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| 1911
1911 was a great turning point in
Canadian affairs. The long reign of Laurier came to an
unexpected end, international issues and the assertion
of a Canadian identity was front and centre.
Laurier had gone into the election
against Borden believing the creation of the Canadian
Navy would be a boost to his election chances but Henri
Bourassa had campaigned so vigorously against the Act
claiming that what it really meant was an active
alliance in the Imperial Strategy of Great Britain and
as with the Boer War, Canada was going to be dragged
into European and other colonial affairs resulting in
young Canadians dying and foreign battlefields
throughout the world in the name of Britain and the
British Empire. This strategy drained the Liberals
of support in Quebec and destroyed their home base of
Map's when the election was held.
Reciprocity with the
United States had been an issue since the day Canada was
formed in 1867 and the US had not been very interested
in a deal. By 1911 for various reasons the US stance was
beginning to change and they gave indications that they
would be open to an opening up of US markets to such
items as agricultural produce and livestock. Although
Laurier was generally happy with no reciprocity
agreements, he did understand that it would greatly
benefit the Canadian farmers so an agreement was
negotiated and in April of 1911 the US Congress gave its
approval to the agreement. Canadian business interests
and railway companies swung into action to try and
squash this agreement because it would loosen their
control over the famers in Canada. The Conservatives
realized that outside of Quebec, they could use the
anti-US feelings to turn the reciprocity issue against
the Liberals and made that their main plank in Ontario
and the Maritimes during the election. The campaign
coffers of the Conservatives filled with big business
money and the fear factor of US annexation worked.
Laurier was portrayed as the French Canadian Prime
Minister who was ready to make a deal with the US devil.
The Conservatives won
73 seats in Ontario gained 19 in Quebec for a total of
134 as opposed to the Liberals 87 seats. The Laurier
period was over and Robert Borden of the Conservatives
was the new Prime Minister. He would not have much time
before the great struggle of the First World War was to
engulf all in the realm of politics, the economy, social
issues and national identity. 1911 was a watershed year.
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