List of Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada
, who were the heads of government of the Province of Canada
from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada
and Lower Canada
until Confederation
in 1867.
Each administration was led by two men, one from Canada West (now Ontario
) and one from Canada East (now Quebec
). Officially, one of them at any given time had the title of Premier, while the other had the title of Deputy.
Colour key:
Notes:
Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada
Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada were the leaders of the Province of Canada, from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada and Lower Canada until Confederation in 1867....
, who were the heads of government of the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
until Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
in 1867.
Each administration was led by two men, one from Canada West (now Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) and one from Canada East (now Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
). Officially, one of them at any given time had the title of Premier, while the other had the title of Deputy.
Colour key:
- Green - reformers (Reform PartyReform Party (pre-Confederation)The Reform movement, sometimes referred to as the Reform Party, began in the 1830s as the movement in the English speaking parts of British North America . It agitated for responsible government....
, Rouges PartyParti rougeThe Parti rouge was formed in the Province of Quebec, around 1848 by radical French-Canadians inspired by the ideas of Louis-Joseph Papineau, the Institut canadien de Montréal, and the reformist movement led by the Parti patriote of the 1830s.The party was a successor to the Parti patriote...
, etc.) - Yellow - conservatives (see Family CompactFamily CompactFully developed after the War of 1812, the Compact lasted until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s...
, Château CliqueChâteau CliqueThe Clique du Château or Château Clique was a group of wealthy families in Lower Canada in the early 19th century. They were the Lower Canadian equivalent of the Family Compact in Upper Canada...
) - Red - Liberal PartyLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, Clear GritsClear GritsClear Grits were reformers in the Province of Upper Canada, a British colony that is now the Province of Ontario, Canada. Their support was concentrated among southwestern Ontario farmers, who were frustrated and disillusioned by the 1849 Reform government of Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte... - Blue - Liberal-Conservative PartyLiberal-Conservative PartyThe Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873...
, Parti bleuParti bleuThe Parti bleu was a moderate political group in Quebec, Canada that emerged in 1854. It was based on the moderate reformist views of Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, and was a rival to the radical Parti rouge....
| Canada West Premier | Canada East Premier | Took Office | Left Office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
William Draper William Henry Draper William Henry Draper was a lawyer, judge, and politician in Upper Canada later Canada West.-Personal life:... (Deputy) |
 |
Samuel Harrison Samuel Harrison Samuel Bealey Harrison was Joint Premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1841 to 1842 with William Henry Draper PM for Canada West... (Premier) |
February 5, 1841 | January 12, 1842 |
| William Draper William Henry Draper William Henry Draper was a lawyer, judge, and politician in Upper Canada later Canada West.-Personal life:... (Premier) |
 |
Charles Richard Ogden Charles Richard Ogden Charles Richard Ogden was a Joint Premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1842 with William Henry Draper PM for Canada West. Odgen was a member of the Château Clique.... (Deputy) |
January 12, 1842 | September 14, 1842 | |
 |
Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government.... 2 (Deputy) |
 |
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , 1st Baronet, KCMG was the first Canadian to become Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible government in Canada. He was born in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1807... 2 (Premier) |
September 26, 1842 | November 27, 1843 |
 |
Sir Dominick Daly Dominick Daly Sir Dominick Daly was the Governor of Prince Edward Island from 11 July 1854 to 25 May 1859 and later Governor of South Australia from 4 March 1862 until his death on 19 February 1868.... (Premier) (acting) |
November 27, 1843 | December 12, 1843 | ||
| |
William Draper William Henry Draper William Henry Draper was a lawyer, judge, and politician in Upper Canada later Canada West.-Personal life:... (Premier) (2nd time) |
 |
Denis-Benjamin Viger Denis-Benjamin Viger Denis-Benjamin Viger was a 19th century Lower Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, and Patriote movement member.Viger was part of the militia in the early 19th century and then a captain in the War of 1812... (Deputy) |
December 12, 1843 | June 17, 1846 |
 |
Denis-Benjamin Papineau Denis-Benjamin Papineau Denis-Benjamin Papineau was joint premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1846 to 1848. His joint premiers for Canada West during this period were William Henry Draper and Henry Sherwood.... (Deputy) |
June 17, 1846 | May 28, 1847 | ||
| Henry Sherwood Henry Sherwood Henry Sherwood, QC was a lawyer and Tory provincial politician, moved to municipal politics and was alderman of St. David's Ward when chosen as Toronto's 7th mayor from 1842 to 1844. Sherwood was appointed QC on 23 January 1838... (Premier) |
Denis-Benjamin Papineau Denis-Benjamin Papineau Denis-Benjamin Papineau was joint premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1846 to 1848. His joint premiers for Canada West during this period were William Henry Draper and Henry Sherwood.... (Deputy) |
May 28, 1847 | March 11, 1848 | ||
| Responsible government Responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy... |
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| |
Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government.... (Deputy) |
|
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , 1st Baronet, KCMG was the first Canadian to become Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible government in Canada. He was born in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1807... (Premier) (2nd time) |
March 11, 1848 | October 28, 1851 |
| Sir Francis Hincks Francis Hincks Sir Francis Hincks, KCMG, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of Thomas Dix Hincks an orientalist, naturalist and Presbyterian minister and the brother of Edward Hincks orientalist, naturalist and clergyman.He moved to York in 1832 and set up an importing business... (Premier) |
 |
Augustin-Norbert Morin Augustin-Norbert Morin Augustin-Norbert Morin was a lawyer, judgeBorn in Saint-Michel, Lower Canada, into a large Roman Catholic farming family, Morin was identified by the parish priest at a young age as a boy of exceptional talent and intelligence. The parish priest therefore arranged for his education at the... (Deputy) |
October 28, 1851 | September 11, 1854 | |
 |
Sir Allan Napier MacNab (Premier) |
Augustin-Norbert Morin Augustin-Norbert Morin Augustin-Norbert Morin was a lawyer, judgeBorn in Saint-Michel, Lower Canada, into a large Roman Catholic farming family, Morin was identified by the parish priest at a young age as a boy of exceptional talent and intelligence. The parish priest therefore arranged for his education at the... (Deputy) |
September 11, 1854 | January 27, 1855 | |
| Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché Étienne-Paschal Taché Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché was a Canadian doctor, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.Born in St. Thomas, Lower Canada, in 1795, the third son of Charles Taché and Geneviève Michon, Taché studied at the Séminaire de Québec until the War of 1812 when he joined the 5th battalion of the... (Deputy) |
January 27, 1855 | May 24, 1856 | |||
| Sir John A. Macdonald John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century... (Deputy) |
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché Étienne-Paschal Taché Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché was a Canadian doctor, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.Born in St. Thomas, Lower Canada, in 1795, the third son of Charles Taché and Geneviève Michon, Taché studied at the Séminaire de Québec until the War of 1812 when he joined the 5th battalion of the... (Premier) |
May 24, 1856 | November 26, 1857 | ||
| Sir John A. Macdonald John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century... (Premier) |
 |
Sir George-Étienne Cartier George-Étienne Cartier Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, PC was a French-Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation.The English spelling of the name, George, instead of Georges, the usual French spelling, is explained by his having been named in honour of King George III.... (Deputy) |
November 26, 1857 | August 2, 1858 | |
 |
George Brown George Brown (Canadian politician) George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation... (Premier) Clear Grit Party Clear Grits Clear Grits were reformers in the Province of Upper Canada, a British colony that is now the Province of Ontario, Canada. Their support was concentrated among southwestern Ontario farmers, who were frustrated and disillusioned by the 1849 Reform government of Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte... |
 |
Antoine-Aimé Dorion Antoine-Aimé Dorion Sir Antoine-Aimé Dorion, PC was a French Canadian politician and jurist.-Early years:He was born in Lower Canada in 1818, the son of Pierre-Antoine Dorion, a merchant and member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada who supported Louis-Joseph Papineau... (Deputy) Rouge Party Parti rouge The Parti rouge was formed in the Province of Quebec, around 1848 by radical French-Canadians inspired by the ideas of Louis-Joseph Papineau, the Institut canadien de Montréal, and the reformist movement led by the Parti patriote of the 1830s.The party was a successor to the Parti patriote... |
August 2, 1858 | August 6, 1858 |
| Sir John A. Macdonald John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century... (Deputy) |
|
Sir George-Étienne Cartier George-Étienne Cartier Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, PC was a French-Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation.The English spelling of the name, George, instead of Georges, the usual French spelling, is explained by his having been named in honour of King George III.... (Premier) |
August 6, 1858 | May 24, 1862 | |
 |
John Sandfield MacDonald John Sandfield Macdonald John Sandfield Macdonald, QC was the first Premier of the province of Ontario, one of the four founding provinces created at the confederation of Canada in 1867... (Premier) Liberal Party Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative... |
Louis-Victor Sicotte Louis-Victor Sicotte Louis-Victor Sicotte was a lawyer, judge and politician in Lower Canada.He was born Louis Cicot in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1812. He studied law and was called to the bar in 1839... (Deputy) Liberal Party Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative... |
May 24, 1862 | May 15, 1863 | |
| |
Antoine-Aimé Dorion Antoine-Aimé Dorion Sir Antoine-Aimé Dorion, PC was a French Canadian politician and jurist.-Early years:He was born in Lower Canada in 1818, the son of Pierre-Antoine Dorion, a merchant and member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada who supported Louis-Joseph Papineau... (Deputy) Liberal Party Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative... |
May 15, 1863 | May 30, 1864 | ||
| Sir John A. Macdonald John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century... (Deputy) Liberal-Conservative Party Liberal-Conservative Party The Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873... |
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché Étienne-Paschal Taché Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché was a Canadian doctor, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.Born in St. Thomas, Lower Canada, in 1795, the third son of Charles Taché and Geneviève Michon, Taché studied at the Séminaire de Québec until the War of 1812 when he joined the 5th battalion of the... (Premier) Liberal-Conservative Party Liberal-Conservative Party The Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873... (2nd time) |
May 30, 1864 | July 30, 1865 | ||
 |
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau, KCMG, QC was a Canadian politician, lawyer and businessman.He was born in Quebec City in 1808. He studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec and went on to article in law, receiving his license to practice in 1832. In 1835, he married Marie-Reine-Josephte, the daughter... (Premier) Liberal-Conservative Party Liberal-Conservative Party The Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Conservative candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 election and others ran as simple Conservatives prior to 1873... |
July 30, 1865 | June 30, 1867 | ||
Notes: