History of the Right to Vote in Canada

Well, federal elections have finally been called for January. As we all gather to celebrate this exciting and joyful "ElexMas" season, here are a few Internet resources to remind us of the many struggles to extend the franchise to those who had been historially excluded from the right to vote in this country:

• Voting in Canada: How a Privilege Became a Right (CBC Archives): "In Canada's early days, only a select group of privileged men could vote. Now it's a fundamental right for all Canadians over 18. Women, Asians, native people and prisoners were among those who gained the right to vote in Canadian elections over the past century — often amid controversy. CBC Archives explores the evolution of voting rights in Canada"
• Human Rights in Canada: A Historical Perspective - Voting Rights (Canadian Human Rights Commission): a legislative and political history of the extension of the franchise since 1900
• History of the Vote in Canada (Museum of Civilization): an overview of election law and practice from 1758 to today, and of how "(D)iscrimination that had always been present in the electoral system was gradually eliminated until the right to vote was extended to virtually every Canadian citizen and, in 1982, guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms"