On November 3-5, 2011 key figures who negotiated a new constitution for Canada will be re-uniting to tell us what actually happened behind closed doors. What was negotiated and why? What were the hard fought battles and why did Quebec refuse to sign?
The Patriation Negotiations, A Moment of Incalculable Consequences conference is to mark the 30th anniversary of the fateful 4 days when Pierre Trudeau and the Premiers of 10 provinces met to negotiate a patriated constitution for Canada. In the end, we got the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, an amendment formula and patriation. But, we almost lost Quebec - Levesque did not sign the deal.
The purpose of this conference is to hear from those who were in the room and in the back rooms (and who are still with us) about what was negotiated and why. The meetings were held behind closed doors and so this is the last opportunity (as many of them have already died or are unable to make it) to hear from them, together, about what transpired. It is a unique opportunity to hear first hand about the making of our own constitution. There are profound disagreements among some participants as to how the deal was eventually reached and we want to hear from them. We are filming the event for a documentary which will be produced with Tom Radford for June, 2012.
Participants will include three former Premiers, the Hon. Peter Lougheed, Hon. Brian Peckford and the Hon. John Buchanan. They will be joined by their colleague from the era, the Hon. Roy Romanow. Analysis about what led to this historic and fateful meeting will include scholars, authors and activists such as Richard Simeon, Louise Mandell, David Schneiderman, Guy Laforest, Eric Adams, Judy Erola and Marilou McPhedran. And those who consider the implications of this negotiated agreement, which Quebec did not sign, include Peter Russell, Neil Sterritt , Alain G-Gagnon, Alexandra Dobrowolsky and Gerald Baier.
Chantal Hebert will be the closing lunch hour speaker.(Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.)
The conference is being held at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. It begins on Thursday evening, goes all day Friday and there is a Friday evening dinner where the three former premiers, Lougheed, Peckford and Buchanan will have an 'arm chair' discussion about their recollections. This will be moderated by Jim Edwards. Conference ends Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with Chantal Hebert.
Program information can be located at: www.patriationconference.ca and I have attached a DRAFT conference program for your information. Itinerary is at pages 11-
