GRADE 8 HISTORY: UNIT 1 CREATING CANADA. CANADA IN 1860 Look at the map of Canada on p. 4 What similarities and differences do you notice between this.

G RA D E 8 H I S T O RY: U N I T 1

CREATING CANADA

CANADA IN 1860

• Look at the map of Canada on p. 4

• What similarities and differences do you notice between this map and our map today.

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA IN 1860

A SNAPSHOT OF BNA

• Abs• Population about 100 000• Some live on reserves• Those that live in NWT and Rupert’s Land hunt, fish and fur trade

• Vancouver Island and BC• Population 800• Became a British Crown colony in 1849• BC becomes a colony in 1858 after gold is discovered and thousand arrive

to seek it• Vancouver Island and BC join in 1866—the united colony of British

Columbia

• North-Western Territory• Inhabited by abs• Visited by fur traders and explorers seeking a northwest passage across

the continent since the 1500s

NwfdPopulation 122 000Loyal to BritainPeople live in small fishing villages along the coast1/5 of the population live in St. John’s

The MaritimesPopulation 331 000 - Nova Scotia

Halifax is most important port for trade and commercial centre

Population 252 000 - New BrunswickThe colony is mostly forest

Population of 80 000 – PEI

Rupert’s LandHudson’s Bay Company land—the company has the right to tradeInhabited mostly by abs and fur traders

Red River SettlementPopulation of 12 000Initially settled by Scottish immigrantsBy 1860 87% are Metis (mix of ab and Euro heritage)

CanadaLargest colony in BNADivided into Canada East and West

West – English speaking ProtestantEast – French speaking Roman Catholic

The united province of Canada is very much divided by language and religion

Canada Today2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

  persons (thousands)

Canada 33,317.7 33,726.9 34,126.5 34,484.0 34,880.5

Newfoundland and Labrador

506.4 509.1 511.9 512.9 512.7

Prince Edward Island

139.5 141.1 143.1 145.7 146.1

Nova Scotia 937.5 940.6 945.2 948.5 948.7

New Brunswick 746.9 749.9 752.9 755.3 756.0

Quebec 7,750.5 7,825.8 7,905.1 7,978.0 8,054.8

Ontario 12,932.5 13,068.8 13,223.8 13,366.3 13,505.9

Manitoba 1,205.7 1,219.9 1,235.7 1,251.7 1,267.0

Saskatchewan 1,013.8 1,029.5 1,044.4 1,057.8 1,080.0

Alberta 3,592.2 3,672.7 3,723.8 3,778.1 3,873.7

British Columbia 4,384.3 4,459.9 4,529.5 4,576.6 4,622.6

Yukon 33.1 33.7 34.6 35.4 36.1

Northwest Territories

43.7 43.6 43.9 44.2 43.3

Nunavut 31.6 32.2 32.8 33.6 33.7

Note: Population as of July 1.Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 051-0001.Last modified: 2012-09-27.

POLITICS IN CANADA EAST AND WEST

POLITICS IN CANADA EAST AND WEST

Political Parties:• Examine the chart on p. 8 to learn more.• West – Conservatives (Tories), Reform Party (Clear Grits)• East – Conservatives (Parti Bleu), Clear Grits (Parti Rouge)

Name Canada’s federal parties today.

What do you know about them? What would you like to know about them? Work with your group and make a chart outlining everything you know about each party and want to know.

Do you think it is better to have two parties to chose from or is more better?

PARTY PRESENTATION

• You will be assigned a political party. Put together a short PowerPoint presentation to teach the class about the party.

• Include:1. Who is their party leader? (provide some info about

him/her)2. How many seats do they currently have in the House of

Commons? Does this mean they are strong/weak? Explain.3. In which Canadian province(s) does this party have most of

their support?4. What are their goals/beliefs?5. Who is the party representative in your riding? (provide

some info about him/her)

Include pictures and important points.Ensure that you have answered all of the questions well.

A NEW CAPITAL

• In 1857 the Queen chose Ottawa as the capital.• Why do you think this city was chosen?• Let’s look at the map of Canada. What do you

notice about Ottawa’s location? (hint think about what Canada looked like in 1857)• Read p. 8-9—what were the reasonsthat Ottawa was chosen as the capital?• Answer p. 15 #2

Canada has changed a lot over the last 150 years. If you were to choose a new capital today, what would it be? Why? (Work in groups) (Debate?)

POLITICAL DEADLOCK TO COALITION PARTY

• Please read p. 11 and 14 on your own.1) In your own words, explain what political

deadlock is. Write it down in your binder.2) In your own words, explain what a coalition

government is. Write it down in your binder.3) What were the two objectives of forming this

coalition government?

4) Should governments be allowed to form coalition governments? Explain.

5) Today we have more than two political parties. Are coalition governments still possible or necessary? (Consider the case of the Reform and the PC Party)

TEST NEXT CLASS

• Study:• Canada’s political parties in the 1850s (chart on p. 8)• Reasons why Ottawa was chosen as the capital (p. 8-9)• Political deadlock (p. 11)• Coalition government (p. 14)

THE PUSH TO NATIONHOOD

FACTORS LEADING TO CONFEDERATION

• Let’s brainstorm some ideas. Why would the different regions in British North America want to join together? (Look at “snapshot” on p. 5; consider NA in the 1800s)

• Five reasons are listed on p. 18-26. Let’s take a look.

• After reading these factors:• If you were a politician in Newfoundland would you

push for confederation?• What if you were a politician in Canada West?

FACTORS LEADING TO CONFEDERATION

1. The Threat of an American Takeover (p. 18)2. The Trouble With Trade (p. 22)3. Fenian Raids (p. 24)4. The Need for Rail Links (p. 25)5. Changing British Attitudes (p. 26)

QUESTIONS

•P. 29-28 #2-6, 8, 12

CONFEDERATION INVESTIGATED

INQUIRY QUESTION: NOT ALL BRITISH TERRITORIES JOINED CONFEDERATION IN 1867—WAS THIS THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THOSE THAT DID AND DIDN’T?

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

Let’s read p. 32-45 together and investigate the factors each colony had to consider regarding confederation. Colonies:• Canada W• Canada E• New Brunswick • Nova Scotia• PEI• Newfoundland

We must consider the following questions:• What were the pros and cons each colony had to weigh when

deciding whether or not to join?• What was the colony’s final decision in 1867?

Extensions• Have any provinces ever threatened to leave Canada? Why? • What would a province have to do in order to separate from

Canada? (i.e. vote)

PRESENTATIONS

• I will create your groups.• Each group will be assigned a region of Canada.• You will create a presentation that includes:1) Information about the region in the 1860s (resources, population,

demographics, regional boundaries w/ a map). Use textbook and other sources.

2) Pros of confederation for that region. (Reasons why they should join confederation)

3) Cons of confederation for that region. (Reasons why they should not join confederation)

4) A)What the decision was. B) Who made this decision. C) Does your group think this was the right decision (at the time)? Explain

5) Create the PowerPoint. List your sources. You should use sources other than the textbook. (Help Organize Group)

You will be peer assessed and assessed by the teacher on you ability to answer the questions thoroughly as well as your presentation skills.

GROUPS

Question

Can W Can E New B N.S. PEI Nwfd

1 David Chrivel Maya Eric Ryan Micah

2 Alex Neha Aaron Catherine Tu Ishmael

3 Fatimaa Chris Agatha Mathias Thiago Mahir

4 Zenab Sunny Phong Trinh Sifad Mahir/Malcolm

5 Evelyn Thivviyen Annjanette Antonia Christopher

Malcolm

Question

Can W Can E New B N.S. PEI Nwfd

1 Nicholis / Leyla

Gabriel Christian Isis Joe / Mr. Genova

2 Samina Quinn Clay Hubert

3 Soe Way Nuzhat Sylvia Kosta

4 Fung Ryan Syed Jen

5 Karim Melisa Aslam Sebastian

TEST COMING SOON

• Know/Understand the factors that each colony had to consider regarding confederation.

A NEW GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

INQUIRY QUESTION: IN 1867 THE FATHERS OF CONFEDERATION CREATED A RESPONSIBLE AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. IN 1982 PRIME MINISTER PIERRE TRUDEAU CREATED THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS. IF WE HAVE A RESPONSIBLE AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT AND A CONSTITUTION, DO WE NEED A CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS?

CHALLENGES

What would be some of the challenges of uniting the colonies?

• What powers would the central government have?• How much representation would each colony get?• What about First Nations Peoples that had land

claims?• Immigrants began to come from countries other

than France and Britain—how would the new country deal with these people? Would they give them a voice?

GOVERNMENT

Canada would look to the US and Britain to decide on their government structure.Based on the history of both Britain and US, Canada would borrow ideas from both and change some elements that could be improved. THEY LEARNED FROM THE HISTORY OF BOTH BRITAIN AND THE US.

FROM THE US

Consider the history of the US. What was happening in the US the just before the Canadian confederation?Civil War

• US – fed system, but provinces (like states) have own government to deal with local concerns

• Unlike the US, Canada would give the central government more power, central government would get residual powers (opposite of US)—US had a bloody civil war—Canada did not want to repeat this

FROM THE BRITS

Canada is much larger than Britain and therefore different regions have more diverse needs. However the Brits still had a very strong political system• BR – Queen will be the head of government (more symbolic);

Canada would have a parliamentary government fashioned on the British system with a House of Commons made up of representatives elected by the people; representation by population (Que is guaranteed 65 members so they will not be outnumbered)

• BR – the PM and cabinet will be members of the political party with the largest number of seats; if they lose the support of the majority of members they can be voted out

• BR – Canada would have a second house of parliament—the Senate. It will have 72 members appointed for life—it’s main purpose is to double check all laws passed by the elected House of Commons

FEDERAL (CENTRAL) GOVERNMENT

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

• Also known as the lower house of parliament• Based on representation by population• Members are elected• Members of the House of Commons also make up the

government, cabinet and PM position• In the House of Commons they question government

ministers about policies, and they debate and vote on bills• A bill is legislation that a MP has proposed

• Alberta 28, BC 36, Manitoba 14, NB 10, Nwfd 7, NS 11, NWT 1, Nunavut 1, ON 106, PEI 4, Quebec 75, Saskatchewan 14, Yukon 1

THE SENATE

• Also known as the Upper House of parliament• The Senate approves bills after they have been passed by the

House of Commons—they rarely reject bills that have been passed by the H of C• They sometimes recommend changes to bills

• Senators are selected by the governor general, acting on the “advice” of the PM

• Senators remain in office until 75 years of age unless they resign or become disqualified

• The major objective of the senate is to ensure regional representation—to ensure spatial or regional interests

• There are 105 seats in the senate (sometimes not all of them are filled. ON -24 senators; Que 24; Maritime 24; Western 24; Nwfld 6; Yukon 1; NWT 1; Nunavut 1

• The Senate has less powers than the House of Commons

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

• Made up of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet• Responsible for presenting programs

(bills/laws/budgets) to the legislature for its approval

FEDERAL – PROVINCIAL COMPARISON

ACTIVITIES

p. 73 #2, 4, 6 - must submit by the end of the period

p. 73 #10

DIVISION OF POWERS

The new country would be called the Dominion of Canada.

Let’s read p. 66-69 to learn about how how the Fathers of Confederation divided power between the provinces and the federal government.

Question: p. 73 #2

Education is an area that is under provincial control. Why do you think this is? Write a short paragraph explaining your response and submit it to the teacher.

THE CONSTITUTION OF 1867

• It promised a railway; allowed other provinces to join in the future; central government took over all debts of the provinces and most of their sources of income

• FR Canadian Rights – keep their own province, language, religion, schools, and civil law; English and French were to be used in the central parliament and the courts; both catholic and protestant schools were guaranteed;

• Women – no right to vote, not given rights• First Nations – not given any part in the formation of the

country or its government; they were not seen as independent nations; they were placed under the authority of the federal government; but abs saw themselves as independent nations with rights to their lands

• There were other minority groups that would raise new challenges: Black settlers, Chinese settlers, etc.

INQUIRY QUESTION

In 1867 the fathers of confederation created a responsible and democratic government. In 1982 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau created the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect individuals. If we have a responsible and democratic government and a constitution, do we need a charter of rights and freedoms?

TODAY’S DEMOCRACY

Let’s take a look at our democracy today

http://www.studentvote.ca/on2014/

A NEW COUNTRY FOR EVERYONE?

The Constitution of 1867 protected some groups of people, but not all. Who was left out?

What could the Fathers of Confederation have done to protect First Nations, women and other minority groups?

Are these groups still left vulnerable today? Explain.Has the Canadian government done enough to ensure equality and justice for all?

THE CONSTITUTION ACT OF 1982

• The Canadian Constitution was updated in 1982—the Constitution Act of 1982• 9 of the 10 provinces reach an agreement • only Quebec has refused• Quebec wants the right to stop any changes considered

unacceptable to the province• Trudeau does not feel that any province should have

special powers

• Three points of agreement:• The power to amend the constitution will belong to

Canada not Britain• Changes to the constitution can be made if the federal

government and seven provinces (representing 50% of the population) agree.

• A Charter of Rights and Freedoms will be added to the constitution to protect human rights

VIDEO UNIT REVIEW

Learn 360

http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=227485&pt=1

studentvote.ca

Test Next Class

THE NATION EXPANDS

THE WEST

• Vancouver Island experiences a population boom from a few hundred to 20 000 due to gold in 1858 (p. 75)

• Gold was found in British Columbia in 1862 (p. 77)• British Columbia and Vancouver Island were colonies of Britain• In 1860s BC is in financial trouble—they need to become part of a

larger country. • What do they do?• Remain a Brit colony? But too far from Britain, too weak on its own• Join US? Even though many miners were from the US, few wanted to

join• Join the Canadian Confederation? British gov’t favoured this and so

did many in the colony—they could live under the British flag, have their own prov Assembly and elect representative to Parliament in Ottawa

• BC sent reps to meet with Macdonald—they asked Canada take over their debts and build a road linking them to the East—Macdonald did even better and built a railway

OTHER DIRECTIONS

• 1869 – Rupert’s Land joins and is renamed the North West Territories• 1873 – PEI joins – they went into debt trying to

build a railway across the island – Canada wanted them to join since they could be used as a base for an attack on Canada• 1880 – Canada gains the Arctic islands – dozens

of islands in the frozen north• MAPS DISPLAYING CANADA’S GROWTH

FROM 1867-1999

RESEARCH THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. A) What was the last province to join confederation?

B) When? C) Who was the Prime Minister at the time?

2. When did Nunavut become a territory? Why?3. When did Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta

join confederation?4. Sir John A. Macdonald was the first Prime

Minister—who was the second?5. A Caribbean island almost became part of

Canada—which island was it?6. Which province almost separated from Canada?

When?

CONFEDERATION UPDATE

QUEBEC (P. 94)

Separatism in Quebec – Nov 1976 Parti Quebecois win a huge victory in the Quebec provincial election • Under Rene Levesque, they believe Quebec should

separate to preserve their language and culture from being overwhelmed by the English majority

• 1980 – referendum on whether to leave Canada• 59.5% want to remain

• 1990 – the Bloc Quebecois was formed as a federal party• goal: to give Quebec a strong voice in the federal government• 1993 – they win enough eats in Parliament to become the official

opposition• 1997 – they are the third largest party in the House of Commons

• 1995 – referendum – the province votes to remain in Canada but by a very narrow margin

REGIONAL CONCERNS

• Various regions feel that their concerns are not heard—they complain that they do not enough real power

• They argue that the federal government is controlled too much by central Canada—is this true? Investigate where parties receive their support and who has the most seats in the House of Commons.—how does this relate to representation by population?

(The reform party was formed in 1987 to better represent the concerns of Western citizens. In 1997 the Reform party won the second largest number of seats in the House of Commons and became the Official Opposition.)

THE SENATE

The Senate has been a very controversial branch of the Canadian government. Some senators have recently come under fire for their expenses.• Many argue the Senate is unnecessary

today. • It’s validity as a democratic entity has also

been questioned, since senators are appointed rather than elected.

THE PROVINCES VS. OTTAWA (P. 95)

• At the time of confederation the fathers of confederation believed a strong central government was important, the thought the federal government should control important matters concerning the whole country

• Times have changed—Canada is no longer a 19th century country of farms and forests—it is an industrialized nation

• Governments play a bigger role in the lives of Canadians today

• Provincial governments are expected to provide many more services such as health care and education

• Therefore provinces are demanding more power and a bigger share of tax money to pay for these services

FIRST NATIONS’ RIGHTS (P. 95)

• Abs do not believe that Canada had two founding nations—Eng and Fr

• They see themselves as “First Nations”• They believe they have the right to self-

government and a claim to their lands as first inhabitants

• Many also believe the Canadian government has broken promises made in treaties

• Abs are challenging the Canadian government to honour their rights and settle their land claims

• Some progress has been made (i.e. Nunavut – the Inuit have some self-government) but many issues are yet to be resolved

WOMEN (P. 95)

• Since confederation women have gained the right to vote and hold political office• But in areas of business, employment,

salaries, and politics women are still battling for equality with men • Timeline p. 278-279

THE CONSTITUTION ACT OF 1982

• The Canadian Constitution was updated in 1982—the Constitution Act of 1982• 9 of the 10 provinces reach an agreement • only Quebec has refused• Quebec wants the right to stop any changes considered

unacceptable to the province• Trudeau does not feel that any province should have

special powers

• Three points of agreement:• The power to amend the constitution will belong to

Canada not Britain• Changes to the constitution can be made if the federal

government and seven provinces (representing 50% of the population) agree.

• A Charter of Rights and Freedoms will be added to the constitution to protect human rights

THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Some main points of the Charter are highlighted on p. 103—let’s take a look.http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.htmlThe Charter is divided into sections. Five of the sections are:• Fundamental Rights• Democratic Rights• Mobility Rights• Legal Rights• Equality RightsAnalyze each section and, in one sentence for each, explain what the purpose of each section is.

THE MEECH LAKE ACCORD (P. 97)

• The premiers meet at Meech Lake in Quebec • They want to make changes to the constitution • Quebec wants to be recognized as a “distinct society” within Canada—in order to sign the constitution and not separate• The provinces want to be granted more power• The premiers sign, but the agreement must be signed by the parliament of all ten provinces• Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador do not pass the Accord by the deadline—the Meech Lake Accord is defeated

THE CHARLOTTETOWN ACCORD (P. 97)

• Another conference is held at Chalottetown• This time the debate is opened to the public and

interest groups• The Charlottetown Accord has these key points:• Distinctness of Quebec should be recognized• The right of Aboriginal peoples to have self-government is

recognized• Federal and provincial governments vow to work together

to develop all regions of the country• The Senate should be reformed• The provinces should have power over their immigrants,

culture, forestry, mining, tourism, housing, recreation, and municipal and urban affairs

• In a national referendum 54% say no, 46% say yesWhy do you think 54% of Canadians voted “no”?

ACTIVITIES

• P. 106-107• #2-4• #5 choose a, b, or c• #10

DEBATES

Central Canada is overrepresented in the House of Commons.

Quebec deserves special rights to ensure their language and culture is protected.

The Canadian government has done enough to ensure that women and men are equal.

The Canadian government has done enough to ensure that First Nations are respected.

The central government has too much power compared to the provinces.

The Senate is no longer necessary.