Lester b pearson

Robert borden
Wilfrid laurier previous offices
Wilfrid laurier civ 6

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The Young Liberal: “Rouge and Separatist”

Wilfrid LAURIER was a lawyer and journalist. Liberal in politics, he was a member of the Rouge party and was initially opposed to Canadian confederation. Throughout his life, he surrounded himself with friends and advisers.

When free of the obligations of his public life, Wilfrid Laurier spent time in the company of friends such as Émilie BARTHE (Lavergne), a socialite with whom he shared his leisure time and in whom he confided:

“Émilie and Wilfrid had admired one another from 1876. They had the same literary interests, the same love of things English, the same desire to outdo themselves, and the same sensitivity. This mutual attraction grew into love and became the most celebrated liaison in Canadian political history. This woman, who would never have any official status, so captivated Laurier that at times, openly and with the full knowledge of their spouses, Zoé [Lafontaine] and Joseph [Lavergne], she was his confidante, go-between, and éminence grise.”

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Sir Wilfrid Laurier became Canada’s seventh prime minister in 1896, serving in that role until 1911, the longest unbroken term to date. He was a strong supporter of individual liberty and decentralized federalism. He left a complex legacy that holds a variety of meanings to those impacted by decisions made under his leadership.

As the first French-Canadian prime minister, Laurier was invested in compromise between Francophone and Anglophone nationalism. He is credited with promoting Western expansion, for supporting the construction of transcontinental railways, and for his statecraft in solidifying early Confederation — Alberta and Saskatchewan joined Confederation during his time as prime minister.

To Indigenous people, the expansion of white settlement in Western Canada meant policies of austerity and the expropriation of land. Four years after Laurier came to power, Treaty 8 was signed by the Crown and First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area. It was the largest treaty by area in Canada and promised annuities in exchange for the surrender of land, but issues a

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The Political Life of Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Rt. Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada from 1896-1911.
William James Topley / Library and Archives Canada / C-001971

Sir Wilfrid Laurier served as a member of Parliament for over forty years. He was the leader of the Liberal party from 1887 to 1919, and prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. His accomplishments were on such a scale that he is remembered today as one of Canada's greatest political leaders.

When Laurier became prime minister, he took over a country that had been politically adrift since the death of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891. Four prime ministers had followed Macdonald in quick succession. Generally lacking the political skills of the "Old Chieftain", they proved unable to cope with the issues of the day and to provide the leadership needed to build on his accomplishments. Laurier's arrival in the prime minister's office was like a breath of fresh air. Canada's first prime minister of Fre