4.5 Where does Canada go?
This section on Canada and its constitution has briefly outlined the complexity of the relationships between provinces, territories, French Canadians, Aboriginal peoples, the Supreme Court of Canada and the federal government. The section has introduced the institutions that make up the federal legislature and the court of last resort. It has also given an overview of how Canada has grown from a collection of British colonies to a Dominion made up of a confederation of four colonies and how it subsequently grew in size and prominence and achieved full independence from Britain in 1982.
What is certain is that the Constitution Act 1867 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Constitution Act) 1982 offer a guide to the institutional structure of Canadian politics, law and society – but, beyond this, they have not solidified ‘Canada-ness’ or quelled a nation’s instability.
