Why didn't 'Canadians' fight in WWI & WWII?

[A_Britishcolumbian]

i don't get what you are saying. ignore our veterans and this will not be an issue once they are all dead?

[atenbacon]

*removed*

[Bsuds]

*removed*

[A_Britishcolumbian]

isn't it interesting, december 11th and all you see on tv and the newspapers is christmas crap.

one would think that this date might be celebrated, in 'canada', being the day the british parliament statute of westminster came in to effect, 83 years ago today.

but no, harper, clark and the rest of the crooks wouldn't want anyone to actually know or look into history.

still no answers forthcoming in this thread.

[GordonH]

Moment: December 11, 1931

The Statute of Westminster is a momentous, yet often overlooked, occasion in Canadian history. Despite being granted the right to self-government in 1867, Canada did not enjoy full legal autonomy until the Statute was passed on December 11, 1931. This year marks the eightieth anniversary of the signing of the Statute of Westminster — Canada’s own declaration of independence.

The Statute of Westminster finds its origins at the Imperial Conference of 1926. Lord Balfour, Britain’s Foreign Minister, suggested that all Dominions be granted full autonomy in their legislations. This would establish equality amongst Britain and the Dominions. These nations included the Dominion of Canada, the colony of Newfoundland, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and the Irish Free State.

Prime Minister Mackenzie King and the head of the Department of External Affairs, O.D. Skelton, were determined to achieve autonomy for Canada. In 1929, Skelton attended the Conference on the Operation of Dominion Legislation in London. After two months of negotiations, recommendations were made that would set the resolutions made at the 1926 Imperial Conference in motion. In 1930, the issues were revisited and governments submitted terms of the future Statute to their Parliaments.

It was made clear under the Statute that each of the Dominions would have the right to choose which of the new resolutions it would accept, and which would be rejected in favour of past regulations. All but one of the Dominions chose to adopt every resolution and thus sever all legal ties to Britain; Canada was not fully prepared for complete independence. Government ministers were unable to agree upon a method which could be used to amend the Constitution, so it was decided that Britain would temporarily retain the power to do so. This remained in effect until the Constitution Act was passed in 1982.

Four years after Lord Balfour first suggested independence for the Dominions, negotiations were complete and the Statute of Westminster was signed on December 11, 1931. The act proclaimed that although the Dominions were to remain in allegiance with the Crown, each would be granted full legal autonomy. Britain and its now autonomous Dominions became known as the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Under the Statute, nations were granted the freedom to pass their own laws without the consent of British Parliament, and Britain was no longer able to void or alter laws made in its Dominions. Dominions were also free to amend and repeal their own laws, including ones already in existence. In addition, laws passed by the British government would no longer extend to the Dominions unless the Dominion wished to adopt it. The governments of each Dominion now held the power to build their own legislation without British interference.

It may not be as widely acknowledged as Confederation in its contribution to Canada’s independence, however the Statute of Westminster is arguably a more momentous occasion in Canada’s journey to sovereignty. The Statute granted Canada independence from British regulations and the freedom to pass, amend, and repeal laws within an autonomous legal system. Full autonomy gave the government the independence it needed to build a legislative foundation upon which Canada still stands today.

The above is from here: http://www.canadashistory.ca/Magazine/O ... r-11,-1931

[slootman]

isn't it interesting, december 11th and all you see on tv and the newspapers is christmas crap.

one would think that this date might be celebrated, in 'canada', being the day the british parliament statute of westminster came in to effect, 83 years ago today.

but no, harper, clark and the rest of the crooks wouldn't want anyone to actually know or look into history.

still no answers forthcoming in this thread.

lol, you're blaming politicians for the over-commercialization of christmas?? LOLOLOLOL

[kumazatheef]

we have seen that the 'government' can change history

Oh, they have a DeLorean, do they?
Perhaps the term you're looking for is "rewrite history".

As for exact issue here ... ok, I'm bored, I'll bite ...

Sadly your original link can't be found, but there here is another that I'm sure is similar: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/petition-p ... -1.2094610

Off the get-go, there's the assumption that "Canadian" = "citizen of Canada" ... well, I'm German, but I'm not a citizen of Germany ... so they were "Canadian" but not a citizen because, well that didn't exist until 1947. Much in the same way that when Canadians say "Canada burned down the WhiteHouse", well that's just not true because Canada didn't exist (I'll give you a hint: 1814 is before 1867) ... so by the previous logic, those that burned down the WhiteHouse should also posthumously get citizenship because they were people that lived in an area before it had a proper name and independency, correct??

[ValB58]

why were there no 'canadians' in the wars? why were there no 'canadians' period before 1947?

http://ckom.com/content/declare-pre-194 ... s-petition

Your link now comes back:
"Page not found"

My link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_h ... orld_War_I

The highpoints of Canadian military achievement during the First World War came during the Somme, Vimy, and Passchendaele battles and what later became known as "Canada's Hundred Days".[5] Canada's total casualties stood at the end of the war at 67,000 killed and 250,000 wounded, out of an expeditionary force of 620,000 people mobilized (39% of mobilized were casualties)