Our Country Canada, Our Parliament

The Road to Democracy
Canada is a democracy, which means Canadian citizens like you have the right to be involved directly or indirectly in the decision-making process.
Democracy
Canada is a representative democracy. This gives each citizen the right to elect representatives at each level of government (federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal). These representatives make decisions and laws that affect all parts of life.
Confederation
Canada became a country in 1867 when the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia decided to join together.
During the talks leading up to Confederation, two major decisions were made that determined the shape of Canada’s government:
Canada would be a federal union with two levels of government – federal and provincial.
Canada would have a central Parliament with three parts: the Monarch, the Senate and the House of Commons.
When Did Canada’s Provinces and Territories Join Confederation?
1867 – Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
1870 – Manitoba, Northwest Territories
1871 – British Columbia
1873 – Prince Edward Island
1898 – Yukon Territory
1905 – Alberta, Saskatchewan
1949 – Newfoundland and Labrador
1999 – Nunavut
Canada’s Constitution
A constitution is essentially a rule book for a government. However, Canada’s Constitution is not a single document; it is a collection of 25 documents and a number of traditions that have either come from the British system or evolved over time.
Written Elements
The core documents of the Constitution are the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly known as the British North America Act, 1867) and the Constitution Act, 1982 (which includes the Constitution Act, 1867, plus amendments, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms). However, the full list of written elements that make up Canada’s Constitution includes:
14 Acts of British Parliament
4 British Orders-in-Council
7 Canadian Acts
Traditional Elements
Many features of the Canadian system of government are not included in the Constitution, such as:
the Prime Minister
political parties
Cabinet
responsible government
Getting Involved in Democracy
The voting age in Canada for a federal election is 18. But voting is not the only way for you to get involved. If you feel strongly about an issue, there are many ways to express your views. Become knowledgeable about the issue by reading, researching and interviewing experts. Write to your local newspaper or post your thoughts on social media. Form a council. Send letters to a Senator or your MP to let them know how you feel. They may want to talk to you about it.
Helping out in an election campaign is another good way to get involved, no matter what your age. You can meet the candidate, help him or her prepare for public events, and help organize supporters. Does a political party interest you? Almost all parties have a youth wing that organizes events and distributes information. Your local community might need your help — you can volunteer for a community association or for the board of your local school, library or community centre. This is a great way to meet your neighbours and find out what is important to them. Community organizations have been successful across Canada in getting their concerns heard by politicians at all levels.
It is important to talk to your family about getting involved, too. Find out their opinions and discuss what issues are important to them. Canada’s system of government works because of its citizens, and you are never too young to become part of it.
TALK ABOUT IT!
What organizations are you part of?
Would you like to be more involved? How? Does your school have a student council? How are students selected? What role do they play in the school? How could student voices be better heard (both in the school and in your community)? Talk with your classmates about these questions.
Just because you may be too young to vote does not mean that you cannot get involved. There are several ways to make your voice heard and to enact change.
Source.lop.parl.ca