Canadian Charter Educational Package

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Cover Illustration: Nickia McIvor

Before the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms passed in 1982, our country was a different place.

Lots of people spoke up to help the government create the Charter and protect Canadians’ rights and freedoms. It’s not perfect — many Indigenous people and French-speaking Quebecers see it differently — but, says a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court says, you’re lucky to have it.

A big test of the Charter came early, and it started with kids. Our comic highlights several more important cases, from hockey to a special knife.

Learn about why there are limits on our rights and freedoms and find out how sharp your eyes are when you try one of our games. It’s all in the February 2023 Kayak!

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Our Thanks

We are grateful to the Department of Canadian Heritage for their support of this educational initiative.

Also available in French

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

Kate Siklosi’s “hand to object care” and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Students will apply aesthetic and historical thinking skills using the work of Canadian artist Kate Siklosi and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to develop an understanding of historical injustices.

Understanding the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

In this lesson, students will trace the important events leading up to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution.

Right(s) On

Have students create a poster to help others understand the rights they are guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — then submit their work for a chance to win a free one-year subscription to Kayak!

Related Content

The Great Charter

Why a thirteenth-century piece of parchment endorsed by an English king who was under threat of death has meaning for Canadians today.

Pride & Prejudice

Changes to the criminal code in 1969 meant the beginning of the end for institutionalized discrimination against lesbian and gay Canadians.

Challenging Secularism

The Quebec Court of Appeal considers legal arguments against Bill 21.

The Foundering Fathers

Did the Fathers of Confederation bungle the creation of Canada? Maybe they were smarter than you think.

Developing a Strong Constitution

Ensconced in a document that is over thirty-five years old, our nation’s acts, traditions, and conventions are fortified by their amend-ability. 

Slow Road to Tolerance

It’s hard to say when attitudes in Canada began shifting towards a more tolerant, multicultural society. Perhaps it began with the Holocaust.