Do you believe that one person has the ability to take action and create change? Make it Matter shares examples of kids who make a difference.
What matters most to you? How can you be a participatory citizen? Explore stories of kids who make it matter.
Use the inquiry model to keep you organized as you apply research, critical thinking and participation skills.
Turn ideas into action to plan a project. Consider what you would change and the resources you will use.
Participation in a democracy means taking advantage of the freedom to make choices and form opinions. With this freedom comes responsibilities. Democracy and Participation asks you to think about what it means to be a responsible citizen in a democracy.
In 1867, only 11% of Canada’s population was eligible to vote. Today, that percentage is over 68%, which includes almost every Canadian citizen aged 18 and over.
Photo Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1991-35-6
By 1874, people could vote in private. Paper ballots and voting booths were used for the first time.
Some believed that democratic elections could not happen without a secret ballot. Before 1874, voting took place out loud and in public. This made it possible to intimidate or bribe voters.
Canadian elections still happen in much the same way they did after the secret ballot was adopted. A paper ballot is marked and put into a box. Online voting is used by some local governments, but not by provincial or federal governments.
Photo Credit: City of Edmonton Archives EA-600-2581d
In 1885, the first version of a federal Election Act was passed by the federal government. The right to vote was applied differently from one town and one province to the next. The right to vote was based on property ownership.
A person had to own property that was worth a minimum value or pay a minimum amount in taxes or rent. These minimum values changed over different time periods. Therefore, people who had been able to vote before were suddenly not allowed.
Photo Credit: City of Edmonton Archives EA-10-2740
At the time of Alberta’s first election, in 1905, only men could vote. Voters had to be British subjects and living in the Northwest Territories for a year. They voted by marking an X on a blank ballot, using a coloured pencil. The colour of the pencil identified the candidate a voter picked. About 25 000 Alberta males cast votes in this election. They elected 23 Liberals and two Conservatives to Alberta’s first legislature.
Source: Kostek, M. The Alberta Provincial Parliament at McKay Avenue School. EPS Archives & Museum.
During World War I, the Wartimes Elections Act and the Military Voters Act gave all male and female members of the armed forces the right to vote in the 1917 federal election. This included First Nations peoples and those under the age of 21.
This photo shows Canadian sisters voting at a Canadian hospital in France. Nurses and women in the armed services were given a temporary right to vote. The government also allowed women with husbands, sons or fathers fighting in the war to vote.
Photo Credit: William Rider-Rider / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-002279
In 1918, the Women’s Franchise Act was passed. Women who were British subjects and at least 21 years old could vote in federal elections. In 1919, women obtained the right to run as federal candidates. Women in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia could already vote in provincial elections.
Women in New Brunswick, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and the Northwest Territories did not get the right to vote in provincial or territorial elections until after this date.
Photo Credit: Glenbow Archives ND-3-626
In 1920, the position of Chief Electoral Officer of Canada was created. The Chief Electoral Officer was given the responsibility to make sure federal elections across Canada were run according to the laws of the time.
The Chief Electoral Officer is appointed for 10 years and is completely independent of the government. He or she is responsible for the administration of elections, referendums and other important functions of the electoral system.
In 1920, First Nations peoples were given the right to vote but they had to give up their treaty rights and status under the Indian Act. This photo shows a group of people from Treaty 9 who were present during 1929 band elections in Albany, Ontario.
Photo Credit: Canada. Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development / Library and Archives Canada / PA-094970
In 1921, Agnes Macphail became the first woman elected as a representative to parliament. Agnes Macphail would be the only woman in the federal parliament for the next 14 years. She supported equal rights and equal pay for women and fought for the rights of groups that were often discriminated against, including miners, immigrants and prisoners.
Photo Credit: Yousuf Karsh / Library and Archives Canada / C-021562
In 1948, Canadians of Asian origin got the right to vote. Discriminatory views had prevented these Canadians from voting. In 1948, the federal government removed discrimination on the basis of race from election laws.
In 1950, Inuit people obtained the right to vote and the right to run as candidates in federal elections. It was not until 1962 that ballot boxes were placed in all Inuit communities in the eastern Arctic.
In 1955, religious discrimination was removed from federal election laws. Before this time, people such as the Doukhobors, who objected to war, were not allowed to vote.
In 1960, First Nations people living on reserves were granted the right to vote and the right to run as candidates in federal elections without having to give up their status under the Indian Act. Before 1960, First Nations people could not keep their status under the Indian Act and still vote. In 1968, a First Nations representative was elected to the House of Commons. Len Marchand was elected as a Member of Parliament for the British Columbia constituency of Kamloops–Cariboo. More First Nations people have been elected since then
In 1970, the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. Since that time, there have been efforts to lower the voting age to 16. Some Alberta municipalities are considering doing this for their local elections.
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer was created in 1977. This is called Elections Alberta. This office is independent from government. It oversees Alberta's elections. Before 1977, elections were overseen by the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
In 1982, the right to vote and the right to be a candidate in an election were guaranteed in the Constitution by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Photo Credit: Library and Archives Canada, R11274-148
In 1988, federally appointed judges and persons with intellectual disabilities obtained the right to vote in federal elections.
In 1992, special measures, such as blind voting templates, wheelchair access to polls and interpreters, were put into the Canada Elections Act to ensure access to vote for people with disabilities.
In 1993, a special, or mail-in, ballot was made available for citizens who were away on election day, on vacation or temporarily living outside of their electoral districts.
In 2002, following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada, voting rights were given to all inmates, for federal elections. This also occurred in Alberta, with inmates voting in the 2015 provincial election.
What does democracy mean to you? Explore meanings and perspectives on democracy.
Who really makes decisions in communities across Canada? Find out what representative and direct democracies are all about.
Did you know that democracy has a history? Learn from the stories, people and events that shaped democracy in Canada.
Alberta is a representative democracy, just like the rest of Canada. The government is run by representatives who are elected by citizens to represent them and make decisions. Consider why Government Matters to every resident of Alberta.
What do you think of when you hear the word responsibility? Consider your responsibilities as a citizen.
What do you think of when you hear the word responsibility? Consider your responsibilities as a citizen.
Plan how to communicate effectively to share your project goals and progress.
In a democracy, voting is the action that gives citizens their voice. Voting provides everyone with an equal say in who represents them. Think about why Voting and Elections have a direct impact on what government does.
What do you know about voting in Canada and around the world? Are all elections equal? How have democratic processes originated and changed over time? Challenge yourself with this fast quiz. Hover over or touch each box to check your knowledge.
There are a number of countries around the world where the voting age is less than 18. In Brazil, the minimum voting age is 16. Voting is voluntary until you turn 18, and then it is compulsory. In Croatia, everyone gets to vote at 18, but if you are 16 and employed full-time, then you also have the right to vote.
In some countries the voting age is less than 18.
India is the most populated democracy. Over 800 million people were eligible to vote in India’s 2014 national election. This election was the largest-ever election in the world. Just over 23 million voters were between the ages of 18 and 19.
The United States is the world's most populated democracy.
It is illegal to destroy a ballot, according to the Canada Elections Act. It is also illegal to destroy a ballot used in a provincial election in Alberta.
Six members of the Edible Ballot Society, a protest group, were charged after the 2000 Canadian federal election for purposely destroying a ballot. The photograph shows the ballot slip used in the 1953 federal election. No one ate a ballot in this election!
It is illegal to eat your ballot in a Canadian federal election.
The secret ballot that is widely used today in elections originated in Australia. One of the most common forms of secret ballot is a prepared ballot paper with checkboxes beside the names of all candidates.
New Brunswick was the first colony in British North America to use the secret ballot in 1855.
The secret ballot originated in Australia in the 1850s and is sometimes called the Australian ballot.
The Greeks coined the term for democracy. Demos means “the people” and kratos means “to rule.” Together these terms create a definition for democracy – “ruled by the people.”
The word "democracy" originated in ancient Rome.
In 1916, Manitoba became the first province to grant full voting privileges to women. By 1918, Canadian women could vote in federal elections. Women in Quebec did not get the right to vote in provincial elections until 1940. The Northwest Territories was the last territory to give women the right to vote in 1951.
Quebec was the first Canadian province to allow women to vote.
There are many countries that have laws that require all citizens to vote. Some of the first countries with compulsory voting included Belgium, Argentina and Australia. Voter turnout in Australia has not dropped below 93% since the general election in 1955 (when it was approximately 88%).
In some countries, voting is compulsory. If a person chooses not to vote, he or she can be fined, made to do community service, or given a prison sentence.
Members of the Senate are appointed, not elected. However, in Alberta, three senate nominee elections have been held since 1989. In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appointed Stan Waters as the first elected Senator. In 2007, Bert Brown was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Alberta was the first province to hold an election for an Alberta representative to the Senate of Canada.
Is voting the most important action a citizen takes to be politically involved? Find out how much you know about voting.
Why do people choose to vote or not to vote? Develop a survey to find out what others think and know about voting. Find out about Canada’s electoral process.
Plan activities that best fit your action project goals and the resources you have available.
What happens after an election? A government is formed. Elections Alberta reports on the election. What about you? What Matters asks you to think about how you can make a commitment and contribute as a citizen.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada released a survey in 2013 that shows 83 percent of Canadian youth feel they can make a difference in the world when loved and supported by family and friends.
How do you feel about your ability to make a difference?
Action Changes Things
Elementary school kids in Ontario set up science-fair displays with practical ideas for tackling problems like excess garbage, bullying, student stress and processed food.
They made buttons bearing inspirational quotes, planted vegetable seeds and signed petitions to join David Suzuki’s Blue Dot campaign, saying that people deserve to live in healthy environments.
They put any garbage from their “litterless lunches” on a blue circular tarp in the foyer, a visual accountability metaphor to not cover the Earth in trash.
They tweeted and blogged and vlogged and selfied — finding ways to digitally invoke the theme of “Together we create change”. Read more here!
Check out Kids’ Run for Nature.
Run for Nature is a 1K and 5K non-competitive “Fun Run” designed to raise funds for the World Wildlife Fund Canada. The funds support endangered animals in Canada.
Run for Nature was created by two 10-year old girls, Jasmine and Jett, who wanted to get kids and their families involved in the natural community. Their goal is to support the environment and all the amazing species it holds, while getting their bodies active and healthy.
The background photo shows Calgary voters in the 1955 provincial election. This election was the thirteenth general election for Alberta. The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest Manning, won the election.
Photo Credit: Glenbow Archives NA-5600-6293a
What can you tell about elections during this time period from this photo?
Samara Canada is an organization that promotes participation in Canada’s democracy and encourages participation in politics. They measured the health of Canada’s democracy by looking at the ways that Canadians talk, act and lead in politics.
What did they find? Canada has a C grade in democracy. Canadians do not participate in politics as much as they could. They don’t believe that politics really affects them. They don’t always have faith in Canada’s leaders.
Do you agree with Samara’s findings? Why or why not?
Samara Canada invited community members to build their own version of democracy with playdoh. These photos show these community members at work.
What would you build to show what you think democracy looks like?
The first legislative assembly in Alberta met in 1906. The assembly met at the Thistle Curling Rink for the first time on March 15, 1906. It later met in the assembly hall on the third floor of the McKay Avenue School. The Alberta Legislature Building was not finished until 1913.
Photo Credit: Ernest Brown / Library and Archives Canada / C-008208
Pumpjacks extract crude oil and water emulsion from an overground well in a field in Alberta. The environment, including energy and other natural resources, is one of the responsibilities of provincial government.
What types of decisions do you think the provincial government has to make to manage Alberta’s natural resources?
Provinces are responsible for health and social services. Alberta’s provincial government has ministries that look after health care, housing, services for seniors, the status of women and human services. The government is also responsible for planning and building public infrastructure, which includes schools and hospitals.
What evidence do you see of these responsibilities of provincial government?
The provincial government shares some of their responsibilities with the federal government. One of these shared responsibilities is transportation.
Why do you think transportation is a shared responsibility?
The provincial court house opened in Edmonton in 1912. It was built of Calgary sandstone. In 1972, a new court house opened and the old courthouse was demolished. The provincial government is responsible for provincial courts and the province’s police services. The government also makes sure that laws are followed and communities are safe.
What laws do you know of that protect communities?
Photo Credit: City of Edmonton Archives EA-275-116
Grade 6 students from St. Gerard School considered how and why government matters when they debated whether the Alberta provincial budget would move the economy forward.
Using provincial government data on the economy, three of the groups argued in favour of the NDP plan while two made the case for conservatism….
“No one has enough money to be in houses; No one can go to school,” one group said in a video presentation that painted a picture of an Alberta without the NDP’s budget….
“No one wants to be in debt; we’ve kind of been taught that it isn’t a good thing,” said Emma Schappy, in a group that supported the Wildrose. “If debt is bad on a personal level, it’s bad for the province too,” the group reasoned.
Hampson, K. (June 9, 2016). Students debate budget: Daily Herald Tribune.
Education is a responsibility of the provincial government. The government supports all levels of education, including public elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. The provinces are the only level of government that can make laws in relation to education.
Why is only the provincial government able to make laws regarding education?
Photo Credit: City of Edmonton Archives EA-600-1197
The provincial government oversees how municipalities function. Even though municipalities, including Alberta’s biggest cities or smallest towns and rural districts, have their own government, the province supports them.
What are some of the responsibilities of municipal government? How do these responsibilities compare to provincial government?
The photo in this section shows the Alberta Legislature Building under construction in 1912. The Legislature Building was constructed near the site of the original Fort Edmonton. Go to Student Zone on the Alberta Legislature website to find out more.
Photo Credit: City of Edmonton Archives EA-13-10
The background photo shows a horse delivering ballot boxes to the Calgary North riding for the federal election held on August 10th, 1953. Compare this historical photo to the photo that shows ballot boxes being prepared for the 2015 provincial election.
How do you think the electoral process is similar to what it was over 60 years ago? How do you think it is different?
Photo Credit: Glenbow Archives NA-5600-6536a
Alberta’s electoral divisions looked different in 1930. There were 63 electoral divisions compared to 87 in 2016. In this election, the United Farmers of Alberta won the election. John E. Brownlee was the leader of this political party and was re-elected as premier.
Why do you think there were fewer electoral divisions in the past?
Photo Credit: Glenbow Archives ND-3-5093
How does the process of calling an election work? Here are some interesting facts and details from Student Vote:
Student Vote runs student elections for students under the voting age when there are federal provincial, territorial and municipal elections. Check out the results of Student Vote Alberta.
In order to vote, each eligible elector must register, or identify themselves, by adding their name to the List of Electors. Voters can register at their voting station, the place where they vote, by completing a declaration. They can also register online or by phone.
Elections Alberta provides an online voter registration service called Voterlink that is accessible year-round. Find this service at www.voterlink.ab.ca.
The background illustration was part of the advertising that Elections Alberta used to encourage people to vote in the 2015 provincial election.
How could the #ChooseYourAlberta slogan apply after an election as well as before it?
Before the 1970s, the voting age in most democracies was 21. During the 1970s, many lowered their voting age to 18.
Investigate the voting age in different countries. Go to the Central Intelligence Agency Library World Factbook to see when you can vote if you are a citizen of different countries around the world.
Why do you think the voting age was lowered across different democracies in the 1970s? What assumptions about youth do you think minimum voting age requirements make?
Did you know that internet voting is already in place in Canada? It’s just not used for provincial and federal elections. Some municipal governments across Canada use internet voting. Also, some political parties vote for their leaders with internet voting. What are the pros and cons?
The City of Edmonton conducted a mock election in 2012 to test out the possibility of using internet voting. The Jellybean Internet Voting Election was used to test voter privacy, security, auditability (how to track results) and usability. Even though many people thought internet voting would work and be effective and secure, the City of Edmonton decided not to go ahead.
Some countries have passed laws that require citizens to vote. Belgium was one of the first in 1892. In these countries, voting is considered a duty.
Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
What are some example of countries have compulsory voting? How does the voter turnout rate compare between countries with compulsory voting and those without?
Elections can have their own story. Candidates and political parties make promises and promote their views based on issues that are important. Citizens choose who they want to represent them by voting. The government is formed as a result of the election. Check out the 2023 Alberta provincial general election from a student point of view at Student Vote Alberta.
What do you think students gained from participating in a student vote?
Use this graphic organizer to organize and compare multiple perspectives, ideas and facts.
Use this graphic organizer to organize and compare ideas and information around three topics or categories.
Use this graphic organizer to brainstorm or organize information around a central idea or topic.
Use this graphic organizer to organize information that is related to one or more main ideas in a sequence.
