Laurier

Everything you want to know about Canada’s 7th Prime Minister

This is not Laurier

What do you think?

Wilfrid LaurierJoseph Lavergne

Armand Lavergne

Saskatchewan and Alberta

• Originally part of the NWT

• The premier of the territories wanted to create one large province called Buffalo

• Ont. and Que. politicians didn’t support Buffalo– Too big– Rival their own political power

• Decided there should be two provinces,

• Many argued for a horizontal split rather than a vertical

Saskatchewan and Alberta

• Formed on the same day (Sept. 1, 1905)

• Saskatchewan:– Named after the Kissiskatchiwan river (Swift Current)

• Alberta:– Named after Father Albert Lacombe (founder of an

Episcopal borough 9 miles from Edmonton)

Alaskan Border Dispute

• 1867 US buys Alaska from Russians

• US base their claim on Russian maps

• Russian maps wrong. More land shown as being part of the American purchase than Russia had agreed to in the Anglo-Russian treaty of 1825

GOLD!

• 1897 30,000 people flood to the Yukon.

• Eventually more than $100,000,000 in gold mined.

• Now, trade route becomes important. Both Canada and the US want control.

1903 Tribunal

• 1903 both sides decide to settle the issue by a tribunal

• Each side would have three representatives

• The US would send three men, Canada would send two, and our third was to be a Brit.

• These six were supposed to be impartial

The Result

• In the end the two Canadians voted for the Canadian proposal, and the three US representatives voted for their proposal.

• The only surprise for Canadians was that Lord Alverstone voted with the Americans.US gets everything they asked for on Oct. 20th 1903

• In Canada this is seen as betrayal

Canadian Reaction

• In British Columbia God Save The Queen was booed and people refused to sing

• In Ontario the Union Jack was flown at half mast at many public buildings.

• Within five years Canada establishes the foreign affairs department

• This also completely ended the debate for closer ties with the British

Canadian Navy

• Founded on May 4th, 1910

• In Europe there was an arms race and Laurier thought Canada should keep up

• Some wanted to purchase large battleships and create a powerful force

• Others wanted no navy at all

• How to make everyone happy?

Navy Cont…

• We purchased 2 aged ships from Britain– Niobe and Rainbow

• In effect this makes no one happy

• The ships are not powerful enough to do much except patrol fisheries

• This was one of the decisions that led to Laurier’s loss in 1911

HMCS Rainbow• Launched in

1891

• Didn’t sail between 1900-1909

• Sold to Canada in 1910

HMCS Niobe• Built 1897

• Used to transport troops and escort smaller ships

• Entered RCN in 1910

Dreadnought

Elections

• 1896- Laurier wins 117-96 (Beats Tupper)

• 1900- Laurier wins 128-85 (Beats Tupper)

• 1904- Laurier wins 137-77 (Beats Borden)

• 1908- Laurier wins 133-88 (Beats Borden)

• 1911- Laurier loses 134-87 (Borden wins)

• Laurier is the only PM to ever win four consecutive majority governments

1911-1919• After the defeat of 1911 he stayed on as

opposition leader until 1919

• Supported Canada’s involvement in WWI, but not conscription

• Lost the election again in 1917

• Passed away on Feb. 17, 1919 at the age of 77