the federal suffrage, which extended women's political rights beyond provincial boundaries. -
An important turning point in Canadian women's rights was the Persons Case. The legal question of whether women could be appointed to the Senate was a issue to the case. At first, the Supreme Court Of Canada declared that women weren't legally considered "persons." On appeal, the British Privy Council's Judicial Committee overturned this verdict/decision, concluding that women might be regarded as individuals and be appointed to the Senate. -
The Indian Act that was established in 1876 and was reviewed in 1951 to get rid of the discriminate provisions. The revision done allowed the indigenous people to do their cultural practices, which were banned before. The amendment provided that indigenous women to vote in elections which was a right that was denied before. The act still restricted the rights of indigenous people for their self rights. -
Before this in 1960, the indigenous were not allowed to vote in federal elections but could have only if they gave up their treaty rights. In 1960, the government of Canada passed a legislation letting the indigenous people vote and marked a positive towards recognizing of indigenous Canadians as full citizens with the right to vote. -
To protect human rights Prime Minister John Diefenbaker passed the Canadian Bill of Rights as a federal statute. It was shown to be useless since it only applied to federal statutes, not provincial ones, even if it upheld fundamental rights such the freedom of expression, religion, and the right to equal treatment under the law. Between 1960 and 1982, the bill was mentioned in 32 lawsuits, 30 of which were dismisssed. In 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms took its place. -
The Human Rights Code of Ontario, was passed in 1962 and prohibited discrimination in housing, public services and employment,. The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established by the Code to monitor complaints and guarantee respect It covered topics like disabilities, religion, and race/ethnicity. Aspects including age, gender, sex, family status, housing, and contracts are also protected under the legislation. Other provinces used this Code as a model. -
Royal Commission on the Status of Women which was founded in 1967. Gender inequality was a problem and In order to guarantee women's equality in society the goal was to compile data on the situation of women in Canada and give ideas to the federal government. The results showed that discrimination in family law, education, and employment was pervasive. They then suggested to the government to increase the number of women in leadership positions, improve childcare, and provide equitable pay. -
Passed on October 24, the Immigration Act of 1967 established a points based system that prioritized education and skills over race. Characteristics such as education, age, occupational skills, ability in English and French, and employment prospects were the basis for these points. The racially biased practices found in earlier immigration rules were abolished by this reform. It made it possible for more non-European immigrants to come to Canada, which greatly increased immigration. -
English and French were designated as Canada's official languages in 1969 by the Canadian Official Languages Act. The equal standing of both languages in federal institutions, including as Parliament, federal laws, and courts, was guaranteed by this statute. It made it possible for Canadians to speak their preferred official language while interacting with federal entities. The Act gave English and French speakers more equality and demonstrated Canada's dedication to multiculturalism. -
On July 14, 1977, the Canadian Human Rights Act became a law to protect people from discrimination in areas subject to government regulation. The Canadian Human Rights Commission was established by the act to look into and settle discrimination complaints. It forbids discrimination on the grounds of age, sex, color, and handicap. This act made sure that everyone has a method to challenge unlawful discrimination -
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was enacted on April 17, 1982, is Canada's supreme law and protects individual rights. All citizens now have more rights and freedoms as a result of the social and legal change it has brought about. The Charter gives criminal defendants and minorities more rights while guaranteeing protection from abuse by authorities. It ensures equality before the law and offers basic liberties like freedom of expression. -
The federal Lord's Day Act which required that companies close on Sundays was declared to be a violation of religious freedom by the Supreme Court in the 1985 case of Big M Drug Mart Ltd. v. Canada. The law violated religious liberties protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and liberties the Court said. Because it upheld the separation of church and state, this case was a major turning point in Canadian constitutional law and the defense of individual rights against government interference.
-
Passed in 1986, the Canadian job Equity Act aimed to provide equal job opportunities for four historically discriminated-against groups: visible minorities, women, Indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities. The Act required that companies operating in sectors subject to government regulation take proactive measures to eliminate obstacles and guarantee equitable representation of these groups in the workforce. This Act came into effect for Canada's federal public service in 1996. -
Oakes was accused of possessing drugs. The court determined that Oakes was distributing them after it was demonstrated that he possessed excessive amounts of it for medical purposes. Oakes argued that he was entitled to maintain his innocence until and unless proven guilty, but the court used a "reverse onus" In order to defend Canadian people, the Supreme Court granted the crown's appeal and overruled these rights. The case was dismissed since it did not satisfy all the requirements. -
Prior to 1988, abortion was prohibited in Canada and only allowed in cases when a woman's life was in danger. However, the Supreme Court declared in "R. v. Morgentaler" (1988) that the Criminal Code's abortion provisions were unconstitutional because they infringed upon a woman's Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms rights to life, liberty, and security. By decriminalizing abortion, this ruling allowed women to make their own reproductive decisions free from interference from the government. -
The 1997 Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case brought up significant issues about the nature and Aboriginal title. The Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en nations had made several unsuccessful attempts to negotiate land ownership with the BC government. According to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitution Act (1982) protects Aboriginal title as an ancestral right. This ruling established a standard for upcoming land claims and discussions and confirmed the legal status of Indigenous land rights. -
In 1991, a Christian institution fired university staffer Delwin Vriend after learning he was gay. He allegedly broke the college's homosexual behavior policy. Vriend claimed that his termination constituted sexual orientation discrimination, which at the time was not protected by Alberta's Human Rights Act. In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation must be illegal. -
In 1993, Donald Marshall, a Mi'kmaq man, was accused of using an illicit fishing net and selling eels without a fishing license. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court after he was found guilty. The Court acknowledged that the 1760 treaty between the Mi'kmaq people and the British Crown guaranteed them the right to hunt and fish. The Supreme Court upheld Indigenous peoples' right to fish for food under treaty agreements in its 1999 decision in Marshall's favor. -
In British Columbia and Ontario, same-sex marriage was legalized in 2003. Same-sex partnerships are now legal nationwide thanks to the 2005 passage of the federal Civil Marriage Act. Consequently, after the Netherlands and Belgium, Canada became the third country in the world to permit same-sex marriage. The law now grants same-sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual spouses. Legalization was a significant win in Canada's fight for LGBTQ+ equality and rights. -
To give survivors of residential schools a platform to express their stories the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was founded in 2008. The commission's work was supported by $72 million from the Canadian government. It interacts with the general public and informs Canadians about the legacy and history of residential schools. It encourages peace and healing between Canadian society and Indigenous communities. This has been essential in showing the effects of the system of residential schools.