Canadian History Essay

There have been numerous defining moments that has happened through the Canadian history. Most of them played a crucial part on founding the culture and communities of Canada. Some of them are Bill 101, The Multiculturalism Act of 1971 and Our Branch Plant Economy. And I’m going to also include why and what exactly happened, so people that aren’t aware of these 3 tops can have a better understanding of it.

Bill 101 also known as The Charter of the French Language is a law in the province of Quebec defining French as the official language of Quebec. Introduced by Camille Laurin, it was passed by the National Assembly on August 26, 1977. Apparently, the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism from 1963 discovered that French-speaking Canadians did not hold the economic and political standpoint where francophones in Québec made on average 35% less than Anglophones. Prior to 1974, Quebec had no official language and
was subject only to the requirements on the use of English and French. Québec nationalists saw the French language as delicate and was needed to be protected from the majority of North American which eventually led as a tool of the nation that enabled them to gain economic and political prosperity later on. (Hudon, 2013)

In 1971, the federal government under former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau decided to adopt a multicultural policy. The Multiculturalism Act of 1971 was one of the most important defining moment in Canada. The notion that multiculturalism makes all citizens equal is essential. Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their individualities and be confident with their heritage and have a sense of belonging at the same time. Recognition gives people a sense of security and pride making them more open to, and accepting of, diversity. The Canadian experience has shown that multiculturalism encourages racial and ethnic harmony and cross-cultural understanding. Canada became one of the first countries to adopt an official multiculturalism policy. (Canadian Multiculturalism, 2012)

During the period in between the American Civil War and World War I somewhere around the early 1860s, American companies started becoming interested in Canada as a new market for trades.
Some corporations from the United States started building factories such as branch plants in Canada in order to sell products in the Canadian market. The branch plants built in Canada were strictly under American rule. Canadian tariffs on imported products led U.S. companies to build factories in Canada, in effect bypassing the tariffs. Economists were afraid that this phenomenon might lead to Canada's manufacturing become too reliant on outside sources and lead to less research and development of Canada. In early 1970s, the liberal government implemented policies aimed at regulating foreign investment. These developments led to measures such as the creation of Petro-Canada, a government-owned oil and gas company, implemented by the Trudeau government in the mid-1970s to increase Canadian control over the oil industry. (Bellan,
2006)

In conclusion Canada's defining moments in history are the foundation of the country's reputation today. The French culture has enriched Quebec's nation ever since Bill 101 was founded. Also Bill 101 had made French an official language and many Canadian’s were proud of that. Canada has become one of the first multicultural countries and this helped its societies to be more creative for being open to one another. The branch plants of the US has helped Canada prosper on industrial production and build a strong relationship between the two countries. These defining moments has sculpted and defined Canada's economics, politics and society.