Canadian Confederation

Canadian Confederation, or the Confederation of Canada, was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form the Dominion of Canada, a dominion of the British Empire, which today is the federal nation state called Canada.

British North America Act, 1867

Confederation was accomplished when Queen Victoria gave royal assent to the British North America Act (BNA Act) on March 29, 1867. That act, which united the Province of Canada with the colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, came into effect on July 1 that year. The act dissolved the Act of Union (1840) which had previously established the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Separate provinces were re-established under their current names of Ontario and Quebec. July 1 is now celebrated as Canada Day.

Related Topics:
Confederation - Queen Victoria - British North America Act - March 29 - 1867 - July 1 - Act of Union (1840) - Upper Canada - Lower Canada - Canada Day

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Prime Minister of United Canada John A. Macdonald and others encouraged Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to come to talks on creating self-government in the form of one united dominion. Some of the political leaders of the maritime colonies worried about being dominated by the population centres of Ontario and Quebec through the electoral system proposed for a central government.

Related Topics:
John A. Macdonald - Quebec - New Brunswick - Nova Scotia - Prince Edward Island - Dominion - Maritime colonies - Ontario

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The Fathers of Confederation elected to call the new country the Dominion of Canada, after rejecting "kingdom" and "confederation", among other options. The term "dominion" originates from Psalm 72:8 and was suggested by Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley.

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The original "confederation" gathering was by delegates of the four Atlantic region colonies at Charlottetown in September 1864, with the agenda being a discussion of a Maritime Union (or Atlantic Union). On behalf of Canada, MacDonald asked that delegates from that colony be allowed to attend. During the conference, MacDonald suggested a union of all British colonies in North America.

Related Topics:
Charlottetown - 1864 - Maritime Union

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At a second conference in Quebec City in October, further details were worked out. The Quebec Conference was originally used to show the Maritimers hospitality and to explain the idea of Confederation, and it worked. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia requested completion of a railway, the Intercolonial, to connect them with Quebec. At this point, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland opted to stay out of the proposed union. A further conference was held in London, England in December 1866. Queen Victoria proclaimed the new dominion on July 1, 1867, although without overseas telegraphy, the news took a few days to arrive in Canada. Dominion elections were held in August and September to elect the first Parliament, and the four new provinces' governments recommended the 72 individuals (24 each for Quebec and Ontario, 12 each for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) who would sit in the Senate.

Related Topics:
Quebec City - Intercolonial - Newfoundland - London, England - 1866 - Queen Victoria - 1867 - Elections - Parliament - Senate

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While the BNA Act gave Canada more autonomy than it had before, it was far from full independence from the United Kingdom. Foreign policy remained in British hands, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council remained Canada's highest court of appeal, and the constitution could only be amended in Britain. Gradually, Canada gained more autonomy, and in 1931, obtained almost full autonomy within the British Commonwealth with the Statute of Westminster. Because the provinces of Canada were unable to agree on a constitutional amendment formula for the BNA Act, the document remained in London. In 1982, the BNA Act was patriated when Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal assent to the Canada Act 1982. In Canada, the Canadian constitution is named the Constitution Act, 1982. It includes the BNA Act, which was renamed the Constitution Act, 1867.

Related Topics:
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council - British Commonwealth - Statute of Westminster - London - 1982 - Queen Elizabeth II - Canada Act 1982 - Constitution Act, 1982 - Constitution Act, 1867

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