One of the most defining moments in Canadian history was the repatriation of our Constitution. Despite being considered a sovereign nation, Canada's constitution was still known as the British North America Act, coincidentally found in Great Britain. The official repatriation occurred on Parliament Hill on April 17, 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the new agreement. What made this event so defining was that it was considered Canada's final step towards sovereignty. Furthermore, the signing of the Constitution reaffirmed the principles of our original Constitution. Finally, the most significant part of this repatriation was the entrenchment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. With the official repatriation of the Constitution, Canada was moving toward great change. First, the repatriation of the Constitution was Canada's last sovereignty movement. Over the course of the 20th century, Canada slowly began to cut its chains on Great Britain. The struggle for sovereignty began with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and ended with the patriarchate of the BNA. The British North America Act was the name of our original constitution, signed in 1867 by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. The initial problem with the BNA was that it was made up of a set of British laws that could only be changed through Acts of the British Parliament. By bringing the Constitution home, Canada would have full control over its constitutional laws. This repatriation helped Canada gain full political independence, because now the laws of the United Kingdom could not extend to Canada, nor could the Statute of Westminster have any application. After nearly a century of effort to... middle of paper... the Constitution was arguably the most important moment in Canadian history. He helped realize dreams of full sovereignty by eliminating the BNA law. Furthermore, the repatriation of the Constitution reaffirmed the same principles on which the government is based today. More importantly, this defining moment ushered in our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which gave us our fundamental rights in this country that could not be abused by the government. Trudeau once said, "I believe that a constitution can allow for the coexistence of different cultures and ethnic groups in one state." and Pierre Trudeau's visions have come true, as seen in Canadian society today. There could be no other defining moment comparable to the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution, all because the results have culminated to the present.