Canada’s Developing Autonomy Canada in the 1920s

Autonomy Autonomy means self-government; independence Prior to the start of World War I, Canada had its own government but was still a colony of Britain Britain still made foreign policy decisions on our behalf Ex: Alaska boundary dispute When Britain declared war on Germany, Canada was also automatically at war

Effect of War on Canada Canada’s contribution of soldiers, nurses, military equipment, food and other resources, money, as well as military victories at Vimy Ridge and Paschendaele increased our sense of nationhood and our international profile

End of War Canada’s independence from Britain grew Canada had its own seat at the Paris Peace Conference Canada independently signed the Treaty of Versailles Canada had its own seat in the newly formed League of Nations

Increasing Autonomy Events during the 1920s and early 1930s will further contribute to Canada’s sense of itself as an autonomous and independent nation that is no longer under the control of Britain

Chanak Crisis, 1922 Britain and Turkey became involved in a dispute at Chanak Turkey threatened to take over Chanak, which was important port → this would give Turkey control over the waterway from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Britain sent in troops and ships, but Canada for the first time refused “unconditional support for British imperial war policies”.

Halibut Treaty, 1923 Canada and the United States signed a treaty to protect halibut off the west coast of Canada and Alaska Historically, a British official had always signed such treaties Canada won the right to sign treaties with foreign countries on its own despite British protests

Imperial Conference, 1926 While attending, Prime Minister Mackenzie King insisted that Canadians should make their own decisions about foreign policy, without interference from Britain The new relationship between Britain and its dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa – was set out in the Balfour Report.

Balfour Report Report said that Canada and the other dominions were self-governing and independent nations Canada was autonomous and not subordinate to Britain Canadian Governor General was only a representative of the British monarch Canada should communicate directly with the British government rather than through the Governor General

New Foreign Embassies, 1927/28 Canada opened its own embassy in the United States in 1927 Vincent Massey became Canada’s first foreign diplomat In 1928, Canada opened embassies in France and Belgium

The Statute of Westminster, 1931 Statute made recommendations of Balfour Report law Statute legally recognized that Canada was an independent and completely self-governing nation – it was bound by no laws other than its own. Canada could make its own laws, and Britain could no longer make any laws for Canada.

Mackenzie King (centre) and two other happy-go-lucky friends.

US/Canada Trade Treaty of 1935 Agreement on a trade treaty that lowered the American tariff on two-thirds of Canada’s exports to the United States. This agreement laid a foundation of cooperation between the two countries.

Complete Autonomy … almost Canada had achieved complete autonomy by 1931 except for two areas: There was still one court higher than the Supreme Court of Canada – it was the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain (Remember the Persons Case 1929) Britain still retained the right to change our Constitution since it was, after all, the British North America Act. This would only change in 1982 when Pierre Trudeau succeeded in bringing home the Constitution with the Constitution Act

But Quebec never signed the agreement and remains upset!