Citizens for a Canadian Republic
Encyclopedia
Citizens for a Canadian Republic (French
: Citoyens et Citoyennes pour une République Canadienne) (CCR) is a not-for-profit Canadian organization founded in 2002 that advocates the replacement of the Canadian monarchy with a head of state
who would either be chosen through a general election or elected by parliament
. While CCR favours the retention of the Westminster style parliament
where the prime minister is head of government, the organization does not endorse any particular republican model of government. The organization's general objective is "to promote discussion and help raise awareness of the clear advantages of amending The Constitution to allow for a democratically-chosen Canadian citizen to serve as head of state
."
That same year, CCR became involved in O'Donohue v. Canada
, a lawsuit filed by one of its members, Tony O'Donohue
. This suit challenged the constitutionality of certain provisions the law governing succession to the Canadian monarchy, the Act of Settlement, 1701, which discriminates against Roman Catholics. O'Donohue argued that it thus violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
. The case was dismissed in 2003, and the dismissal was upheld in 2005, part of the rationale behind the decision being that as the Act of Settlement is indeed a constitutional document on equal-footing with the Charter, it could not be pre-empted by the Charter
In 2007, CCR member Charles Roach
filed suit in opposition to the requirement of new citizens to swear an oath to the Queen
. The case was on May 17, 2007, allowed to proceed, but has since been dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
.
spokesperson is Tom Freda. The associate director and principal francophone
spokesperson is Pierre L. J. Vincent
. Other prominent members of the group include O'Donohue, Professor Randall White and civil rights
lawyer Charles Roach
. The organization has local chapters in Fredericton
, Montreal
, Ottawa
, Toronto
, Hamilton
, Edmonton
, Calgary
and Vancouver
, plus international chapters in the US and the UK.
republican movements that seek to change their countries' status as Commonwealth realm
s to Commonwealth republic
s.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Citoyens et Citoyennes pour une République Canadienne) (CCR) is a not-for-profit Canadian organization founded in 2002 that advocates the replacement of the Canadian monarchy with a head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
who would either be chosen through a general election or elected by parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
. While CCR favours the retention of the Westminster style parliament
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
where the prime minister is head of government, the organization does not endorse any particular republican model of government. The organization's general objective is "to promote discussion and help raise awareness of the clear advantages of amending The Constitution to allow for a democratically-chosen Canadian citizen to serve as head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
."
History
Citizens for a Canadian Republic was formed in 2002 "in an effort to provide balance in the debate over whether or not Canada should remain a constitutional monarchy" and advocating the “Canadianization” of the head of state. It remains the only formal organization devoted to the establishment of a Canadian republic.That same year, CCR became involved in O'Donohue v. Canada
O'Donohue v. Canada
O'Donohue v. Canada was a legal challenge to the exclusion of Roman Catholics from the throne of Canada. The applicant sought a declaratory judgment that certain provisions of the Act of Settlement 1701 violate the equality-rights section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms...
, a lawsuit filed by one of its members, Tony O'Donohue
Tony O'Donohue
Anthony "Tony" O'Donohue is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland , O'Donohue graduated as a civil engineer from University College, Galway in 1954...
. This suit challenged the constitutionality of certain provisions the law governing succession to the Canadian monarchy, the Act of Settlement, 1701, which discriminates against Roman Catholics. O'Donohue argued that it thus violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982...
. The case was dismissed in 2003, and the dismissal was upheld in 2005, part of the rationale behind the decision being that as the Act of Settlement is indeed a constitutional document on equal-footing with the Charter, it could not be pre-empted by the Charter
Charles Roach
Charles Roach is a Canada-based civil rights lawyer and an activist in the Black community.-Early life:Born in Trinidad and Tobago, the son of a trade union organizer, Roach arrived in Canada in 1955 as an aspiring priest to study at the University of Saskatchewan...
filed suit in opposition to the requirement of new citizens to swear an oath to the Queen
Oath of Allegiance (Canada)
The Canadian Oath of Allegiance is a promise or declaration of fealty to the Canadian monarch, taken, along with other specific oaths of office, by new occupants of various government positions, including federal and provincial viceroys, appointees to the Queen's Privy Council, Supreme Court...
. The case was on May 17, 2007, allowed to proceed, but has since been dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Ontario Superior Court of Justice
The Superior Court of Justice is the superior court of general jurisdiction for the Province of Ontario, Canada. It is the successor to the former Ontario Court of Justice , and was created on April 19, 1999...
.
National organization
CCR's national director and principal anglophoneEnglish Canadian
An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
spokesperson is Tom Freda. The associate director and principal francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
spokesperson is Pierre L. J. Vincent
Pierre L. J. Vincent
Pierre Vincent, B.Sc., LL.B, is a co-founder and current Associate Director of Toronto, Ontario based Citizens for a Canadian Republic.Born in 1964 in Red Deer, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Pierre Vincent studied law at Université de Moncton and geology at University of Alberta.He became a...
. Other prominent members of the group include O'Donohue, Professor Randall White and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
lawyer Charles Roach
Charles Roach
Charles Roach is a Canada-based civil rights lawyer and an activist in the Black community.-Early life:Born in Trinidad and Tobago, the son of a trade union organizer, Roach arrived in Canada in 1955 as an aspiring priest to study at the University of Saskatchewan...
. The organization has local chapters in Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, plus international chapters in the US and the UK.
Affiliations
CCR is a member of Common Cause, an alliance of CommonwealthCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
republican movements that seek to change their countries' status as Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s to Commonwealth republic
Commonwealth republic
A republic in the Commonwealth of Nations is any one of the 33 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations with a republican form of government...
s.
See also
- RepublicanismRepublicanismRepublicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
- Republicanism in CanadaRepublicanism in CanadaCanadian republicanism is the appreciation amongst Canadians for the replacement of the Canadian system of constitutional monarchy with a republican form of government in the sense of the state headed by a president. These beliefs are expressed either individually generally in academic circles or...
- Debate on the monarchy in CanadaDebate on the monarchy in CanadaDebate between monarchists and republicans in Canada has been taking place since before the country's Confederation in 1867, though it has rarely been of significance since the rebellions of 1837. Open support for republicanism only came from the Patriotes in the early 19th century, the Red River...
- Monarchist League of CanadaMonarchist League of CanadaThe Monarchist League of Canada is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is "to promote the full expression and a better understanding of the history and real benefits of a uniquely Canadian constitutional monarchy"....