Constitution Act, 1867

The Constitution Act, 1867 (French: Loi constitutionnelle de 1867), originally enacted as the British North America Act, 1867 (abbreviated BNA Act), is the foundational enactment of the Constitution of Canada. The act created Canada, a federal country, and defines much of its structure, including the Parliament of Canada (composed of the monarch, the House of Commons, and the Senate), the executive, parts of the court system, and the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces. The act also created two new provinces, Ontario and Quebec, and set out their constitutions. It also provided for the admission of other parts of British North America as additional provinces or as territory of Canada. In 1982, with the patriation of the Constitution, the British North America Acts which were originally enacted by the British Parliament, including this act, were renamed the Constitution Acts. However, the acts are still known by their original names in records of the United Kingdom. Amendments were also made at this time: section 92A was added, giving provinces greater control over non-renewable natural resources.