CBC Archives

Ask students to define the term “constitution.” Ask: Why is a constitution important for a country? What role does a Constitution play in governing a country? How do constitutions differ from one country to another? In your discussion, make sure that you touch on Confederation, patriation, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Direct students to the topic Canada’s Constitutional Debate: What Makes a Nation? on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Have them browse the site, noting the major developments in Canadian constitutional history from 1867 to the mid-1960s. Students should focus their investigation on the most difficult issues, including the importance of the BNA Act, the growing role of government, federal-provincial relations, constitutional reform, and the conflicting interests of various regions and social groups.

After exploring the site, students will work in small groups to discuss the major constitutional issues. Present them with the following statement to focus their discussion: In its first 100 years, Canada’s politicians debated a number of issues: problems of leadership, division of responsibilities, colonialism, autonomy, taxation, and more. Each group should present a summary of the ideas arising from its discussion to the rest of the class.

After the presentations, summarize the major events and developments with the whole class. Ask students what issues seem to re-emerge, and the similarities and differences they can detect in the main developments over this period.

Students can write a personal response stating what they think are the main lessons that can be drawn from studying Canada’s constitutional debates. How can these lessons help to resolve ongoing constitutional issues and problems in Canada?