What was the Meech Lake Accord?
Answer
A 1987 federal-provincial constitutional reform package that would have brought Quebec into the Constitution but failed to be ratified by all provinces by the June 23, 1990 deadline.
Explanation
The Meech Lake Accord was a 1987 federal-provincial constitutional reform package designed to bring Quebec into the Canadian Constitution after Quebec's exclusion from the 1982 Constitution Act. The Accord was negotiated by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the 10 provincial premiers at Meech Lake, Quebec on April 30, 1987 and signed at Langevin Block in Ottawa on June 3, 1987. The Accord required ratification by Parliament and all 10 provincial Legislatures within three years (by June 23, 1990) to take effect.
The Accord had five main provisions. First, the recognition of Quebec as a 'distinct society' in Canada, with the Quebec government having the role to 'preserve and promote' that distinct society. Second, a constitutional veto for Quebec (and other named provinces) over future constitutional amendments. Third, expanded provincial role in immigration. Fourth, provincial role in Supreme Court appointments (with the federal government required to choose from provincial lists). Fifth, limits on the federal spending power in areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction.
The Accord initially had broad federal-provincial support but quickly attracted opposition. Indigenous leaders objected that the Accord recognised Quebec as a distinct society without comparable recognition for Indigenous nations. Women's groups objected that the distinct-society clause might permit provincial gender-discrimination policies. Some English-Canadian provinces objected to the expanded Quebec role. New Premier Frank McKenna of New Brunswick (elected 1987 after the Accord was signed) and Premier Clyde Wells of Newfoundland (elected 1989) demanded changes.
The Accord failed to ratify by the June 23, 1990 deadline. The most dramatic moment came in the Manitoba Legislature, where Cree MLA Elijah Harper (an Oji-Cree from Red Sucker Lake First Nation) blocked the unanimous consent required to expedite the Accord on June 12, 1990. New Brunswick had ratified by then, but Newfoundland's Premier Clyde Wells did not bring the Accord to a vote before the deadline. The collapse of Meech Lake produced a political and constitutional crisis. Bouchard's resignation and creation of the Bloc Québécois (1991), the 1992 Charlottetown Accord (also failed), the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum (50.58 per cent No), and ongoing constitutional tensions all flow from the Meech Lake collapse. The June 1990 collapse is considered one of the most consequential moments in modern Canadian political history.
Why this matters for your test
The Meech Lake Accord and its 1990 collapse are central to modern Canadian constitutional history. Recognising the 1987 negotiation and the 1990 deadline gives candidates two specific anchors.
Source: Constitutional Studies; Department of Justice Canada
