Modern Canada (1867–present)
Canada's path to full independence was typically Canadian: no war, no revolution, but a slow, polite process. In 1931, Canada gained de facto independence with the Statute of Westminster. It wasn't until 1965 that the country got its own flag (the maple leaf — after heated debate!). And it wasn't until 1982 that the constitution was fully "patriated" — until then, Canada theoretically needed the British Parliament's approval for constitutional amendments.
The major themes of modern Canada:
- Bilingualism: In 1969, the Official Languages Act was passed — English and French have since been equal official languages at the federal level. The tensions between francophone Québec and the anglophone rest of Canada led to referendums on Québec's independence in 1980 and 1995 — the 1995 secession failed with only 50.6% to 49.4%. One of the narrowest results in history.
- Multiculturalism: In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to make multiculturalism an official government policy. Today, over 20% of the population is foreign-born — Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world.
- Reckoning with colonial history: The Residential Schools — a system of boarding schools where indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families and "assimilated" (1883–1996!) — are Canada's darkest chapter. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015) documented the abuses and called the system a "cultural genocide." The discovery of children's graves at former Residential Schools since 2021 has deeply shaken the country.
