Lesson 4
1867, the railway, and the provinces that joined later.
Confederation means the joining of provinces to make a new country. The Fathers of Confederation worked together to create the Dominion of Canada, and the British North America Act came into effect on July 1, 1867. The first four provinces were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; the old Province of Canada was split into Ontario and Quebec. Sir Leonard Tilley suggested the term 'Dominion of Canada'. Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister, and Sir George-Étienne Cartier led Quebec into Confederation.
In 1869–70 Louis Riel led an armed uprising and seized Fort Garry; he is considered the father of Manitoba, which joined Canada in 1870. British Columbia joined in 1871 on the promise of a railway to the Pacific. The Canadian Pacific Railway, finished in 1885, symbolized unity from sea to sea. Chinese railway workers played an important part in building it, yet Chinese immigrants were then charged a race-based entry fee, the head tax. The North West Mounted Police, forerunners of the RCMP, kept order in the West; Sir Sam Steele was one of its frontier heroes.
Prince Edward Island joined in 1873, and Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905. Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join, in 1949. In the North, Nunavut, meaning 'our land' in Inuktitut, became Canada's newest territory on April 1, 1999. Today Canada has ten provinces and three territories.
Answer: Sir John A. Macdonald. Sir John A. Macdonald was the first Prime Minister following Confederation in 1867.
Answer: 1867. The Dominion of Canada was officially born on July 1, 1867.
Answer: "our land" in Inuktitut. Nunavut means "our land" in Inuktitut.
Answer: April 1st, 1999. Nunavut was established in 1999.
Answer: Unity. The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885 and served as a powerful symbol of unity.
Answer: They worked together to establish a new country, the Dominion of Canada. From 1864 to 1867, representatives from various colonies worked together to establish a new country, the Dominion of Canada, and are known as the Fathers of Confederation.
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