What is this quote saying? What key events in Canadian History could prove it true or false?

Question

“At confederation, Canada’s civic culture was infused with the belief that the vigorous and reasoned expression of ideas could influence the progress of peoples and civilizations. Interlocutors who stood behind prejudice or tradition-to avoid the rough-and-tumble arena of public debate- were perceived as circumventing the civic mechanism through which the best principles and actions revealed themselves. Not only did ideas matter, the process through which they were discussed was of paramount importance. The public good demanded that political actors rise above narrow self-interest and engage each other with intellectual openness and generosity of spirit”

Answer 1

Either this is from a very old-fashioned source or the speaker is unbelievably conservative. What the quote is claiming is that in the 1860s politics consisted of high-minded discussions of ideas. Those who did not engage in such high-minded debate were marginalized in the political process.
To me this is nonsense. Just read the British North America Act. It is a contract drawn up by Victorian lawyers a) to divide up the spoils, b) bribe the people with their own money and c) try to stop local majorities from oppressing well connected local minorities.

Answer 2

sounds like a lot of hot air.

the key issue was the US Civil War: Britian and Canada feared Canada would be the Union's point of retaliation vs. Britiash aid for the south. Also, Britian and Canada feared US expension into the northwest (today's western Canada).

The goal was to keep Canada British, to contain US expansion, and to wean Canada off of Britain.