Sir Wilfrid Laurier | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Laurier in 1906 | |
| 7th Prime Minister of Canada | |
| In office July 11, 1896 – October 6, 1911 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Governors General | |
| Preceded by | Charles Tupper |
| Succeeded by | Robert Borden |
| Leader of the Liberal Party | |
| In office June 2, 1887 – February 17, 1919 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Blake |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Duncan McKenzie (interim) |
| Minister of Inland Revenue | |
| In office October 8, 1877 – October 8, 1878 | |
| Prime Minister | Alexander Mackenzie |
| Preceded by | Joseph-Édouard Cauchon |
| Succeeded by | Louis François Georges Baby |
| Member of Parliament forQuebec East | |
| In office November 11, 1877 – February 17, 1919 | |
| Preceded by | Isidore Thibaudeau |
| Succeeded by | Ernest Lapointe |
| Member of Parliament forDrummond—Arthabaska | |
| In office January 22, 1874 – October 27, 1877 | |
| Preceded by | Pierre-Nérée Dorion |
| Succeeded by | Désiré Olivier Bourbeau |
| Member of theLegislative Assembly of Quebec forDrummond-Arthabaska | |
| In office July 1871 – January 22, 1874 | |
| Preceded by | Edward John Hemming |
| Succeeded by | William John Watts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (1841-11-20)November 20, 1841 Saint-Lin, Canada East,United Province of Canada |
| Died | February 17, 1919(1919-02-17) (aged 77) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Resting place | Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Other political affiliations | Laurier Liberal (1917–1919) |
| Spouse | |
| Education | McGill University (LL.L., 1864) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Branch/service | Canadian militia |
| Years of service | 1869–1878 |
| Rank | Ensign Lieutenant |
| Unit | Arthabaskaville Infantry Company |
| Battles/wars | Fenian Raids (1870) |
Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid LaurierGCMG PC KC (/ˈlɒrieɪ/LORR-ee-ay;French:[wilfʁidloʁje]; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventhprime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The firstFrench Canadian prime minister, his 15-year tenure remains the longest uninterrupted term of office among Canadian prime ministers and his nearly 45 years of service in theHouse of Commons is a record for the House. Laurier is best known for his compromises betweenEnglish and French Canada.
Laurier studied law atMcGill University and practised as a lawyer before being elected to theLegislative Assembly of Quebec in1871. He was then elected as amember of Parliament (MP) in the1874 federal election. As an MP, Laurier gained a large personal following among French Canadians and theQuébécois. He also came to be known as a great orator. After serving asminister of inland revenue under Prime MinisterAlexander Mackenzie from 1877 to 1878, Laurier became leader of theLiberal Party in 1887, thus becomingleader of the Official Opposition. He lost the1891 federal election to Prime MinisterJohn A. Macdonald'sConservatives. However, controversy surrounding the Conservative government's handling of theManitoba Schools Question, which was triggered by theManitoba government's elimination of funding forCatholic schools, gave Laurier a victory in the1896 federal election. He led the Liberal Party to three more election victories afterwards.
As prime minister, Laurier solved the Manitoba Schools Question by allowing Catholic students to have a Catholic education on a school-by-school basis. Despite his controversial handling of the dispute and criticism from some French Canadians who believed that the resolution was insufficient, he was nicknamed "the Great Conciliator" for offering a compromise between French and English Canada. The British government requested Canadian troops to fight in theSecond Boer War and Canadian financial assistance for theRoyal Navy, which divided the country as English Canadians supported both requests whereas French Canadians did not. Laurier's government sought a middle ground between the two groups, deciding to send avolunteer force to fight in the Boer War and passing the 1910Naval Service Act to create Canada's ownnavy. In addition, his government dramatically increasedimmigration, oversawAlberta andSaskatchewan's entry intoConfederation, constructed theGrand Trunk Pacific andNational Transcontinental railways, and put effort into establishing Canada as an autonomous country within theBritish Empire.
Laurier's proposedreciprocity agreement with the United States to lower tariffs became a main issue in the1911 federal election, in which the Liberals were defeated by the Conservatives led byRobert Borden, who claimed that the treaty would lead to the US influencing Canadian identity. Despite his defeat, Laurier stayed on as Liberal leader and once again became leader of the Opposition. DuringWorld War I and theConscription Crisis of 1917, Laurier faced divisions within the Liberal Party as pro-conscription Liberalsjoined Borden'sUnionist government. The anti-conscription faction of the Liberal Party, led by Laurier, became theLaurier Liberals, though the group would be heavily defeated by Borden's Unionists in the1917 federal election. Laurier remained Opposition leader even after his 1917 defeat, but was not able to fight in another election as he died in 1919. Laurier isranked among the top three of Canadian prime ministers. At 31 years and 8 months, Laurier is the longest-serving leader of a major Canadian political party. He is the fourth-longest serving prime minister of Canada, behindPierre Trudeau,John A. Macdonald, andWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King.
The second child of Carolus Laurier and Marcelle Martineau, Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier was born in Saint-Lin,Canada East (modern-daySaint-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec), on November 20, 1841. He was a sixth-generationFrench Canadian. His ancestor François Cottineau,dit Champlaurier, came to Canada fromSaint-Claud, France. Laurier grew up in a family where politics was a staple of talk and debate. His father, an educated man having liberal ideas, enjoyed a certain degree of prestige about town. In addition to being a farmer andsurveyor, he also occupied such sought-after positions as mayor,justice of the peace, militia lieutenant andschool board member. At the age of 11, Wilfrid left home to study inNew Glasgow, a neighbouring village largely inhabited by immigrants fromScotland. Over the next two years, he familiarized himself with the mentality, language and culture ofEnglish Canada, in addition to learning English. In 1854, Laurier attended the Collège de L'Assomption, an institution that staunchly followedRoman Catholicism. There, he started to develop an interest in politics, and began to endorse the ideology ofliberalism, despite the school being heavilyconservative.[1]
In September 1861, Laurier began studying law atMcGill University. There, he metZoé Lafontaine, who would later become his wife. Laurier also discovered that he had chronicbronchitis, an illness that would stick with him for the rest of his life. At McGill, Laurier joined theParti rouge, or Red Party, which was acentre-left political party that contested elections in Canada East. In 1864, Laurier graduated from McGill. Laurier continued being active within theParti rouge, and from May 1864 to fall 1866, was vice president of theInstitut canadien de Montréal, a literary society with ties to the Rouge. In August 1864, Laurier joined the Liberals of Lower Canada, an anti-Confederation group composed of both moderates and radicals. The group argued that Confederation would give too much power to the central, or federal government, and the group believed that Confederation would lead to discrimination towards French Canadians.[1][2]
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Laurier then practised law inMontreal, though he initially struggled as a lawyer. He opened his first practice on October 27, 1864, but closed it within a month. He established his second office, but that closed within three months, due to a lack of clients. In March 1865, nearly bankrupt, Laurier established his third law firm, partnering with Médéric Lanctot, a lawyer and journalist who staunchly opposed Confederation. The two experienced some success, but in late 1866, Laurier was invited by fellow RougeAntoine-Aimé Dorion to replace his recently deceased brother to became editor and run a newspaper,Le Défricheur.[1]
Laurier moved toVictoriaville and began writing and controlling the newspaper from January 1, 1867. Laurier saw this as an opportunity to express his strong anti-Confederation views; in one instance he wrote, "Confederation is the second stage on the road to ‘anglification’ mapped out byLord Durham...We are being handed over to the English majority...[We must] use whatever influence we have left to demand and obtain a free and separate government." On March 21,Le Défricheur was forced to shut down, as a result of financial issues and opposition from the localclergy. On July 1, Confederation was officially proclaimed and recognized, a defeat for Laurier.[1]
Laurier decided to remain in Victoriaville. He slowly became well known across the town with a population of 730, and was even elected mayor not so long after he settled. In addition, he established a law practice which would span for three decades and have four different partners. He would make some money, but not enough to consider himself wealthy. During his period in Victoriaville, Laurier opted to accept Confederation and identify himself as a moderate liberal, as opposed to a radical liberal.[1]
In 1869, while living in Victoriaville, Laurier was appointed an ensign in the Arthabaskaville Infantry Company.[3] He was promoted to lieutenant in 1870, and from May to June was on active service atSaint-Hyacinthe during the secondFenian Raid. He continued to serve in the company until 1878, and in 1899 he was awarded theCanada General Service Medal for his service in 1870.[4]
A member of theQuebec Liberal Party, Laurier was elected to theLegislative Assembly of Quebec for the riding ofDrummond-Arthabaska in the1871 Quebec general election, though the Liberal Party altogether suffered a landslide defeat. To win the provincial riding, Laurier campaigned on increasing funding for education, agriculture, and colonization. His career as a provincial politician was not noteworthy, and very few times would he make speeches in the legislature.[1]
Laurier resigned from the provincial legislature to enter federal politics as aLiberal. He was elected to theHouse of Commons in theJanuary 22, 1874 election, representing the riding ofDrummond—Arthabaska. In this election, the Liberals led byAlexander Mackenzie heavily triumphed, as a result of thePacific Scandal that was initiated by theConservative Party and the Conservative prime minister,John A. Macdonald. Laurier ran a simple campaign, denouncing Conservative corruption.[1]
As amember of Parliament (MP), Laurier's first mission was to build prominence by giving speeches in the House of Commons. He gained considerable attention when he delivered a speech on political liberalism on June 26, 1877, in front of about 2,000 people. He stated, "Liberal Catholicism is not political liberalism" and that the Liberal Party is not "a party composed of men holding perverse doctrines, with a dangerous tendency, and knowingly and deliberately progressing towards revolution." He also stated, "The policy of the Liberal party is to protect [our] institutions, to defend them and spread them, and, under the sway of those institutions, to develop the country’s latent resources. That is the policy of the Liberal party and it has no other." The speech helped Laurier become a leader of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party.[1]
From October 1877 to October 1878, Laurier served briefly in theCabinet of Prime Minister Mackenzie asminister of inland revenue. However, his appointment triggered an October 27, 1877ministerial by-election. In the by-election, he lost his seat in Drummond—Arthabaska. On November 11, he ran for the seat ofQuebec East, which he narrowly won. From November 11, 1877, to his death on February 17, 1919, Laurier's seat would be Quebec East. Laurier won reelection for Quebec East in the1878 federal election, though the Liberals suffered a landslide defeat as a result of their mishandling of thePanic of 1873. Macdonald returned as prime minister.[1]
Laurier called on Mackenzie to resign as leader, not least because of his handling of the economy. Mackenzie resigned as Liberal leader in 1880 and was succeeded byEdward Blake. Laurier, along with others, founded the Quebec newspaper,L’Électeur, to promote the Liberal Party. The Liberals were in opposition once again, and Laurier made use of that status, expressing his support forlaissez-faire economics and provincial rights. The Liberals suffered a second consecutive defeatin 1882, with Macdonald winning his fourth term. Laurier continued to make speeches opposing the Conservative government's policies, though nothing notable came until 1885, when he spoke out against the execution of Métis leaderLouis Riel, to whom the Macdonald government refused to grantclemency after he led theNorth-West Rebellion.[1]
Edward Blake resigned as Liberal leader after leading them to back-to-back defeats in 1882 and1887. Blake urged Laurier to run for leadership of the party. At first, Laurier refused as he was not keen to take such a powerful position, but later on accepted. After 13 and a half years, Laurier had already established his reputation. He was now a prominent politician who was known for leading the Quebec branch of the Liberal Party, known for defending French Canadian rights, and known for being a great orator who was a fierce parliamentary speaker. Over the next nine years, Laurier gradually built up his party's strength through his personal following both in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.[1]
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In the1891 federal election, Laurier faced Conservative Prime MinisterJohn A. Macdonald. Laurier campaigned in favour ofreciprocity, orfree trade, with theUnited States, contrary to Macdonald's position on the matter, who claimed that reciprocity would lead to American annexation of Canada. On election day, March 5, the Liberals gained 10 seats. The Liberals also won a majority of seats in Quebec for the first time since the 1874 election. Prime Minister Macdonald won his fourth consecutive federal election victory. The day after, Blake denounced the Liberal trade policy.[1][5]
Laurier remained disillusioned for some time after his defeat. Multiple times he suggested he resign as leader, though he was persuaded not to by other Liberals. Only in 1893 did Laurier become encouraged again. On June 20 and 21, 1893, Laurier convened a Liberal convention in Ottawa. The convention established that unrestricted reciprocity was intended to develop Canada's natural resources and that keeping a customs tariff was intended to generate revenue. Laurier subsequently undertook a series of speaking tours to campaign on the convention's results. Laurier visitedWestern Canada in September and October 1894, promising to relax the Conservatives'National Policy, open the American market, and increaseimmigration.[1]
Macdonald died only three months after he defeated Laurier in the 1891 election. After Macdonald's death, the Conservatives went through a period of disorganization with four short-serving leaders. The fourth prime minister after Macdonald,Charles Tupper, became prime minister in May 1896 afterMackenzie Bowell resigned as a result of a leadership crisis that was triggered by his attempts to offer a compromise for theManitoba Schools Question, a dispute which emerged after the provincial government ended funding for Catholic schools in 1890. Tupper faced Laurier in the1896 federal election, in which the schools dispute was a key issue. While Tupper supported overriding the provincial legislation to reinstate funding for the Catholic schools, Laurier was vague when giving his position on the matter, proposing an investigation of the issue first and then conciliation, a method he famously called, "sunny ways". On June 23, Laurier led the Liberals to their first victory in 22 years, despite losing the popular vote. Laurier's win was made possible by his sweep in Quebec.[6]
One of Laurier's first acts as prime minister was to implement a solution to the Manitoba Schools Question, which had helped to bring down the Conservative government of Charles Tupper earlier in 1896. The Manitoba legislature had passed a law eliminating public funding for Catholic schooling. Supporters of Catholic schools argued that the new statute was contrary to the provisions of theManitoba Act, 1870, which had a provision relating to school funding, but the courts rejected that argument and held that the new statute was constitutional.[7] The Catholic minority in Manitoba then asked the federal government for support, and eventually, the Conservatives proposed remedial legislation to override Manitoba's legislation. Laurier opposed the remedial legislation on the basis of provincial rights and succeeded in blocking its passage by Parliament. Once elected, Laurier reached a compromise with the provincial premier,Thomas Greenway. Known as the Laurier-Greenway Compromise, the agreement did not allow separate Catholic schools to be re-established. However, religious instruction (Catholic education) would take place for 30 minutes at the end of each day, if requested by the parents of 10 children in rural areas or 25 in urban areas. Catholic teachers were allowed to be hired in the schools as long as there were at least 40 Catholic students in urban areas or 25 Catholic students in rural areas, and teachers could speak in French (or any other minority language) as long as there were enough Francophone students. This was seen by many as the best possible solution in the circumstances, however, some French Canadians criticized this move as it was done on an individual basis, and did not protect Catholic or French rights in all schools. Laurier called his effort to lessen the tinder in this issue "sunny ways" (French:voies ensoleillées).[1][8][9]
Laurier's government introduced and initiated the idea of constructing a secondtranscontinental railway, theGrand Trunk Pacific Railway. The first transcontinental railway, theCanadian Pacific Railway, had limitations and was not able to meet everyone's needs. Inthe West, the railway was not able to transport everything produced by farmers and inthe East, the railway did not reach intoNorthern Ontario andNorthern Quebec. Laurier was in favour of a transcontinental line built entirely on Canadian land by private enterprise.[1]
Laurier's government also constructed a third railway: theNational Transcontinental Railway. It was made to provide Western Canada with direct rail connection to theAtlantic ports and to open up and develop Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. Laurier believed that competition between the three railways would force one of the three, the Canadian Pacific Railway, to lowerfreight rates and thus please Western shippers who would contribute to the competition between the railways. Laurier initially reached out toGrand Trunk Railway andCanadian Northern Railway to build the National Transcontinental railway, but after disagreements emerged between the two companies, Laurier's government opted to build part of the railway itself. However, Laurier's government soon struck a deal with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company (subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway Company) to build the western section (fromWinnipeg to the Pacific Ocean) while the government would build the eastern section (from Winnipeg toMoncton). Once completed, Laurier's government would hand over the railway to the company for operation. Laurier's government gained criticism from the public due to the heavy cost to construct the railway.[10]
During his government dealing with railway contractors, Laurier became close friends with Canadian railway magnateHugh Ryan and remained so until Ryan's death in 1899 — Laurier was the first person to send condolences to the family both publicly and privately.[11][12]
On September 1, 1905, through theAlberta Act and theSaskatchewan Act, Laurier oversawAlberta andSaskatchewan's entry intoConfederation, the last two provinces to be created out of theNorthwest Territories. Laurier decided to create two provinces, arguing that one large province would be too difficult to govern.[13][14] This followed the enactment of theYukon Territory Act by the Laurier Government in 1898, separating theYukon from the Northwest Territories.[15] Also in 1898, Quebec was enlarged through theQuebec Boundary Extension Act.[16]
Laurier's government dramatically increased immigration to grow the economy. Between 1897 and 1914, at least a million immigrants arrived in Canada, and Canada's population increased by 40 percent. Laurier's immigration policy targeted thePrairies as he argued that it would increase farming production and benefit theagriculture industry.[17]
The British Columbia electorate was alarmed at the arrival of people they considered "uncivilized" by Canadian standards, and adopted a whites-only policy. Although railways and large companies wanted to hire Asians, labour unions and the public at large stood opposed.[18] Both major parties went along with public opinion, with Laurier taking the lead.[19] Scholars have argued that Laurier acted in terms of his racist views in restricting immigration from China and India, as shown by his support for the Chinesehead tax.[20] In 1900, Laurier raised the Chinese head tax to $100. In 1903, this was further raised to $500,[21][22] but when a few Chinese did pay the $500, he proposed raising the sum to $1,000.[23] This was not the first time Laurier showed racially charged action, and over the course of his time as a politician, he had a history of racist views and actions.[24][25] In 1886, Laurier told the House of Commons that it was moral for Canada to take lands from “savage nations” so long as the government paid adequate compensation.[26] Laurier also negotiated a limit to Japanese emigration to Canada.[27]
In August 1911, Laurier approved theOrder-in-Council P.C. 1911-1324 recommended by theminister of the interior,Frank Oliver. The order was approved by the cabinet on August 12, 1911. The order was intended to keep out Black Americans escaping segregation in the American south, stating that "the Negro race...is deemed unsuitable to the climate and requirements of Canada." The order was never called upon, as efforts by immigration officials had already reduced the number of Blacks migrating to Canada. The order was cancelled on October 5, 1911, the day before Laurier left office, by cabinet claiming that the minister of the interior was not present at the time of approval.[28]
In March 1906, Laurier's government introduced theLord's Day Act after being persuaded by the Lord's Day Alliance. The act became effective on March 1, 1907. It prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays; it also restricted Sunday trade, labour, recreation, and newspapers. The act was supported by organized labour and the French Canadian Catholic hierarchy but was opposed by those who worked in the manufacturing and transportation sectors. It was also opposed by French Canadians due to them believing the federal government was interfering in a provincial matter; the Quebec government passed its ownLord’s Day Act that came into effect one day before the federal act did.[1][29][30][31]
In 1907, Laurier's government passed theIndustrial Disputes Investigation Act, which mandated conciliation for employers and workers before any strike in public utilities or mines, but did not make it necessary for the groups to accept the conciliators’ report.[1][32]
In 1908, a system was introduced where by annuities may be purchased from the government, the aim of which was to encourage voluntary provision for old age.[33]
On June 22, 1897, Laurier attended theDiamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, which was the 60th anniversary of her accession. There, he was knighted, and was given several honours, honorary degrees, and medals.[1] Laurier again visited the United Kingdom in 1902, taking part in the1902 Colonial Conference and thecoronation of KingEdward VII on August 9, 1902. Laurier also took part in the1907 and1911 Imperial Conferences.[34]
In 1899, the British government requested Canadian troops to serve in theSecond Boer War. Laurier was caught between demands for support for military action from English Canada and a strong opposition from French Canada. Laurier eventually decided to send a volunteer force, rather than theCanadian Militia as expected by Britain. Roughly 7,000 Canadian soldiers served in the force. OutspokenFrench Canadian nationalist and Liberal MPHenri Bourassa was an especially vocal opponent of any form of Canadian participation in the Boer War and thus resigned from the Liberal caucus in October 1899.[35][36]
On June 1, 1909, Laurier's government established theDepartment of External Affairs for Canada to take greater control of its foreign policy.[37]
TheAnglo-German naval arms race escalated in the early years of the 20th century. The British government requested financial and material resources to assist in expanding theRoyal Navy, precipitating a heated political division in Canada. Many English Canadians wished to send as much as possible; many French Canadians and those against wished to send nothing. Aiming for compromise, Laurier advanced theNaval Service Act of 1910 which created theRoyal Canadian Navy. The navy would initially consist of fivecruisers and sixdestroyers; in times of crisis, it could be made subordinate to the British navy. However, the idea faced opposition in both English and French Canada, especially in Quebec where Bourassa organized an anti-Laurier force.[1][38]
In 1897 and 1898, theAlaska-Canada border emerged as a pressing issue. TheKlondike Gold Rush prompted Laurier to demand an all-Canadian route from the gold fields to a seaport. The region being a desirable place with lots of gold furthered Laurier's ambition of fixing an exact boundary. Laurier also wanted to establish who owned theLynn Canal and who controlled maritime access to the Yukon. Laurier and US PresidentWilliam McKinley agreed to set up a joint Anglo-American commission that would study the differences and resolvethe dispute. However, this commission was unsuccessful and came to an abrupt end on February 20, 1899.[1]
The dispute was then referred to an international judicial commission in 1903, which included three American politicians (Elihu Root,Henry Cabot Lodge, andGeorge Turner), two Canadians (Allen Bristol Aylesworth andLouis-Amable Jetté) and one Briton (Lord Alverstone,Lord Chief Justice of England). On October 20, 1903, the commission by a majority (Root, Lodge, Turner, and Alverstone) ruled to support the American government's claims. Canada only acquired two islands below thePortland Canal. The decision provoked a wave of anti-American and anti-British sentiment in Canada, which Laurier temporarily encouraged.[1][39]
Though supportive offree trade with the United States, Laurier did not pursue the idea because the American government refused to discuss the issue. Instead, he implemented a Liberal version of the Conservatives' nationalist and protectionistNational Policy by maintaining high tariffs on goods from other countries that restricted Canadian goods. However, he lowered tariffs to the same level as countries that admitted Canadian goods.[1][40]
In 1897, Laurier's government impelemented a preferential reduction of a tariff rate of 12.5 percent for countries that imported Canadian goods at a rate equivalent to the minimum Canadian charge; rates for countries that imposed a protective duty against Canada remained the same. For the most part, the policy was supported by those for free trade (due to the preferential reduction) and those against free trade (due to elements of the National Policy remaining in place).[1]
Laurier's government again reformed tariffs in 1907. His government introduced a "three-column tariff", which added a new intermediate rate (a bargaining rate) alongside the existing British preferential rate and the general rate (which applied to all countries that Canada had no most-favoured-nation agreement with). The preferential and general rates remained unchanged, while the intermediate rates were slightly lower than the general rates.[41]
Also in 1907, Laurier'sminister of finance,William Stevens Fielding, andminister of marine and fisheries,Louis-Philippe Brodeur, negotiated a trade agreement with France which lowered import duties on some goods. In 1909, Fielding negotiated an agreement to promote trade with theBritish West Indies.[42][43]
Laurier led the Liberal party to three re-elections in1900,1904, and1908. In the 1900 and 1904 elections, the Liberals' popular vote and seat share increased whereas in the 1908 election, the party's popular vote and seat share went down slightly.
By the late 1800s, Laurier built up Quebec as a base for the Liberal Party. Quebec had been a Conservative stronghold for decades due to the province'ssocial conservatism and to the influence of theRoman Catholic Church, which distrusted the Liberals'anti-clericalism. The growing alienation ofFrench Canadians from the Conservative Party due to its links with anti-French, anti-CatholicOrangemen in English Canada aided the Liberal Party.[44] After the collapse of theConservative Party of Quebec, Laurier built a stronghold in French Canada and among Catholics across Canada.
However, Catholic priests in Quebec repeatedly warned their parishioners not to vote for Liberals. Their slogan was "le ciel est bleu, l'enfer est rouge" ("heaven is blue, hell is red", referring to the Conservative and Liberal parties' traditional colours).[45][46]
In 1911, controversy arose regarding Laurier's support of tradereciprocity with the United States. His long-serving minister of finance,William Stevens Fielding, reached an agreement allowing for the free trade of natural products. The agreement would also lowertariffs. This had the strong support of agricultural interests, particularly in Western Canada, but it alienated many businessmen who formed a significant part of the Liberal base. TheConservatives denounced the deal and played on long-standing fears that reciprocity could eventually lead to weakened ties with Britain and a Canadian economy dominated by the United States. They also campaigned on fears that this would lead to the Canadian identity being taken away by the US and the American annexation of Canada.[1][47]
Contending with an unruly House of Commons, including vocal disapproval from Liberal MPClifford Sifton, Laurier calledan election to settle the issue of reciprocity. The Conservatives were victorious and the Liberals lost over a third of their seats. The Conservatives' leader,Robert Laird Borden, succeeded Laurier as prime minister. Over 15 consecutive years of Liberal rule ended.[1]
Laurier stayed on as Liberal leader. In December 1912, he started leading the filibuster and fight against the Conservatives' own naval bill which would have allocated $35 million to be sent to assist the Royal Navy. Laurier argued that the bill threatened Canada's autonomy, and after six months of battling it, the bill was blocked by the Liberal-controlledSenate.[1]
Laurier led the opposition duringWorld War I. He supported sending a volunteer force to fight in the war, arguing that an intense campaign for volunteers would produce enough troops. Borden initially had a volunteer military system in place, but when applications started to decline, he imposedconscription in the summer of 1917, which led to theConscription Crisis of 1917. Laurier was an influential opponent ofconscription, and his position on the matter was applauded by French Canadians, who were generally anti-conscription. Pro-conscription Liberals, particularly from English Canada, joined Borden asLiberal-Unionists to form theUnion government. Laurier refused to join the Unionist Party, and instead created the "Laurier Liberals", a party composed of Liberals opposed to conscription. Laurier also rejected Prime Minister Borden's proposal to form acoalition government composed of both Conservatives and Liberals, arguing that there would be no "real" opposition to the government. He also argued that if the Liberals joined, Quebec would feel alienated and would lead to the province being heavily influenced by outspoken French-Canadian nationalistHenri Bourassa, and what Laurier called Bourassa's "dangerous nationalism" which might lead to Quebec seceding from Canada.[1][48]
In the1917 election, the Laurier Liberals were reduced to a mostly French Canadianrump. Laurier swept Quebec, winning 62 out of 65 of the province's seats, not least due to the French Canadians' overwhelming respect and support for Laurier as a result of his opposition to conscription.[1][49]
The Conscription Crisis once again revealed the divisions between French Canadians and English Canadians. Most English Canadians favoured conscription as they believed this would strengthen ties with Britain, whereas most French Canadians opposed conscription as they wanted nothing to do with the war. Laurier was now seen as a "traitor" to English Canadians and English Canadian Liberals, whereas he was seen as a "hero" for French Canadians. Laurier's protégé and successor as party leader,William Lyon Mackenzie King, unified the English and French factions of the Liberal Party, leading it to victory over the Conservatives in the1921 federal election.[1]
After the election, Laurier still stayed on as Liberal and Opposition leader. When World War I came to an end on November 11, 1918, he focused on his efforts to rebuild and reunify the Liberal Party.[1][49]
Laurier died of a stroke on February 17, 1919, while still in office as leader of the Opposition. Though he had lost a bitter election two years earlier, he was loved nationwide for his "warm smile, his sense of style, and his "sunny ways"."[50] 50,000 to 100,000 people jammed the streets of Ottawa as his funeral procession marched to his final resting place atNotre-Dame Cemetery.[1][51][52] His remains would eventually be placed in a stone sarcophagus, adorned by sculptures of nine mourning female figures, representing each of the provinces in the union. His wife,Zoé Laurier, died on November 1, 1921, and was placed in the same tomb.
Laurierwas permanently succeeded as Liberal leader by his formerminister of labour,William Lyon Mackenzie King. King narrowly defeated Laurier's formerminister of finance,William Stevens Fielding. According to Zoé, Fielding was Laurier's choice for next leader; Laurier believed Fielding had the best chance to restore unity in the party.[42]
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Wilfrid Laurier marriedZoé Lafontaine in Montreal on May 13, 1868. She was the daughter of G.N.R. Lafontaine and his first wife, Zoé Tessier known as Zoé Lavigne. Laurier's wife Zoé was born in Montreal and educated there at the School of the Bon Pasteur, and at the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, St. Vincent de Paul. The couple lived at Arthabaskaville until they moved to Ottawa in 1896. She was one of the vice presidents on the formation of the National Council of Women and was honorary vice president of theVictorian Order of Nurses.[53] The couple had no children.
Beginning in 1878 and for some twenty years while married to Zoé, Laurier had an "ambiguous relationship" with a married woman,Émilie Barthe.[54] Zoé was not an intellectual; Émilie was, and relished literature and politics like Wilfrid, whose heart she won. Rumour had it he fathered a son,Armand Lavergne, with her, yet Zoé remained with him until his death.[1]
Overall, Laurier's efforts to remain neutral between English Canadians and French Canadians, and his efforts to seek a middle ground between the two ethnic groups have paved the way for him to beranked among the top three of Canadian prime ministers. Despite being a French Canadian, he did not fully accept the French Canadian demands of repealing Manitoba's ban on public funding for Catholic schools nor did he fully accept their demands of refusing to send any Canadian troop to fight in the Boer War. Nonetheless, in all seven elections he fought, the majority of Quebec's ridings were handed over to his Liberal Party. Despite one notable exception in1958, the Liberal Party continued to dominate federal politics in Quebec until1984.
HistorianJacques Monet wrote, "To his faithful followers, especially in Quebec, where his surname is used as a first name by many other Canadians, Laurier is a charismatic hero whose term of office was a happy time in Canadian history. He worked all his life for cooperation between French- and English-speaking Canadians while he strove to keep Canada as independent as possible from Britain. His personal charm and dignity, his great skill as an orator, and his great gifts of intellect won the admiration of all Canadians and non-Canadians alike."[34]
According to historiansNorman Hillmer and Stephen Azzi, a 2011 poll of 117 historians and experts voted Laurier as the "best" Canadian prime minister, ahead ofJohn A. Macdonald andMackenzie King. Laurier was ranked Number 3 of the Prime Ministers of Canada (out of the 20 throughJean Chrétien) in the survey by Canadian historians included inPrime Ministers: Ranking Canada's Leaders byJ.L. Granatstein and Norman Hillmer.[55] "Passionate, charismatic, and an intellectual force in both languages," theCanadian War Museum'sTim Cook stated, "Sir Wilfrid was the full package."[55][56]
More recently, Laurier has been criticised for his policies towardsaboriginals and Chinese and Indian immigrants.[20] Laurier's government had promoted immigration for economic growth, but also took measures to prevent Chinese and Indian immigrants from arriving. Additionally, Laurier also encouraged settlements, which affected local populations.
Laurier is commemorated by threeNational Historic Sites.
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site is in his birthplace,Saint-Lin-Laurentides, a town 60 km (37 mi) north ofMontreal, Quebec. Its establishment reflected an early desire to not only mark his birthplace (a plaque in 1925 and a monument in 1927), but to create a shrine to Laurier in the 1930s. Despite early doubts and later confirmation that the house designated as the birthplace was neither Laurier's nor on its original site, its development, and the building of a museum, satisfied the goal of honoring the man and reflecting his early life.[57]
Laurier's brick residence inOttawa is known asLaurier House National Historic Site, at the corner of what is now Laurier Avenue and Chapel Street. In their will, the Lauriers left the house to Prime MinisterMackenzie King, who in turn donated it to Canada upon his death. Both sites are administered byParks Canada as part of the national park system.
The 1876 Italianate residence of the Lauriers during his years as a lawyer and Member of Parliament, in Victoriaville, Quebec, is designated Wilfrid Laurier House National Historic Site, owned privately and operated as the Laurier Museum.[58][59][60]
In November 2011, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, unveiled a statue depicting a young Wilfrid Laurier sitting on a bench, thinking.[61]
Laurier had titular honours including:
Many sites and landmarks were named to honor Laurier. They include:
Wilfrid Laurier advised theGovernor General to appoint the following individuals to theSupreme Court of Canada:
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