Modern Canada

After World War II, Canada emerged as a prosperous middle power with a growing welfare state, a new national identity, and an increasingly diverse population.

Building the Welfare State

During the 1940s–1970s, Canadian governments of all stripes built a safety net that would define Canadian society: unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, family allowances, and eventually universal Medicare.

A New National Symbol

On February 15, 1965, Canada adopted a new national flag — the red and white maple leaf. The flag replaced the old Red Ensign and has become one of Canada's most recognizable symbols around the world.

Multiculturalism

In 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau declared an official policy of multiculturalism — the first country in the world to do so. This policy recognized that Canadians come from many different backgrounds and that this diversity is a source of national strength.

Canada's Role in the World

Canada joined the United Nations in 1945 and has been a contributor to international peacekeeping missions ever since. Lester B. Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his role in resolving the Suez Crisis and is credited with inventing the concept of UN peacekeeping.

The Constitution Act, 1982

Before 1982, Canada's Constitution was an Act of the British Parliament. On April 17, 1982, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Constitution Act, bringing the Constitution fully under Canadian control. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was entrenched at the same time.

"We will not be a great country unless we are also a good country."