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Canadian Government, Society, and Freedoms

Although Canadians come from all over the world, our society looks very much like the one in England. Why is that?

 

Canada became a country on 1 July 1867. Before it became a country, Canada was an English colony. That meant that England controlled Canada 's money and government. Even today, although Canada is an independent country, we honour the Queen of England as our head of state. Because of this history, Canada is similar to England in many ways.  

 

One of the most important ideas in Canadian life is that that people are allowed to have different ideas and beliefs. This is important in a country like Canada . Canada has so many different groups that it would be impossible to get them all to agree. As long as what you believe is not illegal or hateful, you are allowed to have your own opinion. This is called tolerance. Canada is known as a tolerant country.

 

Tolerance is especially important when it comes to religion. Look at the English and the French for example. French people usually go to the Catholic church, while English people usually go to a Protestant church, but English and French live side by side in Canada . Besides these two large groups, there are many smaller groups that have different beliefs. Also, Canada 's Aboriginals have their own spiritual beliefs, and they are different from both the Catholic and the Protestant churches.

 

In Canada, people can belong to whatever church they want. This is called religious tolerance.

Even though people in Canada have a lot of freedom, the influence from England remained strong for a long time, especially during times of war.

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