Trudeau and the Constitution

Trudeau and the Constitution Trudeau believed that constitutional reform was an important step in resolving the problem of Quebec. It was his goal to patriate the British North America Act and to establish a new Canadian constitution with an entrenched Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This was finally achieved in the spring of 1982. BNA

Trudeau and the World

Trudeau and the World Trudeau became both a domestic and an international symbol of the independence of the individual. He turned Canada away from the United Sates and sought more contact with Europe, Africa and the Pacific region. Trudeau slashed the size of Canada’s armed forces and reduced our NATO commitment in Europe.

Trudeau and the World II A major foreign policy review was carried out by the Trudeau government in 1970 resulting in a policy called “The Third Option.” This policy stressed increasing Canada’s contacts with the world and reducing our dependency on the United States. Trudeau played an important role in re-establishing official contacts with Communist China. CHINA

Trudeau and the World III Canadian aid programs and trade contacts with the “third world” increased during this period. We continued our valuable work with the Commonwealth and strengthened ties with the French-speaking world through “La Francophonie.” In spite of our reduced commitment to NATO we continued our support of NORAD but rejected the use of nuclear weapons. Canadian Aid

Canadian Culture

Literature The years 1945 to 1980 were an important period in the development of Canadian literature. Gabrielle Roy was born in Manitoba but has become associated with Quebec. Her novel, The Tin Flute, won a Literary Guild of America prize in 1947.

Literature II Other important writers of this period include Hugh MacLennan, Robertson Davies, Margaret Laurence and W.O. Mitchell. Pierre Burton continues, today, to be a popular historian. Earle Birney and Leonard Cohen achieved prominence as poets.

Television The CBC commenced its television service in 1952 but most Canadians had their introduction to this new medium through American programming. The favorite Canadian television programs of the era included, Tommy Hunter’s “Country Hoedown”, “Front Page Challenge”, “Wayne and Shuster” and “Hockey Night in Canada.”

Stratford Shakespeare Festival In 1953 Tom Patterson began the first of the annual Shakespeare festivals in Stratford, Ontario. The success of Stratford has inspired a large number of similar live theatres across Canada. Many Canadian actors who began careers in Canada’s live theatre have gone on to international success.

Music and Film Popular Canadian singers of the 1970s and 1980s included Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot and Maureen Forester. The French-Canadian film industry produced award winning work by Claude Jutra. The National Film Board is remembered for films like Why Shoot the Teacher and Goin’ Down the Road.

Conclusion

Conclusion By the end of the Trudeau era in 1984 Canada faced many unresolved problems. National unity, the Constitution, the economy, our identity, our relationship with the United States as well as with the world, were all troubling issues that were to occupy successive Canadian governments.