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Battle of Ypres
The Battle of Ypres was really significant for Canadians because they fought through the night to close the gap which helped Canada established a reputation as a formidable fighting force. The Battle of Ypres began on October 19, 1914, nearby the Belgian city of Ypres, where German armies and other countries fought over who would control the city and its valuable points on the north coast of Belgium during the First World War. -
League of Nations
The League of Nations is an organization that included 42 countries. At first, it was an idea that was refused from Wilson’s 14 Point Plan and its purpose was to create an international organization that could prevent future conflicts through collective security. Canada became a part of the ‘League of Nations’, which showed the nations autonomy from Britain. -
Chanak Affair
The Chanak Crisis was a small yet major conflict where Turkish forces threatened the British at Chanak. Britain, France, and Greece had conquered portions of western Greece after WW1, and Turkey desired to rebuild the area to Turkish rule. Then the British rule requested other countries to send troops to the region. This is when Canada plays a part as the King decided not instantly send troops because he felt that Canada wanted greater independence from Britain in foreign affairs. -
The Halibut Treaty
Canada and the U.S. signed an international agreement without the approval of Britain for the first time. The agreement was on the fishing season for halibut that was located in the north Pacific Ocean. This was very significant for Canada because it was another step towards independence and autonomy as we won the right to sign treaties on our own. -
The King-Byng Crisis
The King-Byng Affair was a Canadian constitutional crisis that occurred in 1926, where there was conflict between the powers of a prime minister against the powers of a governor general.The King-Byng Affair was a 1962 Canadian constitutional crisis pitting the powers of a prime minister against the powers of a governor general. It began when Mackenzie King asked Governor General Lord Julian Byng of Vimy to dissolve Parliament and call fresh elections. Byng refused. -
The Balfour Report
The Balfour Report of 1926 stated that Britain and its Territories were equal to each other. Additionally, it was a revolutionary document authorizing Canada as a fully self-governing and independent country that is united by their own allegiance to the British Monarch and the other Dominions within the Commonwealth. -
The Statute of Westminister
On December 11, 1931, a British law passed on the Statute of Westminster, which was granted the powers of Canada’s Parliament and those of the other Commonwealth Dominions full legal freedom, excluding regions where they chose to remain inferior to Britain. This was very significant for Canada because the nation was able to self-govern itself without any other laws then its own.
