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When the Dominion of Canada was proclaimed in 1867, the country’s Constitution was contained within the British North America Act, and Canada had — then and thereafter — only limited power to amend it.

During the 1980 Quebec referendum campaign, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau promised Quebecers that if they voted No to separation, Ottawa would be willing to entertain a new constitutional arrangement. The subsequent win for the No side launched 18 months of fraught and complex constitutional talks, featuring shifting provincial alliances and personal acrimony.

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Trudeau had big dreams. He hoped to achieve what his predecessors had been unable to accomplish: “patriation” of the Constitution. During the year and a half of talks, federal and provincial governments debated proposals and counter-proposals. At one point, facing opposition from eight of 10 provincial governments, Trudeau threatened to proceed unilaterally. The premiers naturally balked.