Wilfred Laurier in Canada

Liberal Party (Canada) History Laurier

Introduction to Wilfred Laurier

The most influential Liberal of the period before World War I (1914-1918) was Sir Wilfred Laurier, Canada’s first French Canadian prime minister. He became prime minister in 1896 and stayed in power until 1911. Laurier worked vigorously for national unity and, at least early in his career, British-style liberalism. Once he was in power, his promotion of common national interests expanded support for the Liberals in both Québec and the English-speaking part of Canada. He adopted many strategies the Conservatives had used before him, including patronage (the distribution of political offices to party loyalists) and the expansion of federal government involvement in Canadian economic development.

Laurier frequently compromised between the interests of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians. When the province of Manitoba abolished public funding for separate French-speaking Roman Catholic schools, he arranged for very limited separate instruction. When Britain pressed Canada to join its Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa, which French Canadians opposed, he refused, but helped pay the costs of Canadian volunteers. Such policies alienated both English-speaking and French-speaking supporters. In 1911 he attempted to secure limited free trade with the United States, which angered industrial interests and led to a Liberal Party loss in that year’s election.

Laurier led Canada during a period of continued industrialization, which saw the addition of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. He also strengthened the Liberal Party’s position in both Québec and English Canada.” (1)

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Notes and References

Information about Wilfred Laurier in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Wilfred Laurier

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This entry was last updated: August 24, 2014