1840
Act of Union Receives Royal Assent
The Act of Union, uniting Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada, receives Royal Assent in Britain. It comes into force in 1841, following Lord Durham's recommendation.
Discover what happened in Canada on any date in history.
The Act of Union, uniting Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada, receives Royal Assent in Britain. It comes into force in 1841, following Lord Durham's recommendation.
The British North America Act, creating the Dominion of Canada, officially comes into effect on July 1, 1867. Parliamentary preparations are in full swing by June 25, with the new constitution ready to launch.
The Senate of Canada holds its first session in Ottawa, with the chamber's 72 founding senators beginning the work of the upper house of Parliament in the new Dominion of Canada.
The Red River Resistance effectively ends as Manitoba becomes a province, with Louis Riel's provisional government giving way to Canadian authority, though controversy over his role will continue for years.
Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier's Liberal Party wins its third consecutive majority government, with Laurier continuing his policies of immigration, western settlement and railway construction.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Liberal Party wins a majority government, beginning the era of 'Trudeaumania' that will reshape Canadian society through bilingualism, multiculturalism and constitutional reform.
The results of the Quebec sovereignty referendum are confirmed, with approximately 60% of Quebecers voting No to the PQ's sovereignty-association question, keeping Quebec within Canada.
Kim Campbell is sworn in as Canada's 19th Prime Minister and Canada's first female Prime Minister, succeeding Brian Mulroney as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
The Senate of Canada passes Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, making Canada the second country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis use nationwide, with legalization taking effect on October 17, 2018.