British-Canadian relations
Encyclopedia
British–Canadian relations (also called Canada – United Kingdom relations) are the bilateral relations between the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom. London and Ottawa enjoy cooperative and intimate contact; the two countries are related through history, through language, through the Commonwealth of Nations
, and their sharing of the same Head of State
and monarch
. Despite this shared history, the UK is no longer Canada's largest trading partner, and the two nations are now in separate trade blocs, the EU and NAFTA.
in 1867, Canada was a collection of British colonies, and after that date an autonomous, but not fully sovereign
, Dominion. As Canada became sovereign, direct bilateral ties were loosened, but both countries continued to be allies, and after the second World War both countries became small parts of the much larger Western Bloc
.
The history of relations between Canada and the UK well into the 20th Century is really the story of Canada's slow evolution towards full sovereignty.
In 1759, Britain conquered New France
, and, after the Treaty of Paris (1763)
, began to populate formerly-French Canada with English-speaking settlers. British governors ruled these new territories absolutely
until the Constitutional Act of 1791
, which created the first Canadian legislatures. These weak bodies were still inferior to the governors until the granting of responsible government
in 1848. With their new powers, the colonies chose to federate in 1867, creating a new state, Canada, with the new title of Dominion.
The constitution of the new Canadian federation left foreign affairs to the Imperial Parliament in Westminster
, but the leaders of the federal parliament
in Ottawa soon developed their own viewpoints on some issues, notably relations between the British Empire and the United States
. Stable relations and secure trade with the United States were becoming increasingly vital to Canada, — so much so that historians have said that Canada's early diplomacy constituted a "North Atlantic triangle
".
Most of Canada's early attempts at diplomacy necessarily involved the "mother country". Canada's first (informal) diplomatic officer was Sir John Rose, who was sent to London by Prime Minister John A. Macdonald
. George Brown
was subsequently dispatched to Washington by Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie
to influence British-American trade talks. The British government desired to formalise Canada's representation abroad rather than deal with so many informal lobbyists, and so, in 1880, Alexander Tilloch Galt
became the first High Commissioner
sent from a Dominion to another Commonwealth realm
.
When it came time to respond to imperial conflicts, Canada maintained a low profile, especially during the Sudan Campaign. When Britain sided with the US during the Alaska boundary dispute
, it marked a low point in pro-British sentiment in Canada. By the time of the Boer War
, however, Canadians volunteered to fight for the Empire in large numbers despite the lukewarm support of the government of Wilfred Laurier, the first French-Catholic prime minister.
Economically, Canadian governments were interested in free trade with the United States
; however, since this was difficult to negotiate and politically divisive, they became leading advocates of imperial preference
, which met with limited enthusiasm in Britain.
At the outbreak of World War I
, the Canadian government and millions of Canadian volunteers enthusiastically joined Britain's side, but the sacrifices of the war, and the fact they were made in the name of the British Empire, caused domestic tension in Canada
, and awakened a budding nationalism in Canadians. At the Paris Peace Conference
, Canada demanded the right to sign treaties without British permission and to join the League of Nations
. By the 1920s, Canada was taking a more independent stance on world affairs.
In 1926, through the Balfour Declaration, Britain declared that she would no longer legislate for the Dominions, and that they were now fully independent states with the right to conduct their own foreign affairs. This was later formalised by the Statute of Westminster 1931
.
Loyalty to Britain still existed, however, and during the darkest days of the Second World War for Britain, after the fall of France and before the entry of the Soviet Union
or the USA, Canada was Britain's principal ally in the North Atlantic, and a major source of weapons and food. However, the war showed that the Imperial alliance between Britain, Canada, and the other Dominions was no longer a dominant global power, not being able to prevent Hong Kong from being overrun
by Japan, and narrowly avoiding a German invasion of Britain itself.
Owing to the destruction of much of Europe, Canada's relative economic and military importance was at a peak in the late 1940s, just as Britain's was declining. Both were dwarfed by the new superpowers, however, and policymakers in both Britain and Canada were eager to participate in a lasting alliance with the United States for protection from the Soviet Union, which resulted in the creation of NATO in 1949. So while Britain and Canada were allies both before 1949 and after, before this it was part of a British-dominated Imperial alliance, whereas after it has always been a as small parts of a much broader Western Bloc
where the United States is by far the most powerful member. This means that the strategic and political importance of military ties between the UK and Canada are much lower than British-American or Canadian-American ties. This is easily observed by Canada's participation in the NORAD scheme with the US for the common defence of North American airspace.
The definitive break in Canada's loyalist foreign policy came during the Suez Crisis
of 1956, the Canadian government flatly rejected calls from the British government for support of the later's invasion of Egypt. Eventually, Canada helped the British (and the French and Israeli accomplishes) to save face while extracting themselves from a public relations disaster. The Canadian delegation to the UN, led by future prime minister Lester B. Pearson
, proposed a peacekeeping force to separate the two waring sides. For this he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Meanwhile Canada's legal separation from Britain continued. The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946
gave Canadian a separate legal nationality from Britons. Canadians could no longer appeal court cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
in London after 1949.
Canada's patriation
of its constitution (the ability to amend it without the need to ask the British Parliament to enact the changes), which had been proposed and debated since the 1960, was achieved with the Constitution Act, 1982
. The was the final chapter in this lengthy process towards full separation.
In both countries, regional economic ties loomed larger than the historical trans-Atlantic ones. Canada's trade with the US now dwarfed that with the UK. Britain eventually joined the European Economic Community
in 1973, and Canada signed a free trade agreement with the United States in 1988, which became the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) in 1994 with the addition of Mexico. Thus, putting the two nations are now members of rival trading blocs.
In bottom-line terms, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and the UK reached almost C$21 billion in 2006, with two-way investment stocks totaling C$98 billion. The UK accounted for C$10.1 billion of exports from Canada, with gold, uranium and nickel – together with higher exports of aircraft and telecommunications equipment – sitting high on the list. The UK ranks second in Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) in Canada, valued at C$39 billion in 2006, up 29.9 per cent on the previous year. The UK is also the second largest destination of Canadian direct investment abroad, valued at C$59 billion (11.3 per cent of the global total), up 20.7 per cent on 2005, positioning Canada as the third largest investor in the UK, following the US and France.
On 9 February 2011, the boards of the London Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange agreed to a deal in which both holding companies for the stock exchanges would merge together, creating a leading exchange group with the largest number of listed companies in the world, and a combined market capitalisation of £3.7 trillion (C$5.8 trillion). The merged was ultimately cancelled on 29 June 2011 when it became obvious TMX shareholders would not give the needed two-thirds approval.
(England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) are taken together, people of British ancestry still form Canada's largest ethnic group.
Historically, Canadians have travelled to Britain to advance their careers or studies to higher levels than could be done at home. Britain acted as the metropole
, or centre, to which Canadians gravitated; this function has to a large extent been reduced as the Canadian economy and institutions have developed.
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, and their sharing of the same Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
. Despite this shared history, the UK is no longer Canada's largest trading partner, and the two nations are now in separate trade blocs, the EU and NAFTA.
History
British-Canadian relations are characterized by a long history of extremely close ties, although not always as equals. Before Canadian ConfederationCanadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867, Canada was a collection of British colonies, and after that date an autonomous, but not fully sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
, Dominion. As Canada became sovereign, direct bilateral ties were loosened, but both countries continued to be allies, and after the second World War both countries became small parts of the much larger Western Bloc
Western Bloc
The Western Bloc or Capitalist Bloc during the Cold War refers to the powers allied with the United States and NATO against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact...
.
The history of relations between Canada and the UK well into the 20th Century is really the story of Canada's slow evolution towards full sovereignty.
In 1759, Britain conquered New France
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, and, after the Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, began to populate formerly-French Canada with English-speaking settlers. British governors ruled these new territories absolutely
Absolutism
The term Absolutism may refer to:* Absolute idealism, an ontologically monistic philosophy attributed to G.W.F. Hegel. It is Hegel's account of how being is ultimately comprehensible as an all-inclusive whole...
until the Constitutional Act of 1791
Constitutional Act of 1791
The Constitutional Act of 1791, formally The Clergy Endowments Act, 1791 , is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain...
, which created the first Canadian legislatures. These weak bodies were still inferior to the governors until the granting of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
in 1848. With their new powers, the colonies chose to federate in 1867, creating a new state, Canada, with the new title of Dominion.
The constitution of the new Canadian federation left foreign affairs to the Imperial Parliament in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, but the leaders of the federal parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
in Ottawa soon developed their own viewpoints on some issues, notably relations between the British Empire and the United States
Anglo-American relations
British–American relations encompass many complex relations over the span of four centuries, beginning in 1607 with England's first permanent colony in North America called Jamestown, to the present day, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of...
. Stable relations and secure trade with the United States were becoming increasingly vital to Canada, — so much so that historians have said that Canada's early diplomacy constituted a "North Atlantic triangle
North Atlantic triangle
The North Atlantic triangle is a theoretical construct for studying the history of Canadian foreign policy. It seeks to explain the importance of British—American relations to Canada's security, and even survival, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.The triangle in question...
".
Most of Canada's early attempts at diplomacy necessarily involved the "mother country". Canada's first (informal) diplomatic officer was Sir John Rose, who was sent to London by Prime Minister John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
. George Brown
George Brown (Canadian politician)
George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation...
was subsequently dispatched to Washington by Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie, PC , a building contractor and newspaper editor, was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873 to October 8, 1878.-Biography:...
to influence British-American trade talks. The British government desired to formalise Canada's representation abroad rather than deal with so many informal lobbyists, and so, in 1880, Alexander Tilloch Galt
Alexander Tilloch Galt
Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, GCMG, PC was a politician and a father of Canadian Confederation.He was born in Chelsea, England, the son of Scottish novelist and colonizer, John Galt, and Elizabeth Tilloch Galt. He was a cousin of Sir Hugh Allan.Alexander Galt is interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery...
became the first High Commissioner
High Commissioner (Commonwealth)
In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
sent from a Dominion to another Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
.
When it came time to respond to imperial conflicts, Canada maintained a low profile, especially during the Sudan Campaign. When Britain sided with the US during the Alaska boundary dispute
Alaska Boundary Dispute
The Alaska boundary dispute was a territorial dispute between the United States and Canada . It was resolved by arbitration in 1903. The dispute had been going on between the Russian and British Empires since 1821, and was inherited by the United States as a consequence of the Alaska Purchase in...
, it marked a low point in pro-British sentiment in Canada. By the time of the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, however, Canadians volunteered to fight for the Empire in large numbers despite the lukewarm support of the government of Wilfred Laurier, the first French-Catholic prime minister.
Economically, Canadian governments were interested in free trade with the United States
Reciprocity (Canadian politics)
In nineteenth and early twentieth century Canadian politics, the term reciprocity was used to describe the concept of free trade with the United States of America...
; however, since this was difficult to negotiate and politically divisive, they became leading advocates of imperial preference
Imperial Preference
Imperial Preference was a proposed system of reciprocally-levelled tariffs or free trade agreements between the dominions and colonies within the British Empire...
, which met with limited enthusiasm in Britain.
At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Canadian government and millions of Canadian volunteers enthusiastically joined Britain's side, but the sacrifices of the war, and the fact they were made in the name of the British Empire, caused domestic tension in Canada
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
, and awakened a budding nationalism in Canadians. At the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
, Canada demanded the right to sign treaties without British permission and to join the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. By the 1920s, Canada was taking a more independent stance on world affairs.
In 1926, through the Balfour Declaration, Britain declared that she would no longer legislate for the Dominions, and that they were now fully independent states with the right to conduct their own foreign affairs. This was later formalised by the Statute of Westminster 1931
Statute of Westminster 1931
The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed on 11 December 1931, the Act established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire with the United Kingdom...
.
Loyalty to Britain still existed, however, and during the darkest days of the Second World War for Britain, after the fall of France and before the entry of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
or the USA, Canada was Britain's principal ally in the North Atlantic, and a major source of weapons and food. However, the war showed that the Imperial alliance between Britain, Canada, and the other Dominions was no longer a dominant global power, not being able to prevent Hong Kong from being overrun
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
by Japan, and narrowly avoiding a German invasion of Britain itself.
Owing to the destruction of much of Europe, Canada's relative economic and military importance was at a peak in the late 1940s, just as Britain's was declining. Both were dwarfed by the new superpowers, however, and policymakers in both Britain and Canada were eager to participate in a lasting alliance with the United States for protection from the Soviet Union, which resulted in the creation of NATO in 1949. So while Britain and Canada were allies both before 1949 and after, before this it was part of a British-dominated Imperial alliance, whereas after it has always been a as small parts of a much broader Western Bloc
Western Bloc
The Western Bloc or Capitalist Bloc during the Cold War refers to the powers allied with the United States and NATO against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact...
where the United States is by far the most powerful member. This means that the strategic and political importance of military ties between the UK and Canada are much lower than British-American or Canadian-American ties. This is easily observed by Canada's participation in the NORAD scheme with the US for the common defence of North American airspace.
The definitive break in Canada's loyalist foreign policy came during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
of 1956, the Canadian government flatly rejected calls from the British government for support of the later's invasion of Egypt. Eventually, Canada helped the British (and the French and Israeli accomplishes) to save face while extracting themselves from a public relations disaster. The Canadian delegation to the UN, led by future prime minister Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
, proposed a peacekeeping force to separate the two waring sides. For this he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Meanwhile Canada's legal separation from Britain continued. The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946
Canadian Citizenship Act 1946
The Canadian Citizenship Act is an Act of the Parliament of Canada, which was enacted June 27, 1946, and came into effect on January 1, 1947, recognizing the definition of a Canadian, including reference to them being British subjects....
gave Canadian a separate legal nationality from Britons. Canadians could no longer appeal court cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
in London after 1949.
Canada's patriation
Patriation
Patriation is a non-legal term used in Canada to describe a process of constitutional change also known as "homecoming" of the constitution. Up until 1982, Canada was governed by a constitution that was a British law and could be changed only by an Act of the British Parliament...
of its constitution (the ability to amend it without the need to ask the British Parliament to enact the changes), which had been proposed and debated since the 1960, was achieved with the Constitution Act, 1982
Constitution Act, 1982
The Constitution Act, 1982 is a part of the Constitution of Canada. The Act was introduced as part of Canada's process of "patriating" the constitution, introducing several amendments to the British North America Act, 1867, and changing the latter's name in Canada to the Constitution Act, 1867...
. The was the final chapter in this lengthy process towards full separation.
In both countries, regional economic ties loomed larger than the historical trans-Atlantic ones. Canada's trade with the US now dwarfed that with the UK. Britain eventually joined the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
in 1973, and Canada signed a free trade agreement with the United States in 1988, which became the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) in 1994 with the addition of Mexico. Thus, putting the two nations are now members of rival trading blocs.
Trade and investment
Despite Canada's long-term shift towards proportionally more trade with the US, Canada–UK trade has continued to grow in absolute numbers and reached an all-time high in 2006. The UK is by far Canada's most important commercial partner in Europe and, from a global perspective, ranks second behind the United States.In bottom-line terms, two-way merchandise trade between Canada and the UK reached almost C$21 billion in 2006, with two-way investment stocks totaling C$98 billion. The UK accounted for C$10.1 billion of exports from Canada, with gold, uranium and nickel – together with higher exports of aircraft and telecommunications equipment – sitting high on the list. The UK ranks second in Foreign Direct Investment
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
(FDI) in Canada, valued at C$39 billion in 2006, up 29.9 per cent on the previous year. The UK is also the second largest destination of Canadian direct investment abroad, valued at C$59 billion (11.3 per cent of the global total), up 20.7 per cent on 2005, positioning Canada as the third largest investor in the UK, following the US and France.
On 9 February 2011, the boards of the London Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange agreed to a deal in which both holding companies for the stock exchanges would merge together, creating a leading exchange group with the largest number of listed companies in the world, and a combined market capitalisation of £3.7 trillion (C$5.8 trillion). The merged was ultimately cancelled on 29 June 2011 when it became obvious TMX shareholders would not give the needed two-thirds approval.
Tourism
In 2004, about 800,000 British residents visited Canada, making the United Kingdom Canada's second-largest source of tourists after the United States. That same year, UK visitors spent almost C$1 billion while visiting Canada. Britain was the third most-popular international destination for Canadian tourists in 2003, after the United States and Mexico – with some 700,000 visitors spending over C$800 million.Defence and security
Both countries are members of NATO. Before 2011, the two countries' main areas of defence cooperation was in Afghanistan, where both were involved in the dangerous southern provinces, however Canada has since withdrawn. However, both have provided air power to the NATO-led mission over Libya.Migration
From the conquest of New France until 1966, Britain remained one of Canada's largest sources of immigrants, usually the largest. Since 1967, when Canadian laws were changed to remove preferences that had been given to Britons and other Europeans, British migration to Canada has continued at a lower level. When the constituent nations of the UKHome Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
(England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) are taken together, people of British ancestry still form Canada's largest ethnic group.
Historically, Canadians have travelled to Britain to advance their careers or studies to higher levels than could be done at home. Britain acted as the metropole
Metropole
The metropole, from the Greek Metropolis 'mother city' was the name given to the British metropolitan centre of the British Empire, i.e. the United Kingdom itself...
, or centre, to which Canadians gravitated; this function has to a large extent been reduced as the Canadian economy and institutions have developed.
Quotes
- Canada's future first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, speaking in 1865, hoped that, if the Canadian colonies created a new federation, then Britain and Canada would have "a healthy and cordial alliance. Instead of looking upon us as a merely dependent colony, England will have in us a friendly nation, a subordinate but still a powerful people to stand by her in North America in peace or in war."
- Speaking many years later at the beginning of the 1891 electionCanadian federal election, 1891The Canadian federal election of 1891 was held on March 5 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 7th Parliament of Canada. It was won by the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald....
(fought mostly over Canadian free trade with the United StatesReciprocity (Canadian politics)In nineteenth and early twentieth century Canadian politics, the term reciprocity was used to describe the concept of free trade with the United States of America...
), Macdonald said on February 3, 1891: "As for myself, my course is clear. A British subjectBritish subjectIn British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings. The current definition of the term British subject is contained in the British Nationality Act 1981.- Prior to 1949 :...
I was born; a British subject I will die. With my utmost effort, with my latest breath, will I oppose the ‘veiled treason’ which attempts, by sordid means and mercenary proffers, to lure our people from their allegiance."
See also
- High Commission of Canada in LondonHigh Commission of Canada in LondonThe High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom in London is the diplomatic mission from Canada to the United Kingdom. It is housed in two buildings in London.-History:...
- High Commission of the United Kingdom in OttawaHigh Commission of the United Kingdom in OttawaThe British High Commission in Ottawa is the main diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in Canada. It is located at 80 Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa, across the street from the National Arts Centre and not far from Parliament Hill.- History :...
- List of High Commissioners from the United Kingdom to Canada
- List of Canadian High Commissioners to the United Kingdom
External links
Government- Visit Britain the British Tourist Board's Canadian site
- British High Commission The British High Commission in Ottawa
- Canadian High Commission Canadian High Commission in London