Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/01

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Subject: Re: [Leica] CANADA DAY & USA INDEPENDENCE DAY. :-)
From: frank theriault <knarf.theriault@sympatico.ca>
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2003 07:59:08 -0400
References: <BB266C1D.9292%eric@jphotog.com>

Hi, Eric,

Since we didn't "win" our nationhood in a war of independance, Canada's
becoming independant was actually a gradual process (not many Canadians know
this either).

July 1, 1867 was when the British North America Act (BNA Act) was passed in
London, basically setting up the Canadian Parliament, and granting most of
our rights as a nationhood.  It's the day we were no longer a colony.  We
weren't fully independant, however, as court cases could be appealled from
the Supreme Court of Canada to England's Privy Council, and Britain had the
right to pass laws regarding foreign affairs on our behalf (which I don't
think they ever did, but they still had the power to).

Some constitutional scholars consider the passing of the Statute of
Westminster in 1931 as the day that Canada became a fully independant
country, as that extinguished appeals to the Privy Council, and said that
England could pass no laws regarding Canada's affairs, foreign or domestic.

What happened in 1982 is that we got our own written constitution.  The BNA
Act was "brought to Canada" so to speak, and we also passed a new, fully
Canadian constitution called (appropriately enough) the Constitution Act
1982, which has in it a wonderful and comprehensive Charter of Rights and
Freedoms.

So, as of 1982, we were no longer dependant on a law of a foreign land to
grant us rights of nationhood.

Aren't you glad you asked?  <vbg>

cheers,
frank

Eric Welch wrote:

> Ted, 1982? What was it that happened in '67? (That was engraved on the
> Winchester Model 30/30 rifle I used to own.
>
> Oh wait, that was the Canadian Centennial, right?
>
> Doh!
>
> Eric Welch
> Carlsbad, CA
> http://www.jphotog.com
>
> "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."
>
>                                                         -Albert Einstein
>
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> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

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In reply to: Message from Eric Welch <eric@jphotog.com> (Re: [Leica] CANADA DAY & USA INDEPENDENCE DAY. :-))