Everything about Wilfrid Laurier totally explained
Sir Wilfrid Laurier,
PC,
GCMG,
KC, baptized
Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier (
November 20,
1841 –
February 17,
1919) was the seventh
Prime Minister of Canada from
July 11,
1896, to
October 5,
1911.
Canada's first
francophone prime minister, Laurier is often considered one of the country's greatest
statesmen. He is well known for his
policies of
conciliation, expanding Confederation, and compromise between
French and
English Canada. His vision for Canada was a land of individual liberty and decentralised federalism. He also argued for an English-French partnership in Canada. "I have had before me as a pillar of
fire," he said, "a policy of true Canadianism, of
moderation, of
reconciliation." And he passionately defended individual liberty, "Canada is free and freedom is its nationality," and "Nothing will prevent me from continuing my task of preserving at all cost our civil liberty." Laurier was also well regarded for his efforts to establish Canada as an autonomous country within the
British Empire. His efforts were continued by his successor as Prime Minister,
Robert Borden.
Laurier is the fourth-longest serving Prime Minister of Canada, behind
William Lyon Mackenzie King,
John A. Macdonald, and
Pierre Trudeau. A
Maclean's historical ranking of the Prime Ministers placed Laurier third behind King (first) and Macdonald
(External Link
). Laurier also holds the record for the most
consecutive federal elections won (4), and his 15 year tenure remains the longest unbroken term of office among Prime Ministers. In addition, his nearly 45 years (
1874-
1919) of service in the
House of Commons is an all-time record in
Canadian politics, unmatched by any other politician.
(External Link) Finally, at 31 years, 8 months, Laurier was the longest-serving leader of a major Canadian political party, surpassing King by over two years. Laurier's portrait is displayed on the
Canadian five-dollar bill.
Early life
The second child of Carolus Laurier and Marcelle Martineau,Wilfrid Laurier was born in Saint-Lin,
Canada East (today called
Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec) on
November 20,
1841. Laurier was the 7th generation of his family in Canada. His ancestor
François Cottineau, dit Champlaurier came to
Canada from
Saint-Claud, France. He 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 and
surveyor, he also occupied such sought-after positions as
mayor,
justice of the peace, militia lieutenant and
school board member. At the age of 11, Wilfrid left home to study in
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, a neighbouring town largely inhabited by
immigrants from
Scotland. Over the next two years, he'd the opportunity of familiarizing himself with the mentality, language and culture of British people.
In 1864, Laurier earned a
Bachelor of Civil Law at
McGill University's Faculty of Law in
Montreal, Quebec. He graduated
Valedictorian.
Before the Liberals, Laurier was a member of the radical
Rouge wing of Quebec politics. He became disenchanted with extremism and ideology, and was a key player in uniting
Les Rouges of Quebec with the
Clear Grits and
Reformers of
Ontario into what is now the
Liberal Party of Canada. Laurier was first elected to the
Canadian House of Commons in the
1874 election, serving briefly in the
Cabinet of
Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie as Minister of Inland Revenue.
Leadership
Chosen as leader of the Liberal Party in
1887, he gradually built up his party's strength with his personal following in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. He led the Liberal Party to victory in the
1896 election, and remained prime minister until the party's defeat in the
1911 election.
Quebec stronghold
Laurier was able to build the Liberal Party a base in Quebec, which had been a
Conservative stronghold for decades due to the province's social conservatism and the influence of the
Roman Catholic Church which distrusted the Liberal's
anti-clericalism. He was aided by the growing alienation of
French-Canadians from the Conservatives due to the national Tory party's links with anti-French, anti-Catholic
Orangemen in English Canada. These factors combined with the collapse of the
Conservative Party of Quebec gave Laurier an opportunity to build a stronghold in French Canada and among Catholics across Canada.
Because Laurier believed in a
separation of church and state,
Roman Catholic bishops in Quebec repeatedly warned their parishioners never to vote for the man. Renowned
journalist and
author Laurier LaPierre wrote in his 1996 biography of Laurier: "
children were made to kneel and beg God that their parents not be damned should they've the temerity to vote for the Liberal candidate. When electors asked directly whom they should vote for, the cagey priests contented themselves with informing them that 'le
ciel est bleu, l'enfer est rouge' – heaven is
blue,
hell is
red."
Personal Views on Religion:
Academics in the field of Canadian history have suggested that Wilfrid Laurier may in fact be the first atheist Prime Minister in Canadian history. There is scant evidence to suggest this beyond interpreting his method of politicking, which placed any religious considerations behind more practical and 'earthly' concerns. Considering the climate of the day, he'd have been unable to express this personal point of view.
Prime Minister
Laurier led Canada during a period of rapid growth,
industrialization, and
immigration. His long career straddles a period of major political and economic change. As Prime Minister he was instrumental in ushering
Canada into the
20th century and in gaining greater autonomy from Britain for his country.
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. The Catholic minority 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 proposed a compromise stating that
Catholics in
Manitoba could have a Catholic education if there were enough students to warrant it, on a school-by-school basis. This was seen by many as the best possible solution in the circumstances, making both the French and English equally satisfied.
In
1899, the
United Kingdom expected
military support from Canada, as part of the
British Empire, in the
Second Boer War. Laurier was caught between demands for support for military action from English Canada, and a strong opposition from French Canada, which saw the Boer War as an "English" war.
Henri Bourassa was an especially vocal opponent. Laurier eventually decided to send a volunteer force, rather than the
militia expected by
Britain, but Bourassa continued to oppose any form of military involvement.
In
1905, Laurier oversaw
Saskatchewan and
Alberta's entry into
Confederation, the last two provinces to be created out of the
Northwest Territories.
Naval Bill
The naval competition between the
United Kingdom and the
German Empire escalated in the early years of the 20th century. The British asked Canada for more money and resources for ship construction, precipitating a heated political division in Canada. The British supporters wished to send as much as possible, whereas those against wished to send nothing.
Aiming for compromise, Laurier advanced the
Naval Service Bill of
1910 which created the
Royal Canadian Navy. The navy would initially consist of five
cruisers and six
destroyers; in times of crisis, it could be made subordinate the
Royal Navy proper. The idea was lauded at the
Imperial Conference on Defence in
London, but it proved unpopular across the political spectrum in Canada, especially in Quebec as ex-Liberal Henri Bourassa organized an anti-Laurier force.
Some historians criticize Laurier, saying his compromises that keep both parties happy were short-term solutions, and ignored the long-term consequences. In essence, his compromises kept people happy, but Laurier avoided the root of the conflicts.
Reciprocity and defeat
Another controversy arose regarding Laurier's support of trade
reciprocity with the
United States. This had the strong support of agricultural interests, but it alienated many businessmen who formed a significant part of the Liberals' support base. The
Conservatives denounced the deal as a sell-out, even playing upon fears that Canada would be assimilated as the next US state.
Despite the Liberal government's mandate not expiring, Laurier called an
election to settle the issue of reciprocity. The Conservatives were victorious and
Robert Laird Borden succeeded Laurier as Prime Minister.
Opposition and war
Laurier led the opposition during
World War I. He led the filibuster to the Conservatives' own Naval Bill which would have sent contributions directly to the
Royal Navy; the bill was later blocked by the Liberal-controlled Senate. He was an influential opponent of
conscription, which led to the
Conscription Crisis of 1917 and the formation of a
Union government, which Laurier refused to join for fear of having Quebec fall in the hands of nationalist Henri Bourassa. However, many Liberals, particularly in English Canada, joined Borden as
Liberal-Unionists and the "
Laurier Liberals" were reduced to a mostly French-Canadian
rump as a result of the
1917 election.
However, Laurier's last policies and efforts hadn't been in vain. As a result of Laurier's opposition of conscription in 1917, Quebec and its French-Canadian voters voted overwhelmingly to support the Liberal party starting in 1917. Despite one notable exception in
1958, the Liberal party continued to dominate federal politics in Quebec until
1984. His protege and successor as party leader
William Lyon Mackenzie King led the Liberals to a landslide victory over the Conservatives in the
1921 election.
Death
Laurier died on
February 17 1919, and was buried in
Notre Dame Cemetery,
Ottawa, Ontario. The Sir Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site of Canada is in
Saint-Lin-Laurentides, a town 60 km north of
Montreal. His wife
Zoe Laurier died in
1921. Another site is
Laurier House, his residence in
Ottawa at the corner of what is now Laurier Street and Chapel Street. In their will, the Lauriers left the house to
Mackenzie King, who in turn donated it to Canada upon his death.
Recognition
Laurier had titular honours including:
Many sites and landmarks were named to honor Wilfrid Laurier. They include:
Avenue Laurier, located in Shawinigan, Quebec;
The Laurier Heights neighbourhood, including Laurier Drive, in Edmonton, Alberta;
Laurier Drive, located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan;
The provincial electoral district of Laurier-Dorion (an honor shared with Canadian politician Antoine-Aimé Dorion).
The federal electoral district of Laurier-Sainte-Marie.
On November 1 1973, Waterloo Lutheran University, one of Ontario's publicly funded universities, was renamed Wilfrid Laurier University. Many high schools in Canada are named after him.
A Montreal Metro station, Laurier (Montreal Metro)
Laurier is depicted on the Canadian five-dollar bill..
CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Laurier is also the personal hero of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien who saw in Laurier's abilities at conciliation and at winning majority governments an ideal model to follow.
Supreme Court appointments
Laurier chose the following jurists to be appointed as justices of the Supreme Court of Canada by the Governor General:
Sir Louis Henry Davies (September 25, 1901 – May 1, 1924)
David Mills (February 8, 1902 – May 8, 1903)
Sir Henri Elzear Taschereau (as Chief Justice November 21, 1902 – May 2, 1906; appointed a Puisne Justice under Prime Minister Mackenzie, October 7, 1878)
John Douglas Armour (November 21, 1902 – July 11, 1903)
Wallace Nesbitt (May 16, 1903 – October 4, 1905)
Albert Clements Killam (August 8, 1903 – February 6, 1905)
John Idington (February 10, 1905 – March 31, 1927)
James Maclennan (October 5, 1905 – February 13, 1909)
Sir Charles Fitzpatrick (as Chief Justice, June 4, 1906 – November 21, 1918)
Sir Lyman Poore Duff (September 27, 1906 – January 2, 1944)
Francis Alexander Anglin (February 23, 1909 – February 28, 1933)
Louis-Philippe Brodeur (August 11, 1911 – October 10, 1923)Further Information
Get more info on 'Wilfrid Laurier'.
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