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← Unit 5: Canada, 1982 to the Present

CHC2D · Unit 5 test review

Canada, 1982 to the Present: Test Review

Everything for the Unit 5 test on one page: the key facts from all 8 lessons, the mistakes that cost the most marks, and a practice test that points you back to the lessons you need.

Key facts

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action

  • The Charter of Rights and Freedoms became part of the constitution with the Constitution Act, 1982, proclaimed April 17, 1982; equality rights (section 15) took effect April 17, 1985.
  • Section 1 allows reasonable limits on rights that can be justified in a free and democratic society; the Oakes test (1986) decides whether a limit is justified.
  • Section 33 (the notwithstanding clause) lets a legislature override section 2 or sections 7–15 for five years at a time; it cannot override democratic, mobility or language rights.
  • Landmark cases: Singh (1985), Oakes (1986), Morgentaler (1988), Andrews (1989), Sparrow (1990, section 35 Aboriginal rights), Vriend (1998), Carter (2015).
  • The Charter limits governments and their laws; it does not directly govern private disputes, which are handled by human rights codes.

Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act

  • Meech Lake Accord: agreed April 30, 1987; recognized Quebec as a distinct society; died June 23, 1990, after Elijah Harper blocked a vote in Manitoba and Newfoundland cancelled its vote.
  • Charlottetown Accord: rejected by about 54 per cent of voters in the national referendum of October 26, 1992.
  • The Bloc Québécois (founded 1991, led by Lucien Bouchard) became the Official Opposition in 1993; the Reform Party (founded 1987, Preston Manning) won 52 seats in the West.
  • 1995 Quebec referendum, October 30: No 50.58 per cent, Yes 49.42 per cent, turnout over 93 per cent.
  • Reference re Secession of Quebec (1998): no unilateral secession, but a clear majority on a clear question creates a duty to negotiate; the Clarity Act (2000) put this into federal law.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP

  • Oka (Kanehsatà:ke) resistance: a 78-day standoff, July 11 to September 26, 1990, over land the Kanien'kehá:ka had long claimed.
  • The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples reported in 1996 with 440 recommendations; Nunavut became a territory on April 1, 1999; the Nisga'a Final Agreement took effect in 2000.
  • Prime Minister Harper apologized for residential schools on June 11, 2008; the TRC released 94 Calls to Action in 2015.
  • The MMIWG Inquiry's final report (June 3, 2019) made 231 Calls for Justice; the UNDRIP Act became law on June 21, 2021.
  • The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was held on September 30, 2021.

Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation

  • Free trade: FTA in effect January 1, 1989 (after the 1988 "free trade election"); NAFTA January 1, 1994; CUSMA July 1, 2020.
  • The northern cod moratorium of July 2, 1992 put roughly 30,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador out of work.
  • Manufacturing's share of jobs fell sharply after the 1980s as globalization moved production abroad and service and tech jobs grew.
  • The National Energy Program (1980) remains a symbol of Western alienation; the Reform Party (1987) gave it a political voice.
  • Equalization (since 1957; section 36 of the Constitution Act, 1982) transfers federal money so that have-not provinces can offer comparable services.

Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982

  • Gulf War (1991): Canada joined the UN-authorized coalition that expelled Iraq from Kuwait.
  • Somalia (1993): the killing of Shidane Arone led to the Airborne Regiment's disbanding in 1995; Rwanda (1994): Roméo Dallaire's UN mission could not stop a genocide that killed an estimated 800,000 or more people.
  • Afghanistan (2001–2014): more than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served and 158 were killed; combat in Kandahar from 2006 to 2011.
  • Canada declined to join the 2003 invasion of Iraq because the UN Security Council had not authorized it.
  • Since 2014, and especially since February 24, 2022, Canada has supported Ukraine with training, military, financial and humanitarian aid.

Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition

  • The Yonge Street uprising of May 4, 1992 led to the Stephen Lewis report (June 9, 1992), which identified anti-Black racism in policing, jobs, housing and schools as the root problem.
  • Systemic racism is built into institutions' policies and practices; it is shown by patterns in data, such as who is carded, streamed or charged.
  • Ontario restricted arbitrary street checks (carding) from January 1, 2017; anti-racism protests spread across Canada in June 2020.
  • Black History Month: House of Commons motion by Jean Augustine (December 1995); Senate motion by Donald Oliver (2008).
  • Viola Desmond appeared on the ten-dollar note from November 19, 2018; the House of Commons recognized August 1 as Emancipation Day in 2021.

Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration

  • Japanese Canadian Redress (September 22, 1988): apology, 21,000 dollars per eligible survivor, a community fund, pardons and restored citizenship.
  • Apologies: Chinese head tax (June 22, 2006), residential schools (June 11, 2008), Komagata Maru (May 18, 2016), LGBT Purge (November 28, 2017), MS St. Louis (November 7, 2018).
  • Parliament recognized the Holodomor as a genocide in 2008 and created Holodomor Memorial Day (fourth Saturday of November).
  • Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom ha-Shoah) was created by law in 2003; the National Holocaust Monument opened in Ottawa in 2017.
  • Most acknowledgements followed long campaigns by the affected communities; their significance depends on specificity, action and community acceptance.

Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today

  • Canada and the US are deeply integrated: FTA (1989), NAFTA (1994), CUSMA (2020); most Canadian exports go to the US.
  • Cooperation and conflict coexist: the 1991 Air Quality Agreement, 9/11 and Gander (2001), but also softwood lumber disputes and Canada's refusal to join the 2003 Iraq invasion.
  • In 2025 the US imposed tariffs on many Canadian goods and its president called for Canada to become the 51st state; Canada answered with counter-tariffs, boycotts and a push to diversify trade.
  • At CUSMA's first joint review on July 1, 2026, the US did not agree to extend it; the agreement remains in force with yearly reviews.
  • The Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988) made multiculturalism law; in 2021 about 23 per cent of people in Canada were immigrants.

Where marks get lost

  • Saying the Charter stops private businesses or individuals from discriminating. The Charter applies to governments and their laws; private discrimination is covered by provincial and federal human rights codes. (The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action)
  • Believing the notwithstanding clause can override any right. It covers only section 2 and sections 7–15, and each use expires after five years. (The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action)
  • Treating section 35 (Aboriginal and treaty rights) as part of the Charter. It is in a separate part of the Constitution Act, 1982, so the notwithstanding clause cannot be used against it. (The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action)
  • Describing Morgentaler or Carter as courts "legalizing" or "banning" something on moral grounds. Both decisions turned on section 7 (life, liberty and security of the person) and how the existing laws affected people. (The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action)
  • Forgetting that rights have limits. Under section 1, governments can justify reasonable limits using the Oakes test. (The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action)
  • Saying Quebecers voted on Meech Lake. There was no referendum on Meech Lake; it needed approval from Parliament and the ten legislatures. Charlottetown was the accord put to a national referendum. (Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act)
  • Blaming Meech Lake's failure entirely on Elijah Harper. Newfoundland's withdrawal, the unanimity rule and wider public opposition mattered too. (Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act)
  • Mixing up the two Quebec referendums: 1980 (about 60 per cent No, sovereignty-association) and October 30, 1995 (50.58 per cent No). (Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act)
  • Thinking the Clarity Act forbids secession. It sets conditions (a clear question and a clear majority) before Ottawa will negotiate. (Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act)
  • Assuming only Quebec voted against Charlottetown. It was rejected nationally by about 54 per cent, including majorities in Quebec and in the western provinces. (Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act)
  • Thinking residential schools ended long ago. The last federally funded school closed in 1996. (First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP)
  • Treating the 2008 apology as the end of the story. The TRC (2008–2015), the 94 Calls to Action and later inquiries showed that the effects continue. (First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP)
  • Using "Aboriginal" or "Indian" for everyone. Name First Nations, Métis and Inuit specifically; use legal names such as the Indian Act only where they are titles. (First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP)
  • Assuming all Indigenous peoples have the same goals. Inuit pursued Nunavut and land claims, the Nisga'a negotiated a treaty, Métis won harvesting rights in court, and nations often disagree with one another about specific projects. (First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP)
  • Describing the Oka standoff only as a crisis of law and order. Explain the long-term cause: an unresolved land claim over the Pines and a burial ground. (First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP)
  • Mixing up the three trade deals: the FTA (Canada and the US, 1989), NAFTA (adding Mexico, 1994) and CUSMA (replacing NAFTA, 2020). (Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation)
  • Saying the 1988 election showed most voters supported free trade. Mulroney won a majority of seats, but parties opposing the FTA won more votes combined. (Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation)
  • Treating Western alienation as only about oil. It also involves representation in Ottawa, the Senate, equalization, gun laws and climate policy. (Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation)
  • Writing that equalization is money that Alberta's government pays directly to Quebec. It comes from federal taxes paid by individuals and businesses in all provinces. (Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation)
  • Assuming economic changes affected everyone the same way. A tech boom in Waterloo and a cod collapse in an outport are both part of the story. (Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation)
  • Saying Canada fought in the 2003 Iraq War. Chrétien's government declined to join the invasion because the UN had not authorized it. (Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982)
  • Calling every Canadian mission "peacekeeping". The Gulf War, Kosovo, Kandahar and Libya were combat or coalition missions. (Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982)
  • Blaming Dallaire for the Rwandan genocide. He warned the UN and asked to act; the UN Security Council and major powers refused to reinforce his mission. (Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982)
  • Mixing up the start and end of the Afghanistan mission: Canada's involvement ran from 2001 to March 2014; heavy combat in Kandahar was 2006–2011. (Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982)
  • Treating Canada's support for Ukraine as starting only in 2022. Training began in 2015, after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. (Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982)
  • Assuming anti-Black racism in Canada ended with the Human Rights Codes of the 1960s. Reports from 1992 to the 2020s documented continuing systemic problems. (Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition)
  • Treating the 1992 Yonge Street events as only a reaction to the Rodney King verdict. The Lewis report found deeper local causes, including policing and the death of Raymond Lawrence. (Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition)
  • Confusing systemic racism with individual prejudice. Systemic racism is shown by patterns in institutions' outcomes, not only by one person's words. (Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition)
  • Describing Black Canadians as a single group of recent immigrants. Black communities include families present for centuries, such as in Nova Scotia, as well as people with roots across the Caribbean and Africa. (Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition)
  • Mixing up Emancipation Day (August 1, recognized federally in 2021) with Black History Month (February, recognized by the House of Commons in 1995). (Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition)
  • Thinking only Indigenous peoples have received apologies. Japanese, Chinese, South Asian, Jewish, Ukrainian, Italian, Black and LGBTQ+ Canadians have also received federal acknowledgements. (Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration)
  • Mixing up the event and the apology dates, for example writing that the Komagata Maru arrived in 2016. The incident was in 1914; the apology in the House was in 2016. (Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration)
  • Assuming every apology included compensation. Some did (Japanese Canadian Redress), some offered limited payments (Chinese head tax) and some were words only. (Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration)
  • Treating recognition of international genocides as purely symbolic. It also involves foreign policy and is often disputed by other governments. (Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration)
  • Forgetting that communities campaigned for decades. Acknowledgements are usually the result of activism, not a government's own initiative. (Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration)
  • Describing Canada–US relations as only friendly or only hostile. Since 1982 they have combined deep cooperation (trade, defence, Gander) with repeated conflict (lumber, Iraq, tariffs). (Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today)
  • Assuming CUSMA ended in 2026. The US did not agree to extend it at the July 1, 2026 review, but the agreement remains in force with yearly reviews. (Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today)
  • Writing about current events from only one side. Present each government's stated reasons and the range of Canadian reactions. (Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today)
  • Treating multiculturalism as only about immigrants. Canadian identity debates also involve First Nations, Métis and Inuit, Quebec and francophone communities. (Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today)
  • Thinking cultural protection is new. Canadian content rules date from the 1970s, and the newest online laws continue that tradition. (Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today)

Practice test

24 questions from across the unit. Each one shows the lesson it comes from.

  1. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action
    1
    Which part of the Charter allows governments to place reasonable limits on rights?
  2. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action
    2
    Name the 1985 law that restored Indian status to First Nations women who had lost it by marrying non-status men.
  3. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Action
    3
    Section 15 of the Charter protects which kind of rights?
  4. Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act
    4
    Put these national unity events in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1The Supreme Court issues the Reference re Secession of Quebec
    2. 2Quebec voters narrowly reject sovereignty in a referendum
    3. 3The Clarity Act becomes law
    4. 4The Meech Lake Accord is agreed by the prime minister and all ten premiers
    5. 5The Meech Lake Accord dies after the ratification deadline passes
    6. 6Canadians reject the Charlottetown Accord in a national referendum
  5. Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act
    5
    Which statement best describes the Supreme Court's Reference re Secession of Quebec (1998)?
  6. Quebec and National Unity: Meech Lake to the Clarity Act
    6
    Why did many voters in the West reject the Charlottetown Accord?
  7. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP
    7
    Put these events in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1The TRC releases its 94 Calls to Action
    2. 2Prime Minister Harper apologizes for residential schools
    3. 3The UNDRIP Act becomes law
    4. 4The standoff at Kanehsatà:ke (Oka)
    5. 5The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples releases its final report
    6. 6Nunavut becomes a territory
  8. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP
    8
    Which territory was created on April 1, 1999, as a result of an Inuit land claims agreement?
  9. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Since 1982: From Oka to UNDRIP
    9
    Which group started the Idle No More movement in 2012?
  10. Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation
    10
    Put these trade agreements and events in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1The Canada–US Free Trade Agreement takes effect
    2. 2CUSMA replaces NAFTA
    3. 3NAFTA takes effect, adding Mexico
    4. 4The "free trade election" returns Mulroney's government
  11. Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation
    11
    Which statement about the National Energy Program (1980) is accurate?
  12. Economy and Regionalism: Free Trade, Globalization and Western Alienation
    12
    How did the EU's 2009 ban on seal products affect Inuit hunters, even though Inuit hunts were exempt?
  13. Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982
    13
    Put these international events involving Canada in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1Canadian troops go to Afghanistan
    2. 2Canada's NATO-led air mission over Libya
    3. 3Canada declines to join the invasion of Iraq
    4. 4Canada joins the coalition in the Gulf War
    5. 5The Somalia Affair
    6. 6The genocide in Rwanda
    7. 7NATO's air campaign over Kosovo
  14. Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982
    14
    Match each mission or event to what happened.
    Gulf War (1991)
    Kosovo (1999)
    Libya (2011)
    Operation IMPACT (from 2014)
  15. Canada in the World: Peacekeeping, Conflicts and Alliances Since 1982
    15
    Which factor best explains Canada's strong support for Ukraine since 2014?
  16. Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition
    16
    Put these events in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1The ten-dollar note featuring Viola Desmond enters circulation
    2. 2Ontario's rules restricting arbitrary street checks take effect
    3. 3The House of Commons recognizes August 1 as Emancipation Day
    4. 4The Yonge Street uprising and the Stephen Lewis report
    5. 5The House of Commons recognizes February as Black History Month
    6. 6The Senate recognizes Black History Month
  17. Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition
    17
    Match each person to their contribution.
    Jean Augustine
    Donald Oliver
    Stephen Lewis
    Dudley Laws
    Michaëlle Jean
  18. Black Communities in Canada Since 1982: Systemic Racism, Activism and Recognition
    18
    What month is Black History Month in Canada?
  19. Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration
    19
    Put these federal acknowledgements in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1Apology for the LGBT Purge
    2. 2Apology for the Komagata Maru incident
    3. 3Apology for turning away the MS St. Louis
    4. 4Apology and redress for Japanese Canadians
    5. 5Apology for the Chinese head tax
    6. 6Apology to former students of residential schools
  20. Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration
    20
    Why did some Chinese Canadians criticize the 2006 head tax redress?
  21. Acknowledging the Past: Apologies, Redress and Commemoration
    21
    In what Canadian city did the National Holocaust Monument open in 2017?
  22. Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today
    22
    Put these Canada–US developments in chronological order, earliest first.
    1. 1CUSMA takes effect
    2. 2Canada declines to join the invasion of Iraq
    3. 3US tariffs on many Canadian goods take effect
    4. 4The Shamrock Summit in Quebec City
    5. 5The Air Quality Agreement on acid rain
    6. 6Diverted flights land in Gander on September 11
  23. Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today
    23
    Match each development to what it shows about Canada–US relations.
    Air Quality Agreement (1991)
    Softwood lumber duties
    Refusing to join the Iraq invasion (2003)
    Gander on September 11, 2001
  24. Canada–US Relations and Canadian Identity Today
    24
    What is the name for rules requiring Canadian broadcasters to air a share of Canadian-made music and programs?

Endless drill

Fresh numbers every time, for the calculation questions in this unit.

Endless drillnew numbers every time

Generating a problem…

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