BNA Colony Notes - Leader, Economy, Concerns

Canada West

• J.A.M.
• Protestant & English-speaking
• 80% of residents live in the countryside
• Difficult to find good farm land
• George Brown & Toronto Globe – Western expansion to prevent young farmers from leaving and to halt American threat
• Toronto main city
  
  
• Political deadlock – inability to form a majority
• Great Coalition formed in 1864 – Tories, Clear Grits, Reformers from the Canadas
• Called for federal union
• “Rep by pop”
• Economy
• Agriculture
• Lumber
• Trade hindered by travelling through the U.S.; St. Lawrence freezes
• Need for Railway
• Ice-free port – St. Lawrence River freezes
• Defense/united front against Fenians and U.S.

Canada East

• Economy
• Agriculture
• Lumber
• Industrialists – iron, steel, flour mills, steamship lines
• 15% English-speaking Protestants dominate commercial and political life, Scotsmen, large French-speaking population dominate the rural life
• Montreal main city
  
  
• Political deadlock – inability to form a majority government
• Great Coalition formed in 1864 – Tories, Clear Grits, Reformers from the Canadas
• Called for federal union
• “Rep by pop”
• Feared the destruction of French culture in any union
• George Etienne Cartier felt that union was the only way to survive – would control all matters concerning language, religion, civil law, and education within the province

• Need for Railway
• Trade hindered by travelling through the U.S.; St. Lawrence freezes
• Ice-free port – St. Lawrence River freezes

• Defense/united front against Fenians and U.S

Prince Edward Island

• John Gray

• Divided between Irish Catholics and Scottish Protestants
• Largely self-sufficient
• Charlottetown main city
• Economy
• Rich, fertile farm land
• Agricultural exports to America
• Land Problem
• 60% are tenant farmers
• Wants Britain to force the landlords to sell their farms at a reasonable price to the colonists
• Resentments lead to suspicions of outsiders
• As an island, intercolonial railway not an issue; content to remain independent and detached from the other colonies
• Future concern
• Britain showing less interests
• Fearful of weak defense

New Brunswick

• Leonard Tilley
• Saint John main city
• Economy
• Timber/shipbuilding industry – forests forms a natural barrier between them and the other colonies
• 3-4% of the colony’s trade to other colonies
• 20% of all British timber imports come from New Brunswick
• Concerns
• Fear of Fenians and U.S. attacks
• Long border with Maine – poorly defended, easily accessible to troops outside
• Need for Intercolonial Railway
• Central defense, economically tie with other markets

Newfoundland

• Frederick B.T. Carter
• Land is rugged and unmapped
• St. John’s main city
• Easternmost point of North America – more immediate to Britain than North America (right on the Atlantic Coast)
• Economy
• Trade with Britain mostly
• Fishing & seal hunting nonexistent past few years now – debts
• Concerns
• Britain’s less interest in the colonies
• Relies heavily on Britain for defense – worry of future invasions
• As an island, intercolonial railway is irrelevant

Nova Scotia

·         Charles Tupper (supporter) vs. Joseph Howe (opposition)

·         Halifax main city

·         Key role in sea communications between Great Britain and the U.S. – feels closer to them than other colonies

·         Central base for the British Navy in the West Atlantic

·         Economy

o        Fisheries 1/3 of exports

o        Ship exports

o        Importing coal and wool

·         Concerns

o        Britain’s less interests; reluctance to defend the colonies

o        No railway connection – would help in a united front for defense and open up markets

o        Reciprocity Treaty cancelled