By: Krish & Saqib
CONFEDERATION Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, On that day, three British colonies became four provinces of the new Dominion. The existing Province of Canada was divided into the new provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and two other colonies, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, also became provinces of the Dominion of Canada photo of Robert Harris' 1884 painting, Conference at Quebec in 1864, to settle the basics of a union of the British North American Provinces, also known as The Fathers of Confederation. The original painting was destroyed in the 1916 Parliament Buildings Centre Block fire. The scene is an amalgamation of the Charlottetown and Quebec City conference sites and attendees.
WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE CONFEDERATION PROCESS? Sir John Alexander Macdonald is involved in the Confederation process. All the former colonies and territories that became involved in the Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1867, were initially part of New France, and were once ruled by France. Nova Scotia was granted in 1621 to Sir William Alexander under charter by James VI. This claim overlapped the French claims to Acadia, and although the Scottish colony of Nova Scotia was short-lived, for political reasons, the conflicting imperial interests of France and the 18th century Great Britain led to a long and bitter struggle for control. Present-day mainland Nova Scotia was finally acquired by the British by the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 and the Acadian population was eventually expelled by the British in They called Acadia Nova Scotia, which included present-day New Brunswick The rest of New France was acquired by the British by the Treaty of Paris), which ended the Seven Years' War. From 1763 to 1791, most of New France became the Province of Quebec However, in 1769 the present-day Prince Edward Island, which had been part of Acadia, was renamed "St John’s Island" and organized as a separate colony. It was renamed "Prince Edward Island" in 1798 in honor of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Srathearn.
WHEN DID THE CONFEDERATION PROCESS TAKE PLACE FOR ALL PROVINCES OR TERRITORIES? The Canada we know today comprises ten provinces and three territories. The process leading to the entry of each of these provinces and territories into Canadian confederation is a story worth telling. The following texts present the social, economic and political conditions that existed when these provinces and territories joined Canada. Emphasis is placed on the specific experiences of each province or territory, and on the similarities between the various provinces and territories. You will become acquainted with the principal characters and you will be plunged into the main discussions. You will get an idea of what Canada was like during these various moments in its history.
PROVINCES OF CANADA ProvincePostal.ACapitalLargest city ( population ) Entered Confeder ation Population Official language Federal parliament (Common seats) Federal Parliament (senate seats) Ontario ON Toronto July 1 st,186712,851,821 English10624 Quebec QC Quebec city MontrealJuly 1 st,18677,903,001 French7524 Nova Scotia NS Halifax July 1 st, ,727 English1110 News Brunswick NB Fredericton Saint JohnJuly 1 st, ,171 English French 10 Manitoba MB Winnipeg July 15 th,1870 1,208,268 English146 British Columbia BC VictoriaVancouverJuly 20 th,1871 4,400,057 English366 Alberta AB Charlottetown July 1 st, ,204 English286 Total Provinces 33,369,4235,499,918563,0136,062,
WHY DID CERTAIN POLITICAL GROUPS WANT CONFEDERATION? POLITICAL PROBLEMS The Province of Canada contained the most people and was later made into the province of Ontario and Quebec. The government of the Province of Canada did not run smoothly because the English-speaking halves had different ideas about how things should be run. Leaders from both parts of the province decided that joining the other colonies might help solve their own political problems. ECONOMIC PROBLEMS In order for their economics to do well, the colonies needed to be able to sell their goods to other markets. At this time there were very few places that they could sell to. One solution was to bring all the colonies together. In this way they could more easily sell their goods to each other.
HOW WAS THE CONFEDERATION PROCESS PUT INTO ACTION? The Dominion of Canada wasn't born out of revolution, or a sweeping outburst of nationalism. Rather, it was created in a series of conferences and orderly negotiations, culminating in the terms of Confederation on 1 July The union of the British North American colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada was the first step in a slow but steady nation- building exercise that would come to encompass other territories, and eventually fulfill the dream of a country. George Brown, newspaperman and politician. George Brown's reformers described themselves as "no dirt, clear grit all the way through" (Courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-26415).
WHAT EVENTS CAUSED CONFEDERATION? The causes for the Canadian confederation….. Economic Causes Social Causes Political Causes