Marriage In Canada
The Government of Canada has exclusive authority governing marriage and divorce in Canada under section 91(26) of the Constitution Act, 1867. However section 92(12) of the Act gives the provinces the power to pass laws regulating the solemnization of marriage.
In 2001 there were 146,618 marriages in Canada, down 6.8% from 157,395 in 2000. Prince Edward Island had the highest crude marriage rate (6.5 per 1,000 people) and Quebec had the lowest (3.0).
Marriages in Canada can be either civil or religious. Marriages may be performed by members of the clergy, marriage commissioners, judges, justices of the peace or clerks of the court. In 2001, the majority of Canadian marriages (76.4%) were religious, with the remainder (23.6%) being performed by non-clergy.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Canada nationally since 2005. Court decisions, starting in 2003, had already legalized same-sex marriage in eight out of ten provinces and one of three territories.
Read more about Marriage In Canada: Marriage Restrictions, Divorce, Polygamy
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