|
Fathers of Confederation |
Maritime Union | George Brown
| Pan-Federalism |
US Civil War |
Canada's Proposals |
River Cruise |
Charlottetown | The Quebec
Conference | The London
Conference |
July 1, 1867
July 1, 1867 was a sunny day right across
the country. At midnight of June 30th, the order was
given to let the bells loose and the church towers
across Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick
rang out. In all of the major centres the Queen's
proclamation was read out followed by parades and
celebrations. An 101 gun salute also shook the area
around Ottawa in honour of the occasion.
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| July 1st, 1867 - Canada |
Ottawa was the site which witnessed the birth of a new
country as the ceremonies were initiated in the new
capital of Canada, an old logging operation along the
Ottawa River which took the name of the River as it's
own. The location was a compromise choice which
signalled a new beginning for the four provinces which
now formed Canada. The location which was in the
Northwest part of the four provinces may have indicated
the immense expansion which was to take place over the
next 10 years to the Pacific Coast.
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| The New Parliament Buildings |
Lord Monck became the
first Governor General of Canada and as his first
official duty he swore in John A Macdonald as the first
Prime Minister, William McDougall, E.P. Howland, Tilley,
Cartier and Galt as Finance Minister. Macdonald was made
a Knight Commander of Bath by order of Queen Victoria
and the other were made Companions of the Bath. By noon
the official part of Canada on the day of its birth. The
celebrations went on well into the evening with lights,
lamps, bonfires and fireworks lighting the parties and
the sky. The great deal had been done and the colonies
had been brought together as one state with responsible
government in the form of the Canadian Parliament.
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George Cartier |
John A
Macdonald |
The new country consisted of
approximately 3,300,00 million citizens. mainly in
Ontario, with about 42% being of the Catholic
faith. (Mainly of French and Irish descent) Most of the
others were of English Protestant descent. About 81% of
the people lived on farms or in the countryside with
industry being only a minor part of the overall economy.
Montreal was the largest city with about 100,000 people
and then came Toronto and Quebec City with about 60,000
each and Ottawa at about 17,000.
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| Ottawa 1867 |
John A. Macdonald became the first Prime
Minister of Canada due to his tireless efforts in
uniting the former British Colonies and his unerring
ability to glean a compromised solution from the process
of creating Canada as he pushed the union along. He was
also Knighted by Queen Victoria and took his seat in
Parliament as the leader of the party with the majority
of members. This was the beginning of Canada and the
jumping off point in what was to become known as the
Macdonald era in Canadian politics.
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| A time to Celebrate |
Actual elections were held on September
18th, 1867
and on November 7th, 1867 Parliament convened with John A
Macdonald as the victorious Prime Minister.
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| Governor General Monck |
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