Manitoba Act

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The Manitoba Act was an Act of the Parliament of Canada, and was given Royal Assent on May 12, 1870. Taking effect on July 15, it created the Province of Manitoba. The Manitoba Act is still part of the Constitution of Canada.

It was adopted by Parliament in response to Metis concerns that culminated in the Red River Rebellion led by Louis Riel. Riel was a major influence on the Manitoba Act since it was based on his list of rights.

The Manitoba Act contained religious and language rights, namely rights to denominational schools and rights to laws in both French and English. This has led to political controversies, however, including the Manitoba Schools Question in the nineteenth century, as denominational school rights were curtailed. The legislature also enacted English-only laws later found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada in the case Reference re Manitoba Language Rights (1985).