DCHP-3

Meech Lake Accord

DCHP-2 (Jul 2016)

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Meech Lake accord

n. — Politics

a 1987 agreement between the federal government and the provinces to accept a set of demands from Quebec in exchange for Quebec's support of the 1982 Canada Act. The deal lapsed in 1990.

Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The government of Quebec never approved the Canada Act of 1982 (also known as the Constitution Act), which patriated the Canadian constitution. In an attempt to negotiate a deal that would see Quebec support the Act, an agreement was made between the federal government, Quebec and the provincial premiers to bring Quebec into active participation in Confederation by meeting a set of demands laid out by Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa. The most controversial of these demands was the distinct society clause, under which Quebec would be recognized as a distinct society within Canada. Although all premiers agreed to the Meech Lake Accord, named for Meech Lake, Quebec, where the conference was held, it became clear that some provincial governments were uncomfortable with the distinct society clause (see Maple Leaf Web reference).
Famously, Elijah Harper, First Nation's MLA for Rupertsland, Manitoba, refused to give his consent to bypass normal procedural requirements in order for Manitoba to ratify the Accord by the June 23, 1990 deadline. Harper rejected the Accord because First Nations were not adequately consulted in the proceedings (see Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Meech Lake Accord"). Prime Minister Brian Mulroney extended the deadline, but only if Newfoundland, one of the provinces most vocally opposed to the Accord, would ratify first. Newfoundland cancelled a scheduled vote on the Accord, effectively killing the deal (see Maple Leaf Web reference).
The Meech Lake Accord is Canadian in origin, and the failure of the agreement has continuing political and cultural impacts on Canada. When a special committee report proposed amending the Accord to diminish the gains won by Quebec in the initial agreement, then Minister of the Environment Lucien Bouchard, a Quebecker, left the Progressive Conservative party. In light of the failure of the Accord to grant Quebec's demands, he formed the Bloc Québécois, a federal political party whose aim it is to achieve political sovereignty/separatism for Quebec (see Canadian Encyclopedia references and the 2013 quotation).
Elijah Harper's dissension is seen as a pivotal moment in First Nations' political history. His act of dissent, performed as he held an eagle feather in the legislature, has become symbolic of First Nations' asserting an active role in the Canadian political arena (see, e.g. the 1990 and 1996 quotations).
The term is most frequent in Canada (see Chart 1). See also COD-2, s.v. "Meech Lake Accord", which is marked "Cdn".

Quotations

1987
A confident Premier Robert Bourassa has launched a month-long campaign to sell the Meech Lake accord, citing "historic gains" for Quebec in promotion of the French language, control over immigration and protection against future federal erosion of the province's powers. With a full-fledged constitutional conference due within about 30 days to ratify the six-point draft deal he signed with Ottawa and the nine other provinces, the Liberal premier yesterday began marshalling his arguments to prove Quebec has achieved a historic breakthrough. Front and centre in his presentation is the recognition of Quebec as a "distinct society" and the requirement that the courts interpret the Constitution in future with this in mind.
1990
New Democrat MLA Elijah Harper was mobbed by hundreds of cheering aboriginal people yesterday after he launched a one-man campaign against the Meech Lake accord, forcing the Manitoba Legislature to delay its opening debate on the constitutional agreement. Mr. Harper, a Cree Indian who is a former chief of the Red Sucker Lake band in northeastern Manitoba, blocked the province's attempt to introduce the controversial accord in the Legislature yesterday.
1996
Harper became a hero to many natives when, as a New Democrat MLA in 1990, he used procedural tactics to prevent the Manitoba legislature from ratifying the Meech Lake accord.
2000
The deal agreed upon by all the provinces minus Quebec was good enough to persuade British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to push the measure through Westminster. But the repercussions of Quebec's exclusion from the agreement to patriate the Constitution last to this day. It has never adopted the document and years of efforts under former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's government to amend it further to meet Quebec's concerns - the Meech Lake accord - ended in a failure that was costly politically for all concerned.
2008
Elijah, a CTV movie about Manitoba native MLA Elijah Harper's stand against the Meech Lake accord, was named best feature, and the movie's Vancouver-based producer-writer Blake Corbet won for best screenwriting. The movie also won for score and editing.
2013
The most famous provision in the Meech Lake accord would have recognized Quebec as a "distinct society" and the ensuing controversy tore the old Progressive Conservative party to pieces -- with the Reform party and Bloc Quebecois emerging in the aftermath.
2016
Don has been writing for the Gazette offand on - mostly on - since 1974. He joined this newspaper as a reporter, worked for three years and then left in 1977. He returned for good in 1984 and has been writing a column about Quebec politics since March 4, 1985. That means he has covered nine premiers - from Robert Bourassa to Philippe Couillard - and written about such political milestones as the Meech Lake Accord, the 1995 referendum and the late and unlamented Charter of Values.

References

Images

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 8 Jul. 2013

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 8 Jul. 2013