What was the Calgary Declaration of 1997?

The Calgary Declaration was a non-binding statement on Canadian unity issued on September 14, 1997 by the Premiers of nine provinces (excluding Quebec) at the annual Premiers' Conference at Calgary, Alberta. The Declaration recognised 'the unique character of Quebec society' (a phrase designed to be palatable both to Quebec nationalists and to those who had rejected Charlottetown's 'distinct society' clause) and the equality of all Canadians. The Declaration was a non-constitutional response to the near-loss of the 1995 Quebec referendum and the absence of any constitutional consensus on Quebec's place.

The political context was challenging. The 1995 Quebec referendum had narrowly rejected sovereignty (50.58 per cent No to 49.42 per cent Yes). Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's 1995 promises of constitutional recognition of Quebec's distinct society had stalled. The federal House of Commons resolution recognising Quebec as a distinct society (passed December 11, 1995) was symbolic rather than constitutional. The Canadian Constitution (Bill of Rights and Freedoms) Act, 1996 had granted Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, the Prairies, and the Atlantic provinces vetoes over future constitutional changes. Constitutional reform remained politically frozen after the 1992 Charlottetown defeat.

The Declaration's seven principles were: (1) all Canadians are equal and have rights protected by law; (2) all provinces are equal in status, although their characteristics may differ; (3) Canada is graced by a diversity, tolerance, compassion, and an equality of opportunity unmatched in the world; (4) Canada's gift of diversity includes Aboriginal peoples and cultures, the vitality of English- and French-speaking Canada, and multicultural and multiracial backgrounds; (5) in Canada's federal system, where respect for diversity and equality underlies unity, the unique character of Quebec society (its French-speaking majority, culture, and civil-law tradition) is fundamental to Canada as a whole; (6) if any future constitutional amendment confers powers on one province, those powers must be available to all provinces; (7) Canada is a federation, with the federal and provincial governments responsible for ensuring the well-being of all Canadians.

Implementation followed in the provinces. Eight of nine signing provinces ratified the Declaration through their legislatures by 1998 (British Columbia did not formally ratify, although it endorsed the spirit of the Declaration). Quebec did not participate. The Calgary Declaration's practical effect was modest: it had no constitutional force and produced no immediate policy changes. However, it represented a continuing federal-provincial commitment to recognising Quebec's distinctive place within Canada. The Declaration was followed by the federal Reference re Secession of Quebec decision (August 20, 1998), which imposed a duty to negotiate any clear future Quebec sovereignty mandate, and the Clarity Act of 2000, which set conditions for federal engagement with any future Quebec sovereignty referendum. The Calgary Declaration is sometimes called the last significant federal-provincial constitutional initiative on Quebec's place in Canada.