Canada Past and Present: A Citizenship Education Guide

THE ROAD TO RIGHTS TIMELINES C. The Road to Rights for Black Canadians An all-Black non-combat unit (the No. 2 Construction Battalion) was created in the First World War. Slavery was abolished in the British Empire. The Canadian government passed the Canada Fair Employment Practices Act to reduce discrimination in workplaces. Changes to immigration laws allowed many Black people to move to Canada from the Caribbean and Africa. Viola Desmond, a Black business-owner in Nova Scotia, was arrested for sitting in an all-white section of a movie theatre. Slavery was legal in Canada. Many Black people came to Canada from the United States or the Caribbean as slaves. After 1793, the Act to Limit Slavery passed in Upper Canada. This meant slavery was legal, but limited by law in Canada. Both free and enslaved Blacks moved to Canada during this time. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms was created. It guarantees equal rights to Canadians of all ethnicities. Michaëlle Jean, who came to Canada as a refugee from Haiti when she was a child, became the first Black Governor-General. Many cities, including Calgary and Vancouver, had laws about where Black Canadians could own property or rent. D. The Road to Rights forWomen in Canada Emily Murphy became the first female magistrate in Canada. Most women in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta gained the right to vote. Kim Campbell became Canada’s first female Prime Minister. Most women in Canada gain the right to vote in federal elections. Quebec became the last province to give most women the right to vote in provincial elections. Clara Martin became the first female lawyer in Canada. Indigenous women won the right to vote in federal elections for the first time. Half of Canadian women had paying jobs outside their homes for the first time. 1834 Early 20 th Century 1600-1834 2005 1946 1916-1918 1960s-Present 1982 1953 1916 1970s 1897 1916 1918 1960 1993 1940 18.