SUMMARY

Canada was established as a federation in 1867, when the British North America Act united the former British colonies of northern America into a dominion within the British Empire. Full legislative autonomy was not transferred to the Canadian government until 1982. The country is governed as a federal state with a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Canada is one of the most stable and peaceful countries in the world and has experienced very limited organized violence throughout its history.

Since 1989, Canada has experienced the non-state category of organized violence, as defined by UCDP.

Recorded violence

In the mid-1990s, Canada experienced a significant rise in non-state violence driven by territorial rivalry between motorcycle gangs in the province of Quebec. The conflict pitted the Hells Angels against the Rock Machine in a prolonged struggle for control over the narcotics trade in the greater Montreal area, which erupted into open hostilities in 1994 when the Hells Angels sought to monopolize drug distribution across the province. The ensuing violence involved bombings, arson, and numerous targeted killings. The conflict subsided following a large-scale police crackdown in 2002.

Canada as a secondary warring party

As one of the founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Canada participated in several international military operations, ranging from the postwar safeguarding of Germany to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and the enforcement of the no-fly zone over Libya during Operation Unified Protector in 2011. The country also served as an important contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations, having participated in almost every mission and contributed over 120,000 soldiers across the years.