Key events in the history of human rights in Canada. Consider the following material as a beginning. Each link will offer a brief introduction to the event in the context of the human rights movement. For further research on these and other topics, visit the Archives and Readings.
Events and Issues
Encyclopaedia
- Biographies
- Agatha Chapman
- Alan Borovoy
- Alan Nunn May
- Arthur Roebuck
- Biswarup Bhattacharya
- C. W. Harvison
- D. W. Mundell
- David Shugar
- Durnford Smith
- E. K. Williams
- Edward Mazerall
- Emma Woikin
- Eric Adams
- Frank Scott
- Fred Rose
- Fred W. Poland
- Gérald Fauteux
- Gordon Lunan
- Harold Gerson
- Igor Gouzenko
- Irving Himel
- Israel Halperin
- J. L. Cohen
- J. R. Cartwright
- J.S. Benning
- James C. McRuer
- John Humphrey
- John Leopold
- Kalmen Kaplansky
- Kathleen Ruff
- Kathleen Willsher
- Matt S. Nightingale
- Maurice Champagne
- Maurice Duplessis
- Maurice Duplessis
- R.L. Kellock
- Raymond Boyer
- Reg Robson
- Robert Taschereau
- Sam Carr
- Shelagh Day
- Events and Issues
- 1760 British Conquest (Colonial Rule)
- 1837-38 Rebellions
- 1867 Confederation
- 1896 Manitoba Schools Question
- 1914-18 First World War
- 1919 Section 98
- 1919 Winnipeg General Strike
- 1936 Christie v York
- 1937 Padlock Act
- 1939-45 Second World War
- 1945 Japanese Canadians
- 1945-46 Gouzenko Affair
- 1953-59 The Supreme Court of Canada
- 1959 Newfoundland and the IWA
- 1960 Canadian Bill of Rights
- 1968 International Year for Human Rights
- 1969 Bylaw 3926 (Montreal)
- 1969 White Paper on Indian Policy
- 1970 October Crisis
- 1970 Royal Commission on the Status of Women
- 1971 Gastown Riot
- 1977 Task Force on Canadian Unity
- 1977 The G.A.T.E. Case
- 1981 Bathhouse Raids (Toronto)
- Africville
- Anti-Semitic Riots (Toronto)
- Capital Punishment
- Censorship
- Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Corporal Punishment
- Denominational Education in Newfoundland
- Dresden and Racial Discrimination
- Duplessis Orphans
- Eugenics
- Freedom of Information
- Georgia Straight
- Hutterites
- Indigenous Peoples
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Privacy
- Restrictive Covenants
- Sexual Orientation
- Spouse-in-the-House
- War Measures Act
- Women’s Rights
- Social Movements
- Alberta
- Association for Civil Liberties
- British Columbia
- Canadian Human Rights Foundation
- Canadian Labour Defense League
- Case Study: British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
- Case Study: Canadian Civil Liberties Association
- Case Study: Ligue des droits et libertés
- Civil Liberties Association of Toronto
- Civil Liberties Association of Winnipeg
- Civil Rights Union
- Federation of Civil Liberties and Human Rights Associations
- Jewish Labour Committee (1936-1980s)
- League for Democratic Rights
- Manitoba
- Montreal Civil Liberties Union
- National Committee on Human Rights
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Ottawa Civil Liberties Association
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
Site Resources
Detailed resources outlining the history of Human Rights in Canada.
Further Reading
The readings lists available on this site deal with a range of topics from human rights to biographies and specific events.
Citing Website
Any use of material or referencing content from HistoryOfRights.ca should be acknowledged by the User and cited as follows:
~ Clément, Dominique. “page title or document title.” Canada’s Human Rights History. www.HistoryOfRights.ca (date accessed).
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