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11
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I
Was Confederation a democratic process by today's
standards?
This letter from Sarah Stretch Harris to her mother-in-law describes a
great event in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 1864. The "Robert"
Sarah refers to is her son. Delegates are people who are chosen to go to
meetings on behalf of others.
This section begins with'
something that might
stir up your curiosity!
September 13, 1864
You can see on this map that,
by 1866, British North
America included another
crown colony, British
Columbia. The events
described in this chapter
involved the Province of
Canada, the Maritime
colonies, and Newfoundland.
In 186 7, some of the colonies of British North America joined together in
Confederation. This union was the beginning of the country of Canada.
Confederation didn't actually get off to a very good start. In 1 86 7,
only three British North American colonies became part of this union: the
Province of Canada (Canada East and Canada West), Nova Scotia, and
New Brunswick. Many people within these colonies disagreed with the
decision. And the people of Canada East and Canada West joined
Confederation mostly to get away from each other!
Over time, the idea of Confederation became more accepted. Other
colonies continued to join until Canada became the country it is today.
This chapter tells you about the events that led to Confederation. It also
explains how Canada's form of government is a result of Confederation.
Once you know more about these topics, you can decide for yourself if
the decision for Confederation was made in a democratic way.
<::I
Legend
British crown colonies
D
D
Other British territories
When you read
Dear Mother,
... There have been very important meetings and
consultations during the past week in Charlottetown. A
large number of the leading members of the Canadian,
New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia governments came
over to confer with the Island government on the union
of all under a British Viceroy When they first arrived the
majority of the people here were opposed to it, but in a
few days the opinion became very general that the
Union would be desirable. A grand Banquet was given
to the delegates in the Colonial Building. Robert was
there with the Band. He says it was a great feast. One of
the gentlemen told him to fill his pockets, so the
following morning he had a store of good things to
distribute around the house. He is going again with the
band this evening; they are engaged for a moonlight
excursion up the river, and tomorrow they are to go
over to Pictou in the Princess of Wales ...
something that doesn't
begin by telling you the
main idea, be patient
and read on until it
becomes clear to you.
·•1
I
!
Source: Paul and Audrey Grescoe, eds., The Book of Letters, 2002.
Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Between the banquets and the dancing,
however, the leaders of the colonial governments were discussing
something serious. They were talking about the colonies forming some
kind of union. They called the union Confederation. In the rest of this
section, you can find out how and why people started working on this
idea.
PACTFIC
OCEAN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1500 km
Chapter
7:
Confederat'ion
119
Thinking of the Future
By 1864, responsible governments-had been in place for several years in
all the colonies. As time went by, people started thinking about what
would be best for the future of their colonies.
British North America had been through some hard economic times
after Great Britain brought in free trade. The colonies had lost the special
benefits of trading with Great Britain and had to look for ways to make
their economies stronger. Because BNA was no longer so important as a
trading partner, Great Britain was less interested in offering military
protection to the colonies. At the same time, the United States was
growing stronger. People started considering two choices.
• Would each colony have more economic and political power if it took
charge of its own affairs?
Charles Tupper
or
• Would the colonies do best if they all worked together?
The Maritime Colonies
The premier of Nova Scotia, Charles Tupper, first suggested the idea of a
Maritime Union. Leonard Tilley, the premier of New Brunswick, thought it
was a good idea. John Gray, the premier of Prince Edward Island, wasn't
so sure. Politicians in the Province of Canada heard about this idea and
said they'd very much like to be involved in discussing the idea of a union
of all colonies.
Newfoundland
At first, Newfoundland was not invited to the Charlottetown Conference.
The other colonies of the Atlantic region didn't think that Newfoundland
would have any interest in being a part of this union because it was so
far away from the mainland. When the government of Newfoundland
heard about the meeting, it asked if it could send delegates. The other
colonies said Newfoundland would be welcome. However, it was August
by then, and the Newfoundlanders decided that they didn't have enough
time to select delegates and arrange transportation.
What Happened at Charlottetown
At the Charlottetown Conference, the delegates from Canada gave
speeches explaining their idea of Confederation and the benefits it would
bring. Many delegates later remarked how powerful John A. Macdonald's
speeches were-he strongly believed in Confederation. By the end of the
conference, the delegates were persuaded that a union that included all
the colonies was a good idea. However, there was much to be decided
about how this union would work. The delegates agreed to hold a second
meeting in Quebec, Canada East, in a month's time.
John A. Macdonald
The Province of Canada
Why were the leaders of the Province of Canada so interested in some
kind of union? They were mostly interested because Lord Durham's idea
of uniting the French and English colonies was not working out well.
There were constant disagreements between Canada East and Canada
West, and between political parties in each part of Canada. The
government was unable to pass any bills or get on with the business of
running the colony. Some politicians in the Province of Canada hoped
that, if they joined a union, Canada East and Canada West could be
separate again but still benefit from being part of a larger political
organization.
The Province of Canada also had large debts from trying to build
railways and canals to improve shipping between colonies. It hoped that,
if there were a union, the costs of these projects could be shared with the
other colonies.
At the time, the premier of the Province of Canada was John A.
Macdonald. He asked the Maritime colonies if the Province of Canada
could join in the discussion. The colonies agreed, so a date was set for
the Charlottetown Conference: 1-9 September 1864.
Leonard Tilley
John Gray
Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
In 1983, the artist Dusan Kadlec created this painting of how he imagined the Grand Ball held
at Province House during the Charlottetown Conference might have looked. What are some
of the historical details he would have needed to research in order to create this painting?
Chapter
7:
Confederation
121
lI
The Quebec Conference
All the colonies, including Newfoundland, attended the Quebec
Conference. For over two weeks, the delegates discussed how the union
would work. There were some disagreements, especially over how the
power would be shared. But the delegates managed to get the job done.
By the end of the conference, they had created a list called the
Seventy-Two Resolutions. A resolution is a formal decision made by a
group. The Seventy-Two Resolutions described the delegates' idea. of how
Confederation would work. But they now had to go back to the people of
their colonies and convince them that it was good idea!
A Closer Look
Each colony at the Quebec Conference had its
own reasons for being interested in the idea of
Confederation. But there were some reasons that
came up most often. When the premiers tried to
convince the people of their colonies that
Confederation was a good idea, they based their
arguments on the four reasons described here.
The Main Ideas of the Seventy-Two Resolutions
In your opinion, is
representation by population
a fair way to share the power
in a federal government?
Why?
• The new country, made up of the united colonies, would still be loyal
to Britain.
• The country would have a federal system of government. In a federal
system, there is one central government that is in charge of the
whole country, and there is another government in each region.
• Each of the colonies would become a province in the new country.
The government of each province would have the power to make
decisions on local issues, culture, and education.
• Each province would also send members to the federal government.
The federal government would have a lot of power because it would
control important issues such as defending the country and running
the economy.
• The federal government would be made up of the House of Commons
(with elected members) and the Legislative Council (with appointed
members). Later, the Legislative Councilwas called the Senate.
• There would be representation by population in the Senate and the
House of Commons.This meant that the provinces with the highest
populations would get the most members in both parts of the
government. For example, in 1864, Prince Edward Island had the
lowest population, so it would be allowed five members in the House
of Commons.Canada West had the highest population, so it would be
allowed eighty-two members in the House of Commons.
The Threat from the United States
British North America had already been to war
once with the United States, in 1812. In the 1860s,
some American politicians started talking about
trying to take over the farmland of the prairies
and the goldfields in British Columbia. Would they
also try to take over the Maritime colonies?
People in favour of Confederation said it would be
easier to defend the colonies if they were united.
Trade
J,,
For many years, British North America had a
reciprocity treaty with the United States. Reciprocity
means that there is give-and-take between each
side so that both sides benefit. The benefit in this
reciprocity treaty was that the colonies and the
United States didn't charge each other tax on
trade goods-it was free trade. So trade between
the US and the colonies went smoothly. The
strange thing was that the colonies did tax one
another. The colonies also had different
currencies, which made trade even more
complicated.
In the 1860s, the United States began to talk
about ending the reciprocity treaty. People who
were in favour of Confederation pointed out that
BNA couldn't always depend on trade with the
United States. They said that the colonies would
benefit a lot from sharing the same currency and
having free trade between themselves.
This 1862 photograph shows
the militia training in Elora,
Canada West, in case of
invasion from the United
States.Why did people think
they had to be prepared for
an invasion?
I
,I
Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
The Need for More Railways
In the mid- l 800s, railways were seen as the big
solution to the colonies' transportation problems.
The Province of Canada had started one major
building project, the Grand Trunk Railway. This
railway bought some rail lines and built some new
tracks to link together the major cities in the region.
By 1860, the Grand Trunk ran from Samia to
Riviere-du-Loup, with connections to American
railways to the south. In the Maritimes, New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia had also been busy
building railways to help transport lumber and coal.
The problem was that there were no
railways connecting these two systems, and the
St. Lawrence River was frozen for six months of
the year. During this time, it was impossible to
send goods from the Province of Canada to the
coast so that they could be shipped to other
countries, and it was impossible for the Maritime
to ship their goods to the Province of Canada.
Railways are expensive to build, and the
Grand Trunk had almost gone bankrupt just
building the rail line as far as Riviere-du-Loup.
If all the colonies joined Confederation, they
could share the cost of building an Intercolonial
Railway to link them together. As an added
bonus, the railway would make it easier to
move soldiers and militia if British North
America were invaded.
Railways in British North America, 1860
The Demand for More Land
There were more new settlers coming to British
North America all the time, and most of them
wanted land to farm. There was still some land
that was good for farming in the four colonies.
but there was even more in Rupert's Land. This
large region included the traditional territories of
many First Nations and Inuit. However, from the
British government's perspective, the land was
owned by the Hudson's Bay Company. Many
people believed that together the colonies could
afford to buy this land.
If the colonies bought the land, then settlers
could move west. Having more people in the West
would help keep out the Americans. And if a
railway were built across the continent to British
Columbia, fortunes could be made by shipping
Canadian wheat from the Prairies to the East and
then around the world.
-~...c.,;r--f}.f
Legend
=
Grand Trunk
--
Great Western
--
Nova Scotia
__
European and
North American
RUPERT'S
LAND
Think It Through
New Brunswick
and Canada
Rate how important you think each of the issues described in the
Closer Look feature (pages 123-125) would have been to each colony.
Be prepared to defend your hypotheses based on what you know
about the economy and location of each colony.
You could create a card like this one for each colony.
---- American-owned
railways
PRO VIN Ct.
Colony:
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
A Big Benefit
Not Important
Eaeler trade between coloniee;
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
More railwaye;
5
5
4
4
3
More land
2
2
Better defence
-'---
3
1
Reae;one; for my hypothee;ee;:
What route do you think the lntercolonial Railway might take?
Which colonies would benefit the most from this project?
Chapter
7:
Confederation
125
I
New Brunswick
From what you already know about Canadian politics, you can probably
imagine that there were a lot of opinions about Confederation, both for
and against the idea.
Today, the government might hold a referendum for such an
important matter. In a referendum, the people give their opinion directly
on a certain matter by voting for or against it. This didn't happen when
Confederation was discussed in the 1860s. Instead, each government
chose between making the decision on its own or holding an election. If
a government debated the topic without holding an election, this left the
decision entirely up to the politicians. If a government held an election,
the people had a say in the decision by voting for or against the political
party that wanted Confederation. This section tells you what happened in
each colony.
When you read this
section, notice the
similarities and
differences between
the debates that took
place in the different
colonies.
The Province of Canada
I deeply fear that the day when this Confederation is adopted will be a
dark day for Lower Canada /Canada East/ ... I consider it one of the
worst measures which could be submitted to us and if it happens that
it is adopted, without the sanctions of the people of the province, the
country will have more than one occasion to regret it.
-Antoine-Aime Dorion, leader of the Parti Rouge in Canada East
Antoine-Aime Dorion believed that the people should have some say in
the decision about Confederation. But an election on the issue was not
held in the Province of Canada. Instead, the issue was debated in the
Assembly for just over a month. In the final vote in March 1865, the
decision was for Confederation, with a large majority.
Results of the Vote
Canada West
Canada East
Total for Province of Canada
For
54
37
91
Opposed
8
25
33
French-Canadian Members of the Assembly from Canada East
For
27
Opposed
21
If you look at who voted for and who voted against Confederation, it is clear that
the French-Canadian members of the Assembly from Canada East had the most
doubts. Why do you think this was so? (Hint:Think about minorities and majorities.)
.
126
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3:
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Leonard Tilley, the premier of New Brunswick, spoke strongly in favour of
Confederation. His main argument was that Saint John would get a lot of
shipping business from the Canadas if a railway link were built because
the port is ice-free during most winters. Coal and other goods from New
Brunswick could also be sold to the Canadas. Tilley also pointed out that
New Brunswick shares a long border with the United States. If there were
trouble with the US, New Brunswick would be the first colony to be
invaded.
A.]. Smith led the government members who disagreed with Tilley.
Smith had many strong arguments against Confederation.
• New Brunswick would have so few representatives in the federal
government that it wouldn't have much power to affect decisions.
• By joining Confederation, New Brunswick would have to help pay off
the Province of Canada's huge debts.
• New Brunswick would be better off if it kept trading with the United
States-it already had good business relations with the US.
• There was no guarantee that the railway would ever be built. If it were
built, only those parts of the province that it crossed would benefit.
In the election of 1865, Tilley and his government lost, and an antiConfederation government was voted in.
Mr. Tilley, will you stop
your puffing and blowing
and tell us which way the
railway is going?
-An anti-Confederation
member of the
New Brunswick Assembly
Prince Edward Island
The people of Prince Edward Island made it very clear that they weren't
interested in Confederation. They had two main arguments against it.
• There was still a problem with landlords who owned land but didn't
live in the colony. But there was no plan in Confederation to work on
this problem or provide money to solve it. Also, the idea of being
governed from a central location seemed similar to the situation the
colony already had with absentee landowners.
• The railway would not reach PEI because it is an island. People's taxes
would have to help pay for the railway, but the people would not benefit.
Some members of Premier John Gray's own party spoke out against
Confederation. His government resigned in 1864 because of these
disagreements within the party. The new premier, J.C. Pope, was
anti-Confederation.
The majority of people
seem to be wholly averse
to Confederation. ... We
have done our duty.
We have urged
Confederation-the people
have declared against it.
-Charlottetown Islander,
30 December 1864
i·
Nova Scotia
The premier of Nova Scotia, Charles Tupper, got some support for the
idea of Confederation from people involved in the new coal and steel
industries. The owners and workers in these businesses would benefit
most from trade with Central Canada, so they liked the idea of a railway.
But there was much more opposition than agreement.
Chapter
7:
Confederation
127
I
... if Novascotians
surrendered their powers
of self-government and
provincial independence
for the precious mess of
pottage brought hither
from Quebec, we would
forever after be held in
deserved contempt. ...
-11 January 1865 editorial
by Joseph Howe in the
Morning Chronicle
In Nova Scotia, the main voice of the opposition to Confederation
was Joseph Howe, the man who had worked so hard for responsible
government in the colony. Howe w=s no longer a member of the
Assembly, but through his newspaper he continued to be a strong voice in
politics.
Howe's arguments against Confederation were similar to the
arguments in New Brunswick.
• Nova Scotia would have so few representatives in the government that
it wouldn't have much power to affect decisions.
O
By joining Confederation, Nova Scotia would have to help pay off the
Province of Canada's huge debts.
• Much of Nova Scotia's economic wealth came from the sea-fishing,
shipping, and trade across the Atlantic. It would be better to continue
this economic activity than to try to build trade with the Province of
Canada.
• Like Dorion in the Province of Canada, Howe believed it was wrong to
let the Assembly make such an important decision. He felt there at
least should be an election based on the issue.
Charles Tupper encouraged the leaders of the Confederation
movement to get Confederation approved quickly, before he had to call an
election. He was quite sure that his government would not win an
election in which Confederation was an issue.
Newfoundland
There is little community
of interest between
Newfoundland and the
Canadas. This is not a
continental Colony
Both of the Newfoundland delegates to the Quebec Conference returned
to Newfoundland in favour of Confederation, even though they would
have usually been on opposite sides in most political debates. Ambrose
Shea was a Liberal Roman Catholic, and Frederic Carter was a
Conservative Protestant. The premier at the time, Hugh Hoyles, also
thought that Confederation was a good idea.
The people of Newfoundland weren't convinced, however. They
didn't see how they would benefit from increased trade with the other
colonies. Newfoundland's main export was fish. Nova Scotia was closer
to the other colonies, so it would be easier for these colonies to buy fish
from Nova Scotia. Because transportation and communication between
Newfoundland and the mainland were so difficult, many people were
concerned that they would end up paying taxes to build a railway that
they would never use. Most Newfoundlanders preferred to stay
independent and keep stronger connections with Great Britain.
-R.
J.
Pinsent, Member of the
Legislative Council for
Newfoundland during the
Confederation debate
Think It Through
Take a stand either for or against Confederation from the point of view
of one of the colonies. Show your opinion in an editorial cartoon.
The girl in the middle of this
editorial cartoon represents
Nova Scotia (Acadia is an
earlier name for the area}.
What is the cartoonist's
opinion of the choicesNova
Scotia needsto make? Who
do you think is the person at
the back of the cartoon with
the initials J. H. on the
handkerchiefhanging out of
his hat?
"find Out
Research the life of one of the key figures involved in the Confederation
debate. Think of an original way to present what you find out. For
example, you could create a "biography" video feature or write a
biography booklet.
The Changing Your World Web site can help you locate information on the
"Fathersof Confederation"and other people who were involved in the
discussionsat the time.
csoss
ROADS
!'HALL V.t: co TO W\,tuNGTON rlk..,T, 011. llOWU,t)I
128
Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
Chapter
7:
Confederation
129
How To ...
r --~.-
I
An editorial cartoon is a powerful way to express an opinion about current
events. Editorial cartoonists most often comment on politics and social issues.
They use special techniques to get their messagesacross.
Symbols
On 1 July 186 7, the Queen of England signed the document that created the
Dominion of Canada. The new country was made up of the provinces of
Quebec (the old Canada East). Ontario (the old Canada West). New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The first prime minister was John A. Macdonald.
What happened to change people's minds in Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick? This section explains what took place and how the new
government was organized.
Symbols are simple pictures that stand for something. When people see a
symbol, they quickly know what it means. For example, in many editorial
cartoons at the time of Confederation, the United States was symbolized by a
tall man wearing striped pants and a top hat decorated with stars."Uncle Sam,"
as he is called now, still shows up in political cartoons today.
Humour
Not all editorial cartoons are
funny, but they often poke fun
at powerful people.
Caricatures
The cartoonist often exaggerates
one or more physical features of
a public figure (a well-known
person).This is called caricature.
It helps readers quickly identify
who is being shown in the
cartoon. For example, John A.
Macdonald was often shown as
a thin man with a very large
nose and curly hair.
CONFEDERATION
I
TUl. ~UCll t,.ATllF'f4.1"0 \'OVNf.:'iT •... ~.
130
Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
What does the baby
symbolize?Can you find
the caricatureof John A.
Macdonald?Who do you
think the other figures
might be? What point is
the cartoonist making?
Notice that this section
starts with the
conclusion.It begins by
telling you when
Confederation
happened,then fills in
the events that led up
to it.
BY THE QUEEN.
A PROCLAMATION
for Dtm111 th Pm,bm of Imada, Ion Smtia, and lew Brmwirl
into be Dominion oder the Name of CllllDl
VICl'OBIA B.
~7HERE.4.8
"" DD A'.et or Parliament pa-,!
OD the Twenty-ninth Ba,- or Muell
One
'f' 'f' tlloaund eight haudred and 1b.ty-,-en, In the '11,lrtk,th \' eor or Onr Help. lnUlaled
M An Ad
ror the Union or Canada, :\"o>a l'ieotla, and Xew Drunowldi, 11Dd •••••
" Gcn-ernment thereof, ud lbr Parpoon eonntttod theftwllh," nfter dh·en Redtnl., It 11 enacted,
~
" It ohaD he lnwlid liw the Queen, by nnd ,rlth the Ad,·lce or Her !l'lleot,·'1 moot Honorable
New Brunswick
In 1865, the United States ended the reciprocity treaty with British North
America. Americans would now be less willing to buy goods from the
colonies because the taxes would add to the cost of these goods. Trade
with the other colonies was now more important to New Brunswick.
In addition to these economic issues, there were also political issues.
In April 1866, a band of Fenians came close to attacking New Brunswick.
Fenians were Irish-Americans fighting to free Ireland from British control.
They hoped to get at Britain by attacking its colonies in North America.
They gathered along the northeast coast of Maine, but they were scared
off by British warships. In June, they made a more successful attack on
the Province of Canada. The Fenians weren't well-armed or wellorganized, so the militia quite easily defeated them. But these raids
caused people in New Brunswick to worry about their safety, especially
because the United States had done nothing to stop the attacks.
Many people in New Brunswick were starting to regret having
elected an anti-Confederation government. Because of this change in
people's view~, the governor of the colony strongly encouraged the
government to call an election. In 1866, the people of New Brunswick
voted for a government that was in favour of Confederation. They hoped
Confederation would give them a stronger defence against the United
States and help their economy.
Chapter
7:
Confederation
131
I
I
Do you recall what a
federal system of
government is and how
representation
by population works?
If not, check back to the
information on the
Seventy-Two Resolutions
on page 122.
Nova Scotia
Aboriginal Peoples and the BNA Act
Nova Scotia's Joseph Howe went to Britain to try to persuade the British
government not to support Confederation. Unfortunately for Howe, he
arrived when the pro-Confederation delegates were already in Britain to
work out the details of the new government. The British officials weren't
interested in talking to Howe. Great Britain had pretty much decided that
Confederation was a good idea.
Howe realized that, with the British government firmly on the proConfederation side, there was no use in fighting any longer. Nova Scotia
did not have an election before Confederation took place, so we don't
know what the people of the colony would have decided.
Inuit and Metis were not mentioned in the BNA Act, but First Nations
were. The act said that the federal government would be in charge of any
decisions regarding "Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians" (this
was extended to include the Inuit in 1939). First Nations were in an odd
situation. They did not have the rights of citizens of this new country, but
they were supposed to be governed by its laws. Nobody discussed this
idea with First Nations! In Unit 4, you can read more about how the
attitude and actions of the federal government created great hardship and
led to issues that the peoples of Canada are still working on today.
The British North America Act, 186 7
Expanding Confederation
In the winter of 1866-1867, the colonial delegates went to England to
meet with British officials. Their job was to figure out a system of
government-for Confederation. They based their work on the SeventyTwo Resolutions from the Quebec Conference.
The set of rules worked out that winter became Canada's first
constitution. It was called the British North America Act (BNA Act). In
1982, it was renamed the Constitution Act.
Over the years, colonies and territories continued to join Confederation
to form the country that we have today.
• Manitoba, 1870
• Northwest Territories, 1870
• British Columbia, 1871
• Prince Edward Island, 1873
• Yukon, 1898
• Saskatchewan, 1905
• Alberta, 1905
• Newfoundland, 1949 (name changed to Newfoundland and Labrador
in 2001)
• Nunavut, 1999
Key Points of the BNA Act
•
•
•
•
The BNA Act set up the kind of federal system of government (with
representation by population) that the delegates had agreed on at
the Quebec Conference.
The act protected the rights of French-speaking people to keep
their language, religion, schools, and form of law. English and
French would be used in the federal government and in Quebec.
However, it was not clear how many of these same rights would
apply to French-Canadian people outside of Quebec.
First Nations were not given the right to govern themselves.
Instead, a department of the federal government was set up to
make decisions affecting First Nations.
Canada was a constitutional monarchy. This meant that any
changes to the BNA Act had to be approved by Great Britain.
In the past, First Nations
were called Indians. This is
still the term used in
Canadian laws. Most
people today think the
term First Nations is more
respectful.
Think It Through
1.
In your own words, explain how events in the United States and
Great Britain changed opinions on Confederation in New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Also give your hypotheses of why
these events didn't change opinions in Newfoundland or Prince
Edward Island.
2. Make a map that shows the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
133
132
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Chapter
7:
Confederation
133
A Closer Look
The BNA Act created a parliamentary system for
the federal government of Canada. We still have
that same system today. Parliament is made up of
three main parts: the Governor General
(representing the Crown), the Senate, and the
House of Commons. The prime minister and the
Cabinet have the most power in this system.
Organization of the Federal Government
The Crown
(monarch)
Appoints based on
prime minister's
recommendation
Governor General
Advises
Appoints based on prim
minister's recommendation
Senate
(some
members
from all
provinces
and
territories)
House of Commons
I
Opposition
Government
(party with
most
members
elected)
Elections at least
every five years
Canadian politics are as interesting today as they were in 186 7. People
still have differences of opinion on the best way for the provinces and
the federal government to share power. When there is about to be an
election, political parties still use every chance they get to tell people
about their ideas for government and why they think the other political
parties are wrong.
There are actually three different levels of government in Canada.
• federal
• provincial or territorial
• municipal (for example, the government of a town or city)
Individuals have an important part to play in all levels of government
because they elect the people who form the governments. If you're not
yet old enough to vote, you can still find ways to make sure your
opinions are heard. Of course, it's a good idea to know how politics work
before you speak out! In this section, you can learn more about federal,
provincial, and territorial governments.
Canada Today
Prime Minister
(Leader of the party
with most elected
members)
Cabinet
( chosen by prime
minister to
manage different
departments,
e.g., Finance)
Voters
So far, this chapter has
talked about Canada in
the past. This section is
about Canada today.
The Crown
Governor General
Lieutenant-Governor
One federal
government
Provincial
governments*
Three territorial
governments set up
Like this
How does this diagram show
a federal system of
government? What is
different about the
relationship between the
federal government and the
territories as compared with
the relationship between the
federal government and the
provinces?
Legislature or
Assembly
Commissioner
The Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are where
the government of Canada meets to make plans
and decisions about running the country.
Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
Legislature
*There are ten provincial
governments.
Chapter
7:
Confederation
135
Political Parties
Sharing Power and Responsibilities
In Canada, the provinces and territories have some powers, and the
federal government has others. Some other powers are shared between
the governments. Although the powers of the provinces were increased a
little in 1982 when Canada's constitution was changed, the basic ideas
are very much the same today as they were in 186 7.
In Chapter 1, you investigated how responsibilities always go along
with rights. It's the same for governments. Each level of government has
certain powers. Along with these powers, it has the responsibility to make
sure it meets people's needs by providing services. The federal, provincial,
and territorial governments collect taxes from people to pay for these
services.
This Venn diagram shows
only some of the
responsibilities of
government. Find education
on this chart. What do you
think are the advantages to
students of making
education a provincial or
territorial responsibility?
What do you think are the
disadvantages?
Federal
Government
• trade and shipping
• defence (army, navy,
air force}'
• banks and the mint
(where money is
printed)
• postal service
• Aboriginal peoples
• relfitions with other
countries
Shared
• immigration
• agriculture
• crime (preventions
and corrections)
• natural resources
• fisheries
Provincial
and Territorial
Governments
• education
• health care
• setting up municipal
governments
• tourism
When an election year comes around, political parties place candidates in
individual ridings. The candidate is a person who the party hopes will be
elected. For example, Fred Wong might be the candidate for a particular
political party in a federal election. If more people vote for Fred than for
any other candidate, Fred will represent the riding in the federal
government.
Forming the Government
After all the votes have been counted in all the ridings, the political party
with the highest number of elected members forms the government. The
political party with the next-highest number forms the Official Opposition.
All the elected members from other political parties also take part in the
government, but the Official Opposition has the most opportunities to
question the government's actions and take part in making decisions.
The territorial governments of Nunavut and the Northwest
Territories operate a little differently. The candidates do not represent
political parties. Instead, they explain their points of view and let voters
decide based on this information. When the elected members of the
government have to make a decision, they discuss the issue until they
come to an agreement. This kind of agreement is called consensus.
Yukon's government works the same way as the governments of the
,_
provinces.
Elections
Federal and provincial or territorial elections are held at different times
every few years The system works basically the same way for both levels
of government.
Ridings
For the purpose of voting, Canada is divided into ridings. A riding is a
particular area of land that includes certain communities. The larger the
population in an area, the more ridings it will have-in other words,
representation by population. There are different ridings for federal
elections and for provincial or territorial elections.
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Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
Just before an election, newspapers will run features describing each candidate's
views. Sometimes you can even watch the candidates debate in person or on
television. Why is following election issues an important part of being an active
citizen?
Chapter
7:
Confederation
137
Who's Who?
In federal elections, people vote for their Members of Parliament (MPs).
The MP is the person who will. represent the riding in the House of
Commons in Ottawa. It's a little more complicated to know who's who in
the governments of the provinces and territories.
I·
I
Province or Territory
Title of Person Elected
Where Members Meet
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,
New Brunswick,Northwest Territories,
Nova Scotia,Nunavut, Prince Edward Island.
Saskatchewan,Yukon
Member of the Legislative
Assembly (MLA)
Legislative Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador
Member of the House of
Assembly (MHA)
House of Assembly
Ontario
Member of the Provincial
Parliament (MPP)
Legislative Assembly
Quebec
Member of the National
Assembly (MNA)
National Assembly
Taking It Further
In this unit. you learned how and why the people of British North
America worked through many challenges in order to gain political
mpowerment. It's clear that people believed that having the right to vote
and run their own government was important.
Today, we have this right in Canada, but you might be surprised lo
hear that people often don't take advantage of it. Here are some statistics
on who voted in the 2000 federal election.
• of all people eligible to vote: 63 per cent voted
• of people over 58: slightly over 80 per cent voted
• of people 18-20: 22.4 per cent voted
These statistics show that young people voted the least. Elections
Canada says the trend in the last few elections was for fewer and fewer
young people to vote in each election. Not bothering to vote is called
voter apathy.
Why is voting part of being
an active citizen?
One of the most important changes in Canadian politics
since 1867 is that voting has become more democratic. Over
the years, more groups in society gained the right to vote.
Then, in 1982, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms made it
very clear that all Canadian citizens over the age of 18 had
the right to vote in federal and provincial or territorial
elections. Nobody could be prevented from voting because
of religion, heritage, gender, or income level-in other words,
all the old reasons.Any law that went against this idea had to
be removed.
Today,federal, provincial, and territorial governments
also do whatever they can to make sure that all people can
get to a polling station-for example, people in rural areas
and people with disabilities.
Historic Moments in Federal
Voting
1918: Some women get the right
to vote.
1948: All property qualifications
are removed.
1948: Canadians of Asian heritage
get the right to vote.
1950: Inuit get the right to vote.
1960: First Nations can vote
without losing their legal
status as Indians.
1970: Voting age is lowered from
21 to 18.
Take Action on Voter Apathy!
In this chapter, you learned about the events that led up to
Confederation. Now that you know more about how democracy works
in Canada today, what are your conclusions about Confederation? Was
it a democratic process by today's standards?
138
Unit
3:
Toward
Confederation
Work in a group to come up with a way to encourage young people to
vote. Use the Action Organizer at the back of your text to help you think
of ideas and plan your project. You could start with these focus
questions: What reasons might young people have for not voting? What
arguments might convince them to vote?
139