TORONTO - Symbols of Canadian identity for many include the Maple Leaf or even the hockey stick, but some say one important symbol is missing from our country: the Constitution.
A group of Canadians launched a campaign this month to bring the document known as the British North America Act of 1867 to Canadian soil.
Some people may scratch their heads trying to recall that nugget of Canadian history trivia from their school days, but a grassroots organization is appealing to the public, hoping they will recall the document and recognize its importance.
The BNA Act 1867 established the Canadian federation and is considered the heart of the Canadian Constitution. The Canada Act of 1982 provided the "repatriation" of the Constitution, giving the country the power to amend it.
While copies of the BNA Act are in Canada, the actual act itself isn't.
The Bring Back The Act movement is an offshoot of the Canadian Experience, a year long series of articles for newcomers to the country on Canada's history, politics, geography and culture.
Publisher Lori Abittan said while researching the project, she discovered that the original document of the BNA Act was not actually in Canada.
"I was surprised and thought, it's not possible," said Abittan. "What I think surprised me even more was how many Canadians didn't know the act wasn't here."
She reached out to Ian Wilson, Canada's former national archivist, a man she calls "the human encyclopedia." Together, the two created a working group, which includes Canadian historians such as Charlotte Gray and Jack Granatstein.
From there, a website and online petition was formed encouraging other Canadians to sign the petition and share their opinions.
"This is not about just asking for the document," said Abittan. "This is about engaging Canadians in a discussion."
While the BNA Act is just one element of Canada's written and unwritten Constitution, Wilson said it's at the centre of the Constitution. It's why we celebrate July 1.
"The Supreme Court refers to our Constitution as the living tree," said Wilson. "The trunk of that tree is the BNA Act."
The group said the Magna Carta is on display in England and the American Declaration of Independence is showcased in Washington. They want Canada to proudly show off its founding document.
There are two original versions of the BNA Act in England. While Wilson said it's not a beautiful document, he said "it's ours," and while it doesn't lay out sweeping principles like the American Constitution, he said it does include a key phrase: peace, order and good government.
Gray, an author and adjunct professor at Carleton University, said it makes sense for the British government to give the document to Canada, since the ties between the two countries have weakened.
"Today's Canada is very different than today's England or today's Britain and we need to bring it home where it belongs," said Gray.
The British parliament authorized the transfer of Australia's constitution act in the 1990s.
But despite the patriotic enthusiasm for the project, Abittan said some are still wary.
Already, skepticism has popped up on the website.
"The BNA Act is an act of the British Parliament and thus they truly might not (want) to part with it, at least not permanently," wrote Cheryl Rosenthal.
But the group holds out hope. For Abittan, the document is symbolic. She said it's important for newcomers to the country to know that the act represents the vision of the country that the Fathers of Confederation held.
"This British North America Act project is much deeper for us than just bringing the document back. It has to do with the diversity of Canada," said Abittan.
"You have to understand that this movement was started by the multicultural community. How powerful is that," said Abittan, who herself immigrated to Canada from Italy.
So far, several hundred people have signed the petition, and some of them are even from outside of Canada.
Abittan said the group is still in the initial stages of planning, but the goal is to have document back by 2014 in celebration for the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Quebec City constitutional conferences that set the groundwork for confederation.
The group envisions the document being part of a cross-country exhibition, finally finding a permanent home in Ottawa to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday on July 1, 2017.