List of joint premiers of the Province of Canada facts for kids
The Province of Canada existed from 1841 until 1867, when it became part of Canada. During this time, the government was led by two people at once, called "joint premiers." One premier was usually from Canada West (now Ontario) and the other from Canada East (now Quebec).
After the first leader, Lord Sydenham, each team of premiers had one person officially called the Premier and the other called the Deputy. This unique system helped both parts of the province have a say in how things were run.
Understanding the Political Groups
To help you understand the leaders better, here's what the colours in the tables mean:
- Green – These leaders were part of groups called reformers, like the Reform Party or the Rouges Party. They wanted changes to how the government worked.
- Yellow – These leaders were conservatives. They often wanted to keep things more traditional. Groups like the Family Compact and Château Clique were examples of conservatives.
- Red – These leaders belonged to the Liberal Party or the Clear Grits. They generally supported more individual freedoms and less government control.
- Blue – These leaders were from the Liberal-Conservative Party or the Parti bleu. They tried to combine ideas from both liberals and conservatives.
Early Leaders: Before Responsible Government
Before 1848, the government wasn't fully "responsible." This meant that the leaders didn't always have to resign if they lost the support of the elected assembly. Here are the joint premiers during this period:
| Premier from Canada West | Premier from Canada East | Term of office | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1 of 2) |
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Premier William Draper (1801–1877) |
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| 2 |
 |
Deputy premier Charles Richard Ogden (1791–1866) |
12 January 1842 |
14 September 1842 |
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| 2 (1 of 2) |
 |
Deputy premier Robert Baldwin (1804–1858) |
3 (1 of 2) |
 |
Premier Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807–1864) |
26 September 1842 |
27 November 1843 |
| 3 |
 |
Acting premier Sir Dominick Daly (1789–1868) |
4 |
|
Acting premier Sir Dominick Daly (1789–1868) |
27 November 1843 |
12 December 1843 |
| 4 (2 of 2) |
|
Premier William Draper (1801–1877) |
5 |
 |
Deputy premier Denis-Benjamin Viger (1774–1861) |
12 December 1843 |
17 June 1846 |
| 6 | Deputy premier Denis-Benjamin Papineau (1789–1854) |
17 June 1846 |
27 May 1847 |
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| 5 |
 |
Premier Henry Sherwood (1807–1855) |
28 May 1847 |
7 December 1847 |
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| 5 continued |
|
Premier Henry Sherwood (1807–1855) |
vacant | 7 December 1847 |
10 March 1848 |
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Leaders After Responsible Government
In 1848, the Province of Canada gained "responsible government." This was a big change! It meant that the leaders (the premiers) now had to keep the support of the elected members of the assembly. If they lost that support, they had to resign. This made the government more accountable to the people.
Here are the joint premiers who served after this important change:
| Premier from Canada West | Premier from Canada East | Term of office | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (2 of 2) |
|
Deputy premier Robert Baldwin (1804–1858) |
7 (2 of 2) |
|
Premier Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807–1864) |
11 March 1848 |
28 October 1851 |
| 7 |
 |
Premier Sir Francis Hincks (1807–1885) |
8 |
 |
Deputy premier Augustin-Norbert Morin (1803–1865) |
28 October 1851 |
11 September 1854 |
| 8 |
 |
Premier Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798–1862) |
11 September 1854 |
27 January 1855 |
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| 9 (1 of 2) |
 |
Deputy premier (until 1856) / Premier Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (1795–1865) |
27 January 1855 |
24 May 1856 |
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| 9 (1 of 3) |
 |
Deputy premier (until 1857) / Premier Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891) |
24 May 1856 |
26 November 1857 |
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| 10 (1 of 2) |
 |
Deputy premier Sir George-Étienne Cartier (1814–1873) |
26 November 1857 |
2 August 1858 |
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| 10 |
 |
Premier George Brown (1818–1880) Clear Grit Party |
11 (1 of 2) |
 |
Deputy premier Antoine-Aimé Dorion (1818–1891) Rouge Party |
2 August 1858 |
6 August 1858 |
| 11 (2 of 3) |
|
Deputy premier Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891) |
12 (2 of 2) |
|
Premier Sir George-Étienne Cartier (1814–1873) |
6 August 1858 |
24 May 1862 |
| 12 |
 |
Premier John Sandfield MacDonald (1812–1872) |
13 |
 |
Deputy premier Louis-Victor Sicotte (1812–1889) |
24 May 1862 |
15 May 1863 |
| 14 (2 of 2) |
|
Deputy premier Antoine-Aimé Dorion (1818–1891) |
15 May 1863 |
30 May 1864 |
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| 13 (3 of 3) |
|
Deputy premier Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891) Liberal-Conservative Party |
15 (2 of 2) |
|
Premier Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (1795–1865) Liberal-Conservative Party |
30 May 1864 |
30 July 1865 |
| 16 |
 |
Premier Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau (1808–1894) Liberal-Conservative Party |
30 July 1865 |
30 June 1867 |
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