Canada - One of the Oldest Constitutional Democracies in the World

There appears to be a number of people in Canada who are misinformed with respect to whether or not Canada has a constitution. Why that should be I have no idea other than Facebook and other media having algorithms that lead credulous people down the garden path.

I remember when the constitution was patriated to Canada in 1982; it was a very big deal. Here’s what Wikipedia says about that event, in brief:

The patriation of the Canadian constitution was achieved in 1982 when the British parliament, with the assent of the Canadian parliament, passed the Canada Act 1982, which included in its schedules the Constitution Act, 1982, the United Kingdom thus formally absolving itself of any remaining responsibility for, or jurisdiction over, Canada. In a formal ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed both acts as law on 17 April 1982. Constitution Act, 1982, included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Prior to the charter, there were various statutes which protected an assortment of civil rights and obligations, but nothing was enshrined in the constitution until 1982. The charter has thus placed a strong focus upon individual and collective rights of the people of Canada.

Canada is one of the oldest constitutional democracies in the world. We enjoy freedoms and have opportunities that few other nations have, including our wonderful Scandinavian countries. I refer here specifically to the economic opportunities available to Canadians that are not so readily available in Europe. From an environmental perspective we are most likely the cleanest country in the world with wide open spaces, plenty of clean water and strong forests.

From a political perspective we also are fortunate in not simply having a two party system (although federally this has always been the way except for that wonderful orange period of Jack Layton when the NDP were the official opposition). We are also fortunate in that MOST Canadians are proud to be multi-cultural and it is frustrating beyond belief to have so much malignant misinformation spread about how many refugees we have, how they get and so on and so forth. Are there people coming in illegal? Most likely. Are they being dealt with appropriate? Perhaps not always. Are they going to bring down this country? Most definitely NOT.

We Canadians are a quiet, polite nation but we also have enough courage to defend our rights and freedoms without violence.

I am grateful every day that I live in this fine country but I don’t forget that I too am an immigrant. Thank you Canada for accepting my family into this land.