Laurier Era
1896 - 1914
Who is Wilfred Laurier?
 Prime Minister Of Canada 1896
– 1911
 Liberal
 First French Canadian Prime
Minister
 Wants English/ French
Canadian Unity
 Believes “the 20th century
belongs to Canada”
The Laurier Era: the Golden Age
 Era of fighting for rights (women/
labour)
 Defining Canada through Immigration
policy (British - NOT Multicultural)
 Conflict and Compromise between
French and English Canada
 Economic boom for 20 years:
Resources
 Yukon Gold Rush
 Forestry, Fisheries, Mining,
Pulp/Paper, Hydro-electricity,
agriculture
The Laurier Era: the Golden Age
Technology/ Inventions change life
 Car (ex. Canadian Cycle and
Motor Company)
 Airplane (1911)
 Telephone
 Wireless cross- Atlantic
telegraph (1901)
 Radio
 “Moving Pictures” 1896
(“Nickelodeons”)
 Refrigerators
The Laurier Era: the Golden Age
Development of Canadian Culture
Coca-Cola / Canada dry
ginger ale
Emily Carr and Group of
Seven Artists
Literature: Anne of Green
Gables and Cremation of
Sam McGee
What issues existed in this era?
1. Manitoba School Question p. 244
2. Boer War/ Naval Services Act p. 246/247
3. Alaska Boundary Dispute p. 247
4. Women’s Suffragist Movement p. 265/ 266
5. Chinese immigration / Head Tax p. p. 273 ,
Canadian issues p. 24
6. Komagata Maru p. 271 - 275
In Groups, Answer:
1. Summary: What is the event?
2. Which of the following is this an
example of?
 Intolerance
 French/ English conflict
 development of Government
 Fear of American Annexation
3. Brainstorm: What are other examples
of this issue from our course?
Boer War
What happened
 Britain invades South Africa in 1899 to gain control of gold and
diamonds found there
 Britain demanded Canada, as a former colony whose foreign policy
they control, send troops
Reaction in Canada
 English Canada feels connected to Britain and agrees
 French Canada doesn't want to support Britain imperialism, and
feel the war is unjust (and nothing to de with canada)
Result
 Laurier Compromises: Canada pays to equip and Send Volunteers
only
 Neither side happy
Theme for Course: English / French Tension
Naval Services Act
What happened
 1911: Britain asked Canada to give them money to
build a navy – Britain was in an arms race with Germany
Reaction in Canada
 English Canada wants to help out Britain
 French Canada (lead by Henri Bourassa) doesn’t want to
build a Navy for Britain – but would like one for Canada
Result:
 Laurier Compromises: Naval Services Act : build a
Canadian Navy that Britain can use in emergencies
 Reaction: both hate it – called “tin-pot Navy” by
English, and French fear Canada will now be involved in
England’s wars
Manitoba School Act
What happened:
 Manitoba Act (creating the province) gave equal rights to
English-protestant and French Catholic schools
 Over time – more English settlers – pressure federal
government to make schools English-protestant only
 Result: Manitoba School Act: No Public funding to Roman
Catholic schools
Reaction in Canada:
 Reaction: French Canada is angry (and so are the Metis)
Result:
 Laurier compromises: French allowed in school with over 10
French students, on request, Catholic religious study for ½ per
day, but no funding to a Catholic school board
 Reaction to compromise: Neither happy, French / metis feel
betrayed
Alaskan Boundary Dispute
What happened
 Gold is discovered in 1897 in the Yukon and 10 000
American miners head up north
 America had bought Alaska from Russia, and everyone had
to travel through the American “panhandle” to get to the
gold
 Dispute over where the actual boundary of Alaska was
 Tribunal to decide official boundary: 3 American, 1
Canadian, 2 British
 Britain Votes in favour of USA boundary claim, against
Canada, to keep USA support / trade
Reaction in Canada
 Canada is betrayed – but has no choice = Britain controls
Canada’s foreign policy as stated in the BNA
Women’s Suffrage Movement
What Happened
 Women in 1900 – expected to marry and not work
outside the home, education is not prioritized
 Suffragist Movement is the fight for the right to vote
 Want to make laws that will improve lives of
families (such as prohibition)
 Opposition is very strong
 Nellie McClung is leader in Movement, and gains the
Provincial vote in Manitoba first – 1916
 Prairies were first – women work alongside men on
farm, prejudice is less
Women’s Suffrage Movement
 Manitoba - January, 1916
 Saskatchewan – March 1916
 Alberta – April 1916
 British Columbia – April 1917
 Ontario – April 1917
 Federal Vote – 1918 (due to WW1 and conscription crisis)
 Nova Scotia – April 1918
 New Brunswick – April 1919
 PEI – May 1922
 Newfoundland – April 1925
 Quebec – April 1940
Chinese Head Tax
What happened
 Chinese in BC (Canada) due to CPR and gold rush, and to
find a better life
 BC (and Canada) wanted to keep Canada “British” and put
in place discriminatory immigration policies
 Goal of Head tax: keep Chinese out of Canada
Head Tax on Chinese Immigration

1885: $50
 1900: $100
 1903: $500
Reaction in Canada
BC residents form the “Asiatic Exclusion League” and riots will
occur (1907) over Asian immigration

Laurier will apologize for the riots, but restrict Japanese
immigration to 400 per year as a result
Komagata Maru
What happened
 India was a colony of Britain, and therefore could immigrate to
Canada
 The Continuous Passage Act was passed stating only those who
came directly could immigrate to Canada (impossible from India)
 1914: Ship named Komagata Maru, carrying 354 Sikh immigrants
arrives in Vancouver.
 BC places them in quarantine – not allowing them ashore
 Many nearly starve to death
 Ship is escorted out of Vancouver by the HMCS Rainbow
Result in Canada
 May 23, 2008 –British Columbia Government issued an apology
How does
Laurier
“the
Juggler”
help
explain
this era?