Building A Nation

British North America Act: Canada’s Constitution

The BNA Act

• Canada became a country when the British Parliament passed the British North America Act

• This process was in sharp contrast to the United States, which had declared itself a nation, fought a revolution, defeated the British, and formulated its own rules

The BNA Act

• The BNA Act was based upon the Seventy-Two Resolutions agreed to at the Quebec Conference

• Because of this, most of the BNA Act was written by Canadians, in Canada, and it became the constitution of the new Dominion

• The result of intense negotiations between equal partners, the BNA Act is full of compromise

Division of Responsibilities

• The BNA Act defines the Canadian federation

• Canada has a federal, or national, government (the Parliament of Canada) and a government in each of the provinces

• Each level of government has different responsibilities

Federal Responsibility

Provincial Responsibility

Municipal Responsibility

BC and Confederation

• After the Cariboo Gold Rush went bust, most of the 35,000 prospectors that had arrived in BC left the colony

• This rapid loss of population and revenue had a disastrous effect on the economy and governments of Vancouver Island and British Columbia

• British Columbia suffered the greatest financial losses, especially considering the large amount of money it spent on the Cariboo Road

Gold Rush Bust

• After the Cariboo Gold Rush went bust, most of the 35,000 prospectors that had arrived in BC left the colony

• This rapid loss of population and revenue had a disastrous effect on the economy and governments of Vancouver Island and British Columbia

• British Columbia suffered the greatest financial losses, especially considering the large amount of money it spent on the Cariboo Road

Union of the Colonies

• Elected representatives of both colonies began to lobby their respective governors for a union of the two colonies

• By 1866, the colony of Vancouver Island had debts totaling $300,000, and BC’s debt topped $1 million

• In May 1866, both colonies learned their credit with local banks had run out

Union of the Colonies

• Britain agreed with the idea of a union, but was unwilling to provide financial subsidies to keep the colonies operating

• On August 6, 1866, the British government formally joined the two colonies together as British Columbia

• A new Legislative Council was established, with twenty-three members, only nine of which were elected

Union of the Colonies

• Union of the two colonies did not solve their economic problems

• The population continued to decline, and the money problems only got worse

• It became obvious a more permanent solution was needed

BC and Confederation

• Like other colonies outside central Canada, BC had concerns about Confederation

• One group strongly supported the idea, another strongly opposed it, and a third group, composed mostly of Victoria business people, favoured annexation by the United States

BC and Confederation

• The elected representatives from the mainland all supported Confederation

• They adopted a series of resolutions which they forwarded to the government of Canada

• They asked Canada to become liable for BC’s debt, and for the government to build a transcontinental railway to link to BC with the east

BC and Confederation

• At first defeated in the Legislative Assembly, these ideas would eventually form the basis of BC’s terms of Confederation

• In Victoria, U.S. annexation proved to have little support

• In 1868, Anthony Musgrave, a personal friend of John A. Macdonald, became the new governor of BC

• He worked to get BC to join Canada as quickly as possible

BC Joins Canada

• The Canadian government agreed to virtually all of BC’s terms, including a promise to start work on a railroad within two years, to be completed in ten years

• In early 1871, the Legislative Assembly met to vote on Canada’s offer

• It was accepted after Governor Musgrave promised a wholly elected Legislature after Confederation

BC Joins Canada

• With a promise of responsible government, the terms of Confederation were accepted unanimously

• On July 20, 1871, British Columbia joined Canada