One step closer

Bill recognizing Charlottetown as official birthplace of Confederation passes second reading

“It felt great because this is the year to do it, (during) Canada’s 150th year. Hopefully, we can get it through before the end of the year.” Malpeque MP Wayne Easter

A bill recognizing Charlottetown as the official birthplace of Confederation will hopefully reach its third reading by the end of this year, says Malpeque MP Wayne Easter.

The bill saw unanimous support during its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday and has now been referred to the federal standing committee on Canadian heritage.

That puts Bill S-236 “Recognition of Charlottetown as the Birthplace of Confederation Act” one step closer to becoming official.

“It felt great because this is the year to do it, (during) Canada’s 150th year. Hopefully, we can get it through before the end of the year,” said Easter, who presented the bill in the House of Commons on Monday.

Easter noted that former P.E.I. MP George Proud had attempted many years ago to pass a similar bill.

Easter said the new bill has been improved by also recognizing the role the Quebec and London conferences played in Confederation.

“I think the bill is improved, which gains a greater level of support. As I said in our closing remarks, the founders who came to Charlottetown and held that conference, they built better than they knew,” said Easter.

However, Easter also noted no Indigenous people or women were invited to the historic conference.

“It was a different time, but we’ve come a long way since then,” said Easter. “Canada has become a beacon to the world in terms of our nationhood, our inclusiveness and our leadership on the global stage. The founders who founded this country would be proud of this.”

The bill was introduced in the Senate by P.E.I. Senator Diane Griffin, which Easter said gave the bill a greater priority in the house than if it had been introduced as a private members bill.