The BNA Act
Transcript of The BNA Act
Building A Nation
British North America Act: Canada’s Constitution
The BNA Act
• Canada became a country when the British Parliament passed the British North America Act
• This process was in sharp contrast to the United States, which had declared itself a nation, fought a revolution, defeated the British, and formulated its own rules
The BNA Act
• The BNA Act was based upon the Seventy-Two Resolutions agreed to at the Quebec Conference
• Because of this, most of the BNA Act was written by Canadians, in Canada, and it became the constitution of the new Dominion
• The result of intense negotiations between equal partners, the BNA Act is full of compromise
Division of Responsibilities
• The BNA Act defines the Canadian federation
• Canada has a federal, or national, government (the Parliament of Canada) and a government in each of the provinces
• Each level of government has different responsibilities
Federal Responsibility
Provincial Responsibility
Municipal Responsibility
BC and Confederation
• After the Cariboo Gold Rush went bust, most of the 35,000 prospectors that had arrived in BC left the colony
• This rapid loss of population and revenue had a disastrous effect on the economy and governments of Vancouver Island and British Columbia
• British Columbia suffered the greatest financial losses, especially considering the large amount of money it spent on the Cariboo Road
Gold Rush Bust
• After the Cariboo Gold Rush went bust, most of the 35,000 prospectors that had arrived in BC left the colony
• This rapid loss of population and revenue had a disastrous effect on the economy and governments of Vancouver Island and British Columbia
• British Columbia suffered the greatest financial losses, especially considering the large amount of money it spent on the Cariboo Road
Union of the Colonies
• Elected representatives of both colonies began to lobby their respective governors for a union of the two colonies
• By 1866, the colony of Vancouver Island had debts totaling $300,000, and BC’s debt topped $1 million
• In May 1866, both colonies learned their credit with local banks had run out
Union of the Colonies
• Britain agreed with the idea of a union, but was unwilling to provide financial subsidies to keep the colonies operating
• On August 6, 1866, the British government formally joined the two colonies together as British Columbia
• A new Legislative Council was established, with twenty-three members, only nine of which were elected
Union of the Colonies
• Union of the two colonies did not solve their economic problems
• The population continued to decline, and the money problems only got worse
• It became obvious a more permanent solution was needed
BC and Confederation
• Like other colonies outside central Canada, BC had concerns about Confederation
• One group strongly supported the idea, another strongly opposed it, and a third group, composed mostly of Victoria business people, favoured annexation by the United States
BC and Confederation
• The elected representatives from the mainland all supported Confederation
• They adopted a series of resolutions which they forwarded to the government of Canada
• They asked Canada to become liable for BC’s debt, and for the government to build a transcontinental railway to link to BC with the east
BC and Confederation
• At first defeated in the Legislative Assembly, these ideas would eventually form the basis of BC’s terms of Confederation
• In Victoria, U.S. annexation proved to have little support
• In 1868, Anthony Musgrave, a personal friend of John A. Macdonald, became the new governor of BC
• He worked to get BC to join Canada as quickly as possible
BC Joins Canada
• The Canadian government agreed to virtually all of BC’s terms, including a promise to start work on a railroad within two years, to be completed in ten years
• In early 1871, the Legislative Assembly met to vote on Canada’s offer
• It was accepted after Governor Musgrave promised a wholly elected Legislature after Confederation
BC Joins Canada
• With a promise of responsible government, the terms of Confederation were accepted unanimously
• On July 20, 1871, British Columbia joined Canada