Meech Lake Accord

Meech Lake Accord
Name	Meech Lake Accord
Long name	Constitutional Amendment, 1987
Caption	First Ministers at the Meech Lake conference, 1987
Introduced by	Brian Mulroney
Territorial extent	Canada
Date enacted	Never enacted
Date assented	Never assented
Bill	Constitutional Amendment, 1987
Bill date	30 April 1987
Status	Defeated

Meech Lake Accord. The Meech Lake Accord was a set of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, negotiated in 1987 to secure Quebec's formal acceptance of the Constitution Act, 1982. The agreement, forged at a meeting of First Ministers at Willson House on Meech Lake, sought to address longstanding constitutional grievances by recognizing Quebec as a "distinct society" and decentralizing federal powers. Its ultimate failure in 1990 precipitated a major political crisis, deepening national unity tensions and reshaping the landscape of Canadian federalism.

Background and context

The constitutional discord stemmed directly from the Patriation of the Constitution in 1982, which was enacted without the consent of the Government of Quebec under Premier René Lévesque. This left a profound sense of alienation in Quebec, where successive governments, both Parti Québécois and Quebec Liberal Party, demanded formal recognition of the province's unique character. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, elected in 1984, made reconciling Quebec with the constitution a central priority, aiming to achieve what his predecessor Pierre Trudeau had not. The political environment was further shaped by the memory of the 1980 Quebec referendum and the subsequent Kitchen Accord, with Mulroney seeking a consensus among the ten provincial premiers that would satisfy Quebec's conditions for signing.

Key provisions

The accord contained five main amendments designed to address provincial, and specifically Quebec, demands. It constitutionally recognized Quebec as a "distinct society" within Canada, a clause intended to guide judicial interpretation. It provided a guarantee of three seats on the Supreme Court of Canada for Quebec civil law jurists and required provincial input for appointments to the high court. The accord expanded provincial authority over immigration, granted a constitutional veto to all provinces, and mandated annual First Ministers' conferences on the economy and the constitution. Furthermore, it allowed provinces to opt out of new federal cost-shared programs with compensation, provided they established their own initiatives meeting national objectives.

Negotiations and agreement

The pivotal negotiations occurred during a marathon session on 30 April 1987 at a government conference centre on Meech Lake, near Gatineau, Quebec. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney hosted the ten provincial premiers, including Quebec's Robert Bourassa, Ontario's David Peterson, and Manitoba's Howard Pawley. The talks, conducted largely in secrecy, resulted in a unanimous agreement in principle among all eleven First Ministers. This consensus was hailed as a historic breakthrough, with Mulroney declaring that "Quebec is back in the Canadian constitutional family, with honour and enthusiasm." The agreement was later formalized into a legal text at the Langevin Block in Ottawa on 3 June 1987.

Provincial ratification process

According to the amending formula in the Constitution Act, 1982, the accord required unanimous ratification by the Parliament of Canada and all ten provincial legislatures within a three-year deadline, by 23 June 1990. Initial ratification proceeded swiftly, with the House of Commons and several provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, passing resolutions of support by 1988. However, the process slowed as public debate intensified and political circumstances changed. The election of new governments in New Brunswick under Frank McKenna, Manitoba under Gary Filmon, and Newfoundland and Labrador under Clyde Wells introduced premiers who were either opposed to or sought significant modifications to the original deal.

Opposition and controversy

Intense opposition emerged from multiple quarters, arguing the accord would weaken the federal government and undermine national standards and individual rights. Prominent critics included former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who denounced the "distinct society" clause as a recipe for fragmentation, and Jean Chrétien. Indigenous leaders, including Assembly of First Nations National Chief Georges Erasmus, protested their exclusion from the process and the accord's failure to address Aboriginal rights. In Manitoba, Elijah Harper, an Oji-Cree Member of the Legislative Assembly, famously used procedural rules to prevent the accord from being brought to a vote, symbolizing broader national discontent with the closed-door negotiations.

Collapse and aftermath

The accord collapsed in June 1990 when the ratification deadlines passed without approval from the legislatures of Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador. Premier Clyde Wells refused to hold a vote, while in Manitoba, extended public hearings and Elijah Harper's filibuster ran out the clock. The failure triggered a profound political crisis, revitalizing the Quebec sovereignty movement and contributing to the rise of the Bloc Québécois and the 1995 Quebec referendum. The federal government launched a new, more inclusive round of negotiations, resulting in the Charlottetown Accord of 1992, which was itself defeated in a national referendum. The legacy of the Meech Lake Accord remains a defining chapter in Canada's constitutional history, exemplifying the deep challenges of reconciling regional identities within Canadian federalism.

Category:Proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada Category:1987 in Canadian law Category:1990 in Canada Category:Quebec federalism Category:Brian Mulroney