View source for Wilfrid Laurier

{{Short description|Prime Minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911}}
{{Redirect|Laurier}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = Sir Wilfrid Laurier
| honorific_suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|GCMG|KC|size=100%}}
| image               = The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier Photo A (3x4 cropped).jpg
| caption             = Laurier in 1906
| order1              = 7th
| office1             = Prime Minister of Canada
| term_start1         = July 11, 1896
| term_end1           = October 6, 1911
| monarch1            = {{plainlist|
* [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
* [[Edward VII]]
* [[George V]]
}}
| governor_general1   = {{plainlist|
* [[John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair|The Earl of Aberdeen]]
* [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto|The Earl of Minto]]
* [[Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey|The Earl Grey]]
}}
| predecessor1        = [[Charles Tupper]]
| successor1          = [[Robert Borden]]
| office2             = [[Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada|Leader of the Liberal Party]]
| term_start2         = June 2, 1887
| term_end2           = February 17, 1919
| predecessor2        = [[Edward Blake]]
| successor2          = [[Daniel Duncan McKenzie]] (interim)
| office3             = [[Minister of National Revenue#Minister of Inland Revenue|Minister of Inland Revenue]]
| term_start3         = October 8, 1877
| term_end3           = October 8, 1878
| primeminister3      = [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]]
| predecessor3        = [[Joseph-Édouard Cauchon]]
| successor3          = [[Louis François Georges Baby]]
| riding4             = [[Quebec East]]
| parliament4         = Canadian
| term_start4         = November 11, 1877
| term_end4           = February 17, 1919
| predecessor4        = [[Isidore Thibaudeau]]
| successor4          = [[Ernest Lapointe]]
| riding5             = [[Drummond—Arthabaska]]
| parliament5         = Canadian
| term_start5         = January 22, 1874
| term_end5           = October 27, 1877
| predecessor5        = [[Pierre-Nérée Dorion]]
| successor5          = [[Désiré Olivier Bourbeau]]
| office6             = Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Quebec]] for [[Drummond-Arthabaska (provincial electoral district)|Drummond-Arthabaska]]
| term_start6         = July 1871
| term_end6           = January 22, 1874
| predecessor6        = [[Edward John Hemming]]
| successor6          = [[William John Watts]]
| birth_name          = Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1841|11|20}}
| birth_place         = [[Saint-Lin–Laurentides|Saint-Lin]], Canada East, [[United Province of Canada]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1919|2|17|1841|11|20}}
| death_place         = [[Ottawa]], Ontario, Canada
| restingplace        = [[Notre-Dame Cemetery (Ottawa)|Notre Dame Cemetery]], Ottawa, Ontario
| party               = [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
| otherparty          = [[Laurier Liberals|Laurier Liberal]] (1917–1919)
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Zoé Laurier|Zoé Lafontaine]]|1868}}
| education           = [[McGill University]] ([[Bachelor of Civil Law|LL.L.]], 1864)
| profession          = Lawyer
| signature           = Wilfrid Laurier Signature2.svg
<!--Military service-->| allegiance          = Canada
| branch              = [[Canadian Army|Canadian militia]]
| serviceyears        = 1869–1878
| rank                = [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]]<br>Lieutenant
| unit                = Arthabaskaville Infantry Company
| battles             = [[Fenian Raids]] (1870)
}}

'''Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɒr|i|eɪ}} {{respell|LORR|ee|ay}}; {{IPA|fr|wilfʁid loʁje|lang}}}} (November 20, 1841&nbsp;– February 17, 1919) was the seventh [[prime minister of Canada]] from 1896 to 1911. The first [[French Canadians|French Canadian]] prime minister, his 15-year tenure remains the longest uninterrupted term of office among Canadian prime ministers and his nearly 45 years of service in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] is a record for the House. Laurier is best known for his compromises between [[English Canada|English]] and French Canada.

Laurier studied law at [[McGill University]] and practised as a lawyer before being elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Quebec]] in [[1871 Quebec general election|1871]]. He was then elected as a [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|member of Parliament]] (MP) in the [[1874 Canadian federal election|1874 federal election]]. As an MP, Laurier gained a large personal following among French Canadians and the [[Québécois people|Québécois]]. He also came to be known as a great orator. After serving as [[Minister of National Revenue#Minister of Inland Revenue|minister of inland revenue]] under Prime Minister [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]] from 1877 to 1878, Laurier became leader of the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] in 1887, thus becoming [[leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|leader of the Official Opposition]]. He lost the [[1891 Canadian federal election|1891 federal election]] to Prime Minister [[John A. Macdonald]]'s [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservatives]]. However, controversy surrounding the Conservative government's handling of the [[Manitoba Schools Question]], which was triggered by the [[Manitoba]] government's elimination of funding for [[Catholic schools]], gave Laurier a victory in the [[1896 Canadian federal election|1896 federal election]]. He led the Liberal Party to three more consecutive [[majority governments]] in the [[1900 Canadian federal election|1900]], [[1904 Canadian federal election|1904]], and [[1908 Canadian federal election|1908]] federal elections.

As prime minister, Laurier resolved the Manitoba Schools Question by persuading the Manitoba government to permit Catholic students to receive a Catholic education on a school-by-school basis. While this compromise drew criticism from some French Canadians who viewed it as inadequate, it earned him the nickname "the Great Conciliator" for balancing the interests of French and English Canada. When [[United Kingdom|Britain]] requested Canadian troops to fight in the [[Second Boer War]] and financial contributions to the [[Royal Navy]], Laurier again pursued middle ground; English Canadians supported both requests, while French Canadians opposed them. Laurier's solution was to dispatch a [[volunteer military|volunteer force]] to fight in the Boer War. His government later enacted the ''[[Naval Service Act]]'' in 1910 to create [[Royal Canadian Navy|Canada's own navy]]. Laurier also presided over a period of demographic and territorial expansion. [[Immigration to Canada|Immigration]] levels rose significantly, the provinces of [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]] entered [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] in 1905, and the construction of two major [[transcontinental railway]] projects—the [[Grand Trunk Pacific]] and the [[National Transcontinental Railway|National Transcontinental]]—were initiated. Laurier's government also pursued policies aimed at promoting Canada's autonomy within the [[British Empire]], including by establishing the [[Global Affairs Canada|Department of External Affairs]].

Laurier's proposed [[Reciprocity (Canadian politics)|reciprocity]] agreement with the [[United States]] to lower tariffs became a main issue in the [[1911 Canadian federal election|1911 federal election]]. In that election, the Liberals were defeated by the Conservatives led by [[Robert Borden]], who took the position that the treaty would lead to the U.S. influencing Canadian identity. Despite his defeat, Laurier stayed on as Liberal leader and once again became leader of the Opposition. During [[World War I]] and the [[Conscription Crisis of 1917]], Laurier faced divisions within the Liberal Party as pro-[[conscription]] Liberals [[Liberal–Unionist|joined]] Borden's [[Unionist Party (Canada)|Unionist government]]. The anti-conscription faction of the Liberal Party, led by Laurier, became the [[Laurier Liberals]], though the group was heavily defeated by Borden's Unionists in the [[1917 Canadian federal election|1917 federal election]]. Laurier remained Opposition leader until his death in 1919. Laurier is [[Historical rankings of prime ministers of Canada|ranked]] among the top three of Canadian prime ministers. At 31 years and 8 months, Laurier is the longest-serving leader of a major Canadian political party. He is the fourth-longest serving prime minister of Canada, behind [[Pierre Trudeau]], [[John A. Macdonald]], and [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]].

==Early life (1841–1871)==
[[File:Laurier bedroom, Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec.jpg|thumb|left|Bedroom at Sir Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site, [[Saint-Lin-Laurentides]], Quebec]]

=== Childhood ===
The second child of Carolus Laurier and Marcelle Martineau, Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier was born in Saint-Lin, [[Canada East]] (modern-day [[Saint-Lin-Laurentides]], Quebec), on November 20, 1841. He was a sixth-generation [[French Canadian]], with partial [[Acadia]]n ancestry through his mother.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McArthur|first1=Peter |title=Sir Wilfrid Laurier |url=https://www.electriccanadian.com/makers/sirwilfridlaurie00mcar.pdf |access-date=September 6, 2025|page=179}}</ref> His ancestor François Cottineau, ''dit'' Champlaurier, came to Canada from [[Saint-Claud]], France. Laurier grew up in a family where politics was a staple of talk and debate. His father, an educated man having liberal ideas, enjoyed a certain degree of prestige about town. In addition to being a farmer and [[surveying|surveyor]], he also occupied such sought-after positions as mayor, [[justice of the peace]], militia lieutenant and [[school board]] member. At the age of 11, Wilfrid left home to study in [[New Glasgow, Quebec|New Glasgow]], a neighbouring village largely inhabited by immigrants from [[Scotland]]. Over the next two years, he familiarized himself with the mentality, language and culture of [[English Canada]], in addition to learning English. In 1854, Laurier attended the Collège de L'Assomption, an institution that staunchly followed [[Roman Catholicism]]. There, he started to develop an interest in politics, and began to endorse the ideology of [[Liberalism in Canada|liberalism]], despite the school being heavily [[Conservatism in Canada|conservative]].<ref name="WLbio">{{cite web |last1=Bélanger |first1=Réal |title=Wilfrid Laurier |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/laurier_wilfrid_14E.html |website=Dictionary of Canadian Biography |access-date=January 1, 2022}}</ref>

=== Political beginnings ===

In September 1861, Laurier began studying law at [[McGill University]]. There, he met [[Zoé Lafontaine]], who later became his wife. Laurier also discovered that he had chronic [[bronchitis]], an illness that stuck with him for the rest of his life. At McGill, Laurier joined the {{langr|fr|[[Parti rouge]]}}, or Red Party, which was a [[centre-left politics|centre-left]] political party that contested elections in Canada East. In 1864, Laurier graduated from McGill. Laurier continued being active within the {{langr|fr|Parti rouge}}, and from May 1864 to fall 1866, was vice president of the {{langr|fr|[[Institut canadien de Montréal]]}}, a literary society with ties to the Rouge. In August 1864, Laurier joined the Liberals of Lower Canada, an anti-[[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] group composed of both moderates and radicals. The group argued that Confederation would give too much power to the central, or federal government, and the group believed that Confederation would lead to discrimination towards French Canadians.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|title=Wilfrid Laurier|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-wilfrid-laurier|access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier in his student days, circa 1865 in the formatof a carte-de-visite (cropped).jpg|250px|thumb|right|Laurier in his student days]]
Laurier then practised law in [[Montreal]], though he initially struggled as a lawyer. He opened his first practice on October 27, 1864, but closed it within a month. He established his second office, but that closed within three months, due to a lack of clients. In March 1865, nearly bankrupt, Laurier established his third law firm, partnering with Médéric Lanctot, a lawyer and journalist who staunchly opposed Confederation. The two experienced some success, but in late 1866, Laurier was invited by fellow Rouge [[Antoine-Aimé Dorion]] to replace his recently deceased brother to became editor and run a newspaper, {{lang|fr|Le Défricheur}}.<ref name="WLbio" />

Laurier moved to [[Victoriaville]] and began writing and controlling the newspaper from January 1, 1867. Laurier saw this as an opportunity to express his strong anti-Confederation views; in one instance he wrote, "Confederation is the second stage on the road to ‘anglification’ mapped out by [[John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham|Lord Durham]]...We are being handed over to the English majority...[We must] use whatever influence we have left to demand and obtain a free and separate government." On March 21, {{lang|fr|Le Défricheur}} was forced to shut down, as a result of financial issues and opposition from the local [[clergy]]. On July 1, Confederation was officially proclaimed and recognized, a defeat for Laurier.<ref name="WLbio" />

Laurier decided to remain in Victoriaville. He slowly became well known across the town with a population of 730, and was even elected mayor not so long after he settled. In addition, he established a law practice which spanned for three decades and had four different partners. He made some money, but not enough to consider himself wealthy. During his period in Victoriaville, Laurier opted to accept Confederation and identify himself as a moderate liberal, as opposed to a radical liberal.<ref name="WLbio" /> 

In 1869, while living in Victoriaville, Laurier was appointed an ensign in the Arthabaskaville Infantry Company.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Blatherwick|first1=John|title=PRIME MINISTERS OF CANADA THEIR MILITARY CONNECTIONS, HONOURS and MEDALS |url=https://www.blatherwick.net/documents/Prime%20Ministers%20of%20Canada/40%20-%20Prime%20Ministers%20of%20Canada%20Military.pdf|website=National Defence Historical Department|access-date= April 4, 2023|language=en}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant in 1870, and from May to June was on active service at [[Saint-Hyacinthe]] during the second [[Fenian Raids|Fenian Raid]]. He continued to serve in the company until 1878, and in 1899 he was awarded the [[Canada General Service Medal]] for his service in 1870.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WgMOAAAAQAAJ&dq=wilfred+laurier+arthabaska+infantry+company&pg=RA9-PA19 |title=Canadian Army List: Independent Companies |last=Canadian Minister of Militia |date=1877 |website=Google Books |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=April 4, 2023 |quote=}}</ref>

==Early political career (1871–1887)==

===Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (1871–1874)===

A member of the [[Quebec Liberal Party]], Laurier was elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Quebec]] for the riding of [[Drummond-Arthabaska (provincial electoral district)|Drummond-Arthabaska]] in the [[1871 Quebec general election]], though the Liberal Party altogether suffered a landslide defeat. To win the provincial riding, Laurier campaigned on increasing funding for education, agriculture, and colonization. His career as a provincial politician was not noteworthy, and very few times did he make speeches in the legislature.<ref name="WLbio" />

===Member of Parliament (1874–1887)===

Laurier resigned from the provincial legislature to enter federal politics as a [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]. He was elected to the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] in the [[1874 Canadian federal election|January 22, 1874 election]], representing the riding of [[Drummond—Arthabaska]]. In this election, the Liberals led by [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]] heavily triumphed, as a result of the [[Pacific Scandal]] that was initiated by the [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative Party]] and the Conservative prime minister, [[John A. Macdonald]]. Laurier ran a simple campaign, denouncing Conservative corruption.<ref name="WLbio" />
[[File:Wilfrid Laurier, M.jpg|175px|thumb|right|Laurier in 1874]]

As a [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|member of Parliament]] (MP), Laurier's first mission was to build prominence by giving speeches in the House of Commons. He gained considerable attention when he delivered a speech on political liberalism on June 26, 1877, in front of about 2,000 people. He stated, "Liberal Catholicism is not political liberalism" and that the Liberal Party is not "a party composed of men holding perverse doctrines, with a dangerous tendency, and knowingly and deliberately progressing towards revolution." He also stated, "The policy of the Liberal party is to protect [our] institutions, to defend them and spread them, and, under the sway of those institutions, to develop the country’s latent resources. That is the policy of the Liberal party and it has no other." The speech helped Laurier become a leader of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party.<ref name="WLbio" />

From October 1877 to October 1878, Laurier served briefly in the [[Canadian Cabinet|Cabinet]] of Prime Minister Mackenzie as [[Minister of National Revenue#Minister of Inland Revenue|minister of inland revenue]]. However, his appointment triggered an October 27, 1877 [[ministerial by-election]]. In the by-election, he lost his seat in Drummond—Arthabaska. On November 11, he ran for the seat of [[Quebec East]], which he narrowly won. From November 11, 1877, to his death on February 17, 1919, Laurier's seat was Quebec East. Laurier won reelection for Quebec East in the [[1878 Canadian federal election|1878 federal election]], though the Liberals suffered a landslide defeat as a result of their mishandling of the [[Panic of 1873]]. Macdonald returned as prime minister.<ref name="WLbio" />

Laurier called on Mackenzie to resign as leader, not least because of his handling of the economy. Mackenzie resigned as Liberal leader in 1880 and was succeeded by [[Edward Blake]]. Laurier, along with others, founded the Quebec newspaper, ''L’Électeur'', to promote the Liberal Party. The Liberals were in opposition once again, and Laurier made use of that status, expressing his support for [[Laissez-faire|laissez-faire economics]] and provincial rights. The Liberals suffered a second consecutive defeat [[1882 Canadian federal election|in 1882]], with Macdonald winning his fourth term. Laurier continued to make speeches opposing the Conservative government's policies, though nothing notable came until 1885, when he spoke out against the execution of Métis leader [[Louis Riel]], to whom the Macdonald government refused to grant [[Royal prerogative of mercy#Canada|clemency]] after he led the [[North-West Rebellion]].<ref name="WLbio" />

==Leader of the Official Opposition (1887–1896)==

Edward Blake resigned as Liberal leader after leading them to back-to-back defeats in 1882 and [[1887 Canadian federal election|1887]]. Blake urged Laurier to run for leadership of the party. At first, Laurier refused as he was not keen to take such a powerful position, but later on accepted. After 13 and a half years, Laurier had already established his reputation. He was now a prominent politician who was known for leading the Quebec branch of the Liberal Party, known for defending French Canadian rights, and known for being a great orator who was a fierce parliamentary speaker. Over the next nine years, Laurier gradually built up his party's strength through his personal following both in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.<ref name="WLbio" />

[[File:Wilfrid Laurier 1890 - cropped (cropped).jpg|150px|thumb|right|Opposition Leader Laurier, 1890]]
In the [[1891 Canadian federal election|1891 federal election]], Laurier faced Conservative Prime Minister [[John A. Macdonald]]. Laurier campaigned in favour of [[reciprocity (Canadian politics)|reciprocity]], or [[free trade]], with the [[United States]], contrary to Macdonald's position on the matter, who claimed that reciprocity would lead to American annexation of Canada. On election day, March 5, the Liberals gained 10 seats. The Liberals also won a majority of seats in Quebec for the first time since the 1874 election. Prime Minister Macdonald won his fourth consecutive federal election victory. The day after, Blake denounced the Liberal trade policy.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Marsh |first1=James |title=Election 1891: A Question of Loyalty |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/election-1891-a-question-of-loyalty-feature |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=December 31, 2021 |date=February 1, 2011}}</ref>

Laurier remained disillusioned for some time after his defeat. Multiple times he suggested he resign as leader, though he was persuaded not to by other Liberals. Only in 1893 did Laurier become encouraged again. On June 20 and 21, 1893, Laurier convened a Liberal convention in Ottawa. The convention established that unrestricted reciprocity was intended to develop Canada's natural resources and that keeping a customs tariff was intended to generate revenue. Laurier subsequently undertook a series of speaking tours to campaign on the convention's results. Laurier visited [[Western Canada]] in September and October 1894, promising to relax the Conservatives' [[National Policy]], open the American market, and increase [[Immigration to Canada|immigration]].<ref name="WLbio" />

Macdonald died only three months after he defeated Laurier in the 1891 election. After Macdonald's death, the Conservatives went through a period of disorganization with four short-serving leaders. The fourth prime minister after Macdonald, [[Charles Tupper]], became prime minister in May 1896 after [[Mackenzie Bowell]] resigned as a result of a leadership crisis that was triggered by his attempts to offer a compromise for the [[Manitoba Schools Question]], a dispute which emerged after the provincial government ended funding for Catholic schools in 1890. Tupper faced Laurier in the [[1896 Canadian federal election|1896 federal election]], in which the schools dispute was a key issue. While Tupper supported overriding the provincial legislation to reinstate funding for the Catholic schools, Laurier was vague when giving his position on the matter, proposing an investigation of the issue first and then conciliation, a method he famously called, "sunny ways". On June 23, Laurier led the Liberals to their first victory in 22 years, despite losing the popular vote. Laurier's win was made possible by his sweep in Quebec.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Azzi |first1=Stephen |title=Election of 1896 |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/election-1896-feature |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=December 31, 2021 |date=June 20, 2013}}</ref>

==Prime Minister (1896–1911)==
[[File:Sir Wilfrid Laurier c. 1897.jpg|250x250px|thumb|right|Laurier, 1897]]

===Domestic policy===

====Manitoba Schools Question====

One of Laurier's first acts as prime minister was to implement a solution to the Manitoba Schools Question, which had helped to bring down the Conservative government of Charles Tupper earlier in 1896. The Manitoba legislature had passed a law eliminating public funding for Catholic schooling. Supporters of Catholic schools argued that the new statute was contrary to the provisions of the [[Manitoba Act, 1870]], which had a provision relating to school funding, but the courts rejected that argument and held that the new statute was constitutional.<ref>''City of Winnipeg v Barrett'', [1892] AC 445 (PC).</ref> The Catholic minority in Manitoba then asked the federal government for support, and eventually, the Conservatives proposed remedial legislation to override Manitoba's legislation. Laurier opposed the remedial legislation on the basis of provincial rights and succeeded in blocking its passage by Parliament. Once elected, Laurier reached a compromise with the provincial premier, [[Thomas Greenway]]. Known as the Laurier-Greenway Compromise, the agreement did not allow separate Catholic schools to be re-established. However, religious instruction (Catholic education) would take place for 30 minutes at the end of each day, if requested by the parents of 10 children in rural areas or 25 in urban areas. Catholic teachers were allowed to be hired in the schools as long as there were at least 40 Catholic students in urban areas or 25 Catholic students in rural areas, and teachers could speak in French (or any other minority language) as long as there were enough Francophone students. This was seen by many as the best possible solution in the circumstances, however, some French Canadians criticized this move as it was done on an individual basis, and did not protect Catholic or French rights in all schools. Laurier called his effort to lessen the tinder in this issue "sunny ways" ({{langx|fr|link=no|voies ensoleillées}}).<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ns-prof-trudeau-sunny-ways-1.3280693|title=Justin Trudeau's 'sunny ways' a nod to Sir Wilfrid Laurier|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dawson |first1=Joanna |title=Controversy and Compromise over the Manitoba Schools Question |url=https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/politics-law/controversy-and-compromise-over-the-manitoba-schools-question |website=Canada's History |access-date=January 3, 2022 |date=October 3, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

====Railway construction====

Laurier's government introduced and initiated the idea of constructing a second [[transcontinental railway]], the [[Grand Trunk Pacific Railway]]. The first transcontinental railway, the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]], had limitations and was not able to meet everyone's needs. In [[Western Canada|the West]], the railway was not able to transport everything produced by farmers and in [[Eastern Canada|the East]], the railway did not reach into [[Northern Ontario]] and [[Northern Quebec]]. Laurier was in favour of a transcontinental line built entirely on Canadian land by private enterprise.<ref name="WLbio" />
[[File:Laurier automobile2.png|right|thumb|Laurier (middle) on a chauffeur-driven automobile]]

Laurier's government also constructed a third railway: the [[National Transcontinental Railway]]. It was made to provide Western Canada with direct rail connection to the [[Atlantic Canada|Atlantic]] ports and to open up and develop Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. Laurier believed that competition between the three railways would force one of the three, the Canadian Pacific Railway, to lower [[freight rate]]s and thus please Western shippers who would contribute to the competition between the railways. Laurier initially reached out to [[Grand Trunk Railway]] and [[Canadian Northern Railway]] to build the National Transcontinental railway, but after disagreements emerged between the two companies, Laurier's government opted to build part of the railway itself. However, Laurier's government soon struck a deal with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company (subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway Company) to build the western section (from [[Winnipeg]] to the Pacific Ocean) while the government would build the eastern section (from Winnipeg to [[Moncton]]). Once completed, Laurier's government would hand over the railway to the company for operation. Laurier's government gained criticism from the public due to the heavy cost to construct the railway.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Regehr |first1=T.D. |title=National Transcontinental Railway |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/national-transcontinental-railway |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=February 22, 2022 |date=February 7, 2006}}</ref>

====Provincial and territorial boundaries====

On September 1, 1905, through the ''[[Alberta Act]]'' and the ''[[Saskatchewan Act]]'', Laurier oversaw [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]]'s entry into [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]], the last two provinces to be created out of the [[Northwest Territories]]. Laurier decided to create two provinces, arguing that one large province would be too difficult to govern.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tattrie |first1=Jon |author-link=Jon Tattrie |title=Alberta and Confederation |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alberta-and-confederation |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=December 30, 2021 |date=November 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>Library and Archives Canada. [http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-3020-e.html Canadian Confederation: Alberta and Saskatchewan Entered Confederation: 1905]. Retrieved December 14, 2011.</ref> This followed the enactment of the ''Yukon Territory Act'' by the Laurier Government in 1898, separating the [[Yukon]] from the Northwest Territories.<ref>Government of Yukon. [http://www.gov.yk.ca/aboutyukon/history.html Yukon Historical Timeline (1886–1906)]. Retrieved December 14, 2011.</ref> Also in 1898, Quebec was enlarged through the [[Quebec Boundary Extension Act, 1898|''Quebec Boundary Extension Act'']].<ref>{{cite web|first=Jill|last=Wherrett|date=February 1996|title=ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND THE 1995 QUEBEC REFERENDUM: A SURVEY OF THE ISSUES|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp412-e.htm#B|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613195221/http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp412-e.htm#B|archivedate=June 13, 2006}}</ref>

====Immigration====

Laurier's government dramatically increased immigration to grow the economy. Between 1897 and 1914, at least a million immigrants arrived in Canada, and Canada's population increased by 40 percent. Laurier's immigration policy targeted the [[Prairies]] as he argued that it would increase farming production and benefit the [[Agriculture in Canada|agriculture industry]].<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Great Period of Immigration in Canada |url=https://wilfridlaurier175.ca/grande_periode_d_immigration_au_canada-great_period_of_immigration_in_canada-eng |website=Wilfrid Laurier 175 |date= October 2016|access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref>

The British Columbia electorate was alarmed at the arrival of people they considered "uncivilized" by Canadian standards, and adopted a whites-only policy. Although railways and large companies wanted to hire Asians, labour unions and the public at large stood opposed.<ref>Vic Satzewich, "Racisms: The reactions to Chinese migrants in Canada at the turn of the century." ''International Sociology'' 4.3 (1989): 311-327.</ref>  Both major parties went along with public opinion, with Laurier taking the lead.<ref>Donald Avery, and Peter Neary, "Laurier, Borden and a White British Columbia." ''Journal of Canadian Studies'' 12.4 (1977): 24-34.</ref> Scholars have argued that Laurier acted in terms of his racist views in restricting immigration from China and India, as shown by his support for the Chinese [[Head tax (Canada)|head tax]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book|author=Christopher G. Anderson|title=Canadian Liberalism and the Politics of Border Control, 1867-1967|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0JvcC2gPVioC&pg=PA79|year=2012|publisher=UBC Press|page=79|isbn=9780774823944}}</ref> In 1900, Laurier raised the Chinese head tax to $100.  In 1903, this was further raised to $500,<ref>{{cite web |title = The Chinese Immigration Act, 1885 |url = http://www.pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/the-chinese-immigration-act-1885|website = Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21|access-date = October 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>Lily Cho, "Rereading Chinese head tax racism: redress, stereotype, and antiracist critical practice" ''Essays on Canadian Writing'' (Issue #75. Winter 2002) pp: 62-84.</ref> but when a few Chinese did pay the $500, he proposed raising the sum to $1,000.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sam P. S. Ho|author2=Ralph William Huenemann|title=China's Open Door Policy: The Quest for Foreign Technology and Capital : a Study of China's Special Trade|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=46MBkFDCC_0C&pg=PA54|year=1984|publisher=UBC Press|page=54|isbn=9780774801973}}</ref> This was not the first time Laurier showed racially charged action, and over the course of his time as a politician, he had a history of racist views and actions.<ref>{{cite web |first=Andray |last=Domise |url=https://www.macleans.ca/politics/is-racism-a-canadian-value/|title=Is racism a Canadian value? |website=- Macleans |date=5 October 2016 |access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Alan |last=Freeman |date=August 28, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/28/as-america-debates-confederate-monuments-canada-faces-its-own-historical-controversy/|title=As America debates Confederate monuments, Canada faces its own historical controversy|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref> In 1886, Laurier told the House of Commons that it was moral for Canada to take lands from “savage nations” so long as the government paid adequate compensation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/sure-john-a-macdonald-was-was-a-racist-colonizer-and-misogynist-but-so-were-most-canadians-back-then|title=Sure, John A. Macdonald was a racist, colonizer and misogynist — but so were most Canadians back then |last1=Hopper |first1=Tristin |newspaper=National Post |date=January 10, 2015|language=en-CA|access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref> Laurier also negotiated a limit to Japanese immigration into Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who was Sir Wilfrid Laurier?  |url=https://www.wlu.ca/about/assets/resources/sir-wilfrid-laurier.html |access-date=December 6, 2022 |website=Wilfrid Laurier University}}</ref>

In August 1911, Laurier approved the [[Order-in-Council P.C. 1911-1324]] recommended by the [[Minister of the Interior (Canada)|minister of the interior]], [[Frank Oliver (politician)|Frank Oliver]]. The order was approved by the cabinet on August 12, 1911. The order was intended to keep out Black Americans escaping segregation in the American south, stating that "the Negro race...is deemed unsuitable to the climate and requirements of Canada." The order was never called upon, as efforts by immigration officials had already reduced the number of Blacks migrating to Canada. The order was cancelled on October 5, 1911, the day before Laurier left office, by cabinet claiming that the minister of the interior was not present at the time of approval.<ref name=ce>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/order-in-council-pc-1911-1324-the-proposed-ban-on-black-immigration-to-canada|title=The proposed ban on black immigration to Canada. Order-in-Council P. C. 1911-1324|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:SirAndLadyLaurier.jpg|right|thumb|Sir Wilfrid Laurier with [[Zoé Laurier|Zoé, Lady Laurier]], in 1907]]

==== Social policy ====

In March 1906, Laurier's government introduced the ''Lord's Day Act'' after being persuaded by the Lord's Day Alliance. The act became effective on March 1, 1907. It prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays; it also restricted Sunday trade, labour, recreation, and newspapers. The act was supported by organized labour and the French Canadian Catholic hierarchy but was opposed by those who worked in the manufacturing and transportation sectors. It was also opposed by French Canadians due to them believing the federal government was interfering in a provincial matter; the Quebec government passed its own ''Lord’s Day Act'' that came into effect one day before the federal act did.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Meen |first1=Sharon |title=Lord's Day Alliance of Canada |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lords-day-alliance-of-canada |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=October 3, 2022 |date=February 7, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wakeling |first1=Thomas |title=Sunday Shopping |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sunday-shopping#:~:text=The%20federal%20Lord%27s%20Day%20Act,the%20reign%20of%20Charles%20I. |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=October 3, 2022 |date=January 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gray |first1=John |title=They're Fighting To Save What's Left of Sunday |url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1955/2/15/theyre-fighting-to-save-whats-left-of-sunday |website=Maclean's |access-date=October 3, 2022 |date=February 15, 1955 |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003045302/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1955/2/15/theyre-fighting-to-save-whats-left-of-sunday |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1907, Laurier's government passed the ''Industrial Disputes Investigation Act'', which mandated conciliation for employers and workers before any strike in public utilities or mines, but did not make it necessary for the groups to accept the conciliators’ report.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Marks |first1=Marcus |title=The Canadian Industrial Disputes Act |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1012115 |journal=The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |year=1912 |volume=44 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1177/000271621204400102 |jstor=1012115 |s2cid=143916430 |access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref>

In 1908, a system was introduced where by annuities may be purchased from the government, the aim of which was to encourage voluntary provision for old age.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=odhq8dFuWiIC&dq=canadian+government+annuities+act+1908&pg=PA70 Monthly Labor Review Volume 48, Issue 1 1939, P.70]</ref>

===Foreign policy===
[[File:1902 Colonial Conference.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Laurier (seated third from the left) at the [[1902 Colonial Conference]]]]

====United Kingdom====

On June 22, 1897, Laurier attended the [[Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria]], which was the 60th anniversary of her accession. There, he was knighted, and was given several honours, honorary degrees, and medals.<ref name="WLbio" /> Laurier again visited the United Kingdom in 1902, taking part in the [[1902 Colonial Conference]] and the [[Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra|coronation]] of King [[Edward VII]] on August 9, 1902. Laurier also took part in the [[1907 Imperial Conference|1907]] and [[1911 Imperial Conference|1911]] Imperial Conferences.<ref name="WLBritannica">{{cite web |last1=Monet |first1=Jacques |title=Wilfrid Laurier |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilfrid-Laurier |website=Britannica |access-date=January 30, 2022}}</ref>

In 1899, the British government requested Canadian troops to serve in the [[Second Boer War]]. Laurier was caught between demands for support for military action from English Canada and a strong opposition from French Canada. Laurier eventually decided to send a volunteer force, rather than the [[Canadian Militia]] as expected by Britain. Roughly 7,000 Canadian soldiers served in the force. Outspoken [[Quebec nationalism|French Canadian nationalist]] and Liberal MP [[Henri Bourassa]] was an especially vocal opponent of any form of Canadian participation in the Boer War and thus resigned from the Liberal caucus in October 1899.<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=The Boer War |url=https://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP11CH2PA3LE.html |website=CBC |access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Levitt |first1=Joseph |title=Henri Bourassa |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/henri-bourassa |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=January 2, 2022 |date=January 16, 2008}}</ref>

On June 1, 1909, Laurier's government established the [[Global Affairs Canada|Department of External Affairs]] for Canada to take greater control of its foreign policy.<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Global Affairs Canada throughout the decades |url=https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/history-histoire/throughout-decades_cours-decennies.aspx?lang=eng |website=Government of Canada |date= September 12, 2018|access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref>

The [[Anglo-German naval arms race]] escalated in the early years of the 20th century. The British government requested financial and material resources to assist in expanding the [[Royal Navy]], precipitating a heated political division in Canada. Many English Canadians wished to send as much as possible; many French Canadians and those against wished to send nothing. Aiming for compromise, Laurier advanced the ''[[Naval Service Act]]'' of 1910 which created the [[Royal Canadian Navy]]. The navy would initially consist of five [[cruiser]]s and six [[destroyer]]s; in times of crisis, it could be made subordinate to the British navy. However, the idea faced opposition in both English and French Canada, especially in Quebec where Bourassa organized an anti-Laurier force.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|title=Wilfrid Laurier|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-wilfrid-laurier|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref>

====Alaska boundary dispute====

In 1897 and 1898, the [[Alaska]]-Canada border emerged as a pressing issue. The [[Klondike Gold Rush]] prompted Laurier to demand an all-Canadian route from the gold fields to a seaport. The region being a desirable place with lots of gold furthered Laurier's ambition of fixing an exact boundary. Laurier also wanted to establish who owned the [[Lynn Canal]] and who controlled maritime access to the Yukon. Laurier and US President [[William McKinley]] agreed to set up a joint Anglo-American commission that would study the differences and resolve [[Alaska boundary dispute|the dispute]]. However, this commission was unsuccessful and came to an abrupt end on February 20, 1899.<ref name="WLbio" />

The dispute was then referred to an international judicial commission in 1903, which included three American politicians ([[Elihu Root]], [[Henry Cabot Lodge]], and [[George Turner (American politician)|George Turner]]), two Canadians ([[Allen Bristol Aylesworth]] and [[Louis-Amable Jetté]]) and one Briton ([[Lord Alverstone]], [[Lord Chief Justice of England]]). On October 20, 1903, the commission by a majority (Root, Lodge, Turner, and Alverstone) ruled to support the American government's claims. Canada only acquired two islands below the [[Portland Canal]]. The decision provoked a wave of anti-American and anti-British sentiment in Canada, which Laurier temporarily encouraged.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Farr |first1=D.M.L. |last2=Block |first2=Niko |title=Alaska Boundary Dispute |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/alaska-boundary-dispute |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=October 2, 2022 |date=February 6, 2006}}</ref>

====Tariffs and trade====

Though supportive of [[free trade]] with the United States, Laurier did not pursue the idea because the American government refused to discuss the issue. Instead, he implemented a Liberal version of the Conservatives' nationalist and protectionist [[National Policy]] by maintaining high tariffs on goods from other countries that restricted Canadian goods. However, he lowered tariffs to the same level as countries that admitted Canadian goods.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Francis, Jones & Smith|title=Destinies: Canadian History Since Confederation, Sixth Edition|year=2008|publisher=Nelson Education|pages=60}}</ref>

In 1897, Laurier's government impelemented a preferential reduction of a tariff rate of 12.5 percent for countries that imported Canadian goods at a rate equivalent to the minimum Canadian charge; rates for countries that imposed a protective duty against Canada remained the same. For the most part, the policy was supported by those for free trade (due to the preferential reduction) and those against free trade (due to elements of the National Policy remaining in place).<ref name="WLbio" />

Laurier's government again reformed tariffs in 1907. His government introduced a "three-column tariff", which added a new intermediate rate (a bargaining rate) alongside the existing British preferential rate and the general rate (which applied to all countries that Canada had no most-favoured-nation agreement with). The preferential and general rates remained unchanged, while the intermediate rates were slightly lower than the general rates.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=K.W. |title=History of Tariffs in Canada |url=http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/TariffsCanada.htm |website=Marianopolis College |access-date=October 5, 2022}}</ref>

Also in 1907, Laurier's [[Minister of Finance (Canada)|minister of finance]], [[William Stevens Fielding]], and [[Ministers of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard|minister of marine and fisheries]], [[Louis-Philippe Brodeur]], negotiated a trade agreement with France which lowered import duties on some goods. In 1909, Fielding negotiated an agreement to promote trade with the [[British West Indies]].<ref name="Fielding">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Carman |title=FIELDING, WILLIAM STEVENS |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/fielding_william_stevens_15E.html |website=Dictionary of Canadian Biography |access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Castonguay |first1=René |title=BRODEUR, LOUIS-PHILIPPE (baptized Louis-Joseph-Alexandre; Philippe) |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/brodeur_louis_philippe_15E.html |website=Dictionary of Canadian Biography |access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref>

=== Election victories ===
Laurier led the Liberal party to three re-elections in [[1900 Canadian federal election|1900]], [[1904 Canadian federal election|1904]], and [[1908 Canadian federal election|1908]]. In the 1900 and 1904 elections, the Liberals' popular vote and seat share increased whereas in the 1908 election, the party's popular vote and seat share went down slightly.
[[File:Sir Wilfrid Laurier durant son dernier voyage dans l'Ouest canadien.jpg|175px|thumb|right|Laurier, towards the end of his tenure]]

==== Quebec stronghold ====
By the late 1800s, Laurier built up Quebec as a base for the Liberal Party. Quebec had been a Conservative stronghold for decades due to the province's [[social conservatism]] and to the influence of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], which distrusted the Liberals' [[anti-clericalism]]. The growing alienation of [[French Canadians]] from the Conservative Party due to its links with anti-French, anti-Catholic [[Orange Institution|Orangemen]] in English Canada aided the Liberal Party.<ref>{{lang|fr|italic=unset|Pierre-Luc Bégin, ''Loyalisme et fanatisme: petite histoire du mouvement orangiste canadien'', Québec: Éditions du Québécois, 2008.}}
</ref> After the collapse of the [[Conservative Party of Quebec (historical)|Conservative Party of Quebec]], Laurier built a stronghold in French Canada and among Catholics across Canada. 

However, Catholic priests in Quebec repeatedly warned their parishioners not to vote for Liberals. Their slogan was "{{lang|fr|le ciel est bleu, l'enfer est rouge}}" ("heaven is blue, hell is red", referring to the Conservative and Liberal parties' traditional colours).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bernier Arcand |first=Philippe |date=2018 |title=Bleu, histoire d'une couleur politique |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/hq/2018-v23-n4-hq03653/88141ac/ |journal=Histoire Québec |language=fr |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=15–17 |issn=1201-4710}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=LaPierre |first=Laurier |title=Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Romance of Canada |year=1996 |publisher=Stoddart |isbn=978-0-7737-2979-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/sirwilfridlaurie0000lapi/page/75 75] |url=https://archive.org/details/sirwilfridlaurie0000lapi/page/75 }}</ref>

===Reciprocity and defeat===
In 1911, controversy arose regarding Laurier's support of trade [[reciprocity (Canadian politics)|reciprocity]] with the United States. His long-serving minister of finance, [[William Stevens Fielding]], reached an agreement allowing for the free trade of natural products. The agreement would also lower [[tariff]]s. This had the strong support of agricultural interests, particularly in Western Canada, but it alienated many businessmen who formed a significant part of the Liberal base, many whom shifted their support to the [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservatives]].<ref>{{cite web |title=How freer trade with the U.S. lost the Liberals the 1911 federal election |url=https://www.tvo.org/article/how-freer-trade-with-the-us-lost-the-liberals-the-1911-federal-election |publisher=TVO |access-date=16 September 2025}}</ref> Official Opposition leader [[Robert Laird Borden]] and the Conservatives denounced the deal and played on long-standing fears that reciprocity could eventually lead to weakened ties with Britain and a Canadian economy dominated by the United States. They also campaigned on fears that this would lead to the Canadian identity being taken away by the US and the American annexation of Canada.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|title=Wilfrid Laurier|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-wilfrid-laurier|access-date=January 31, 2022}}</ref>

Laurier's government was unable to pass the reciprocity agreement due to an unruly caucus within the House of Commons, led by vocal disapproval from Liberal MP [[Clifford Sifton]]. Laurier called [[1911 Canadian federal election|an election]] to settle the issue of reciprocity. The Conservatives were victorious and the Liberals lost over a third of their seats. The Conservatives' leader, Borden, succeeded Laurier as prime minister. Over 15 consecutive years of Liberal rule ended.<ref name="WLbio" />

==Opposition and war (1911–1919)==
[[File:Affiche électorale de Wilfrid Laurier.jpg|200px|thumbnail|left|Election flyer for Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberal Party in the [[1908 Canadian federal election|1908 federal election]]]]

Laurier stayed on as Liberal leader. In December 1912, he started leading the filibuster and fight against the Conservatives' [[Naval Aid Bill]], which would have allocated $35 million to be sent to assist the Royal Navy. The Conservative plan was at least three times more costly than the Liberal plan to construct a Canadian-operated fleet, and would reap no benefits to Canadian industries whatsoever. Laurier argued that the bill threatened Canada's autonomy, and after six months of battling it, the bill was blocked by the Liberal-controlled [[Senate of Canada|Senate]].<ref name="WLbio" />

Laurier led the opposition during [[World War I]]. He supported sending a volunteer force to fight in the war, arguing that an intense campaign for volunteers would produce enough troops. Borden initially had a volunteer military system in place, but when applications started to decline, he imposed [[conscription]] in the summer of 1917, which led to the [[Conscription Crisis of 1917]]. Laurier was an influential opponent of [[conscription]], and his position on the matter was applauded by French Canadians, who were generally anti-conscription. Pro-conscription Liberals, particularly from English Canada, joined Borden as [[Liberal-Unionist]]s to form the [[Unionist Party (Canada)|Union government]]. Laurier refused to join the Unionist Party, and instead created the "[[Laurier Liberals]]", a party composed of Liberals opposed to conscription. Laurier also rejected Prime Minister Borden's proposal to form a [[coalition government]] composed of both Conservatives and Liberals, arguing that there would be no "real" opposition to the government. He also argued that if the Liberals joined, Quebec would feel alienated and would lead to the province being heavily influenced by outspoken French-Canadian nationalist [[Henri Bourassa]], and what Laurier called Bourassa's "dangerous nationalism" which might lead to Quebec seceding from Canada.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/quebec-nationalism-and-anti-militarism-legacy-of-conscription-crisis-historians/|title=Quebec nationalism and anti-militarism legacy of conscription crisis: historians|last=Valiante|first=Giuseppe|date=April 19, 2017|work=CTVNews|access-date=January 2, 2022|language=en-CA}}</ref>

In the [[1917 Canadian federal election|1917 election]], the Laurier Liberals were reduced to a mostly French Canadian [[rump party|rump]]. Laurier swept Quebec, winning 62 out of 65 of the province's seats, not least due to the French Canadians' overwhelming respect and support for Laurier as a result of his opposition to conscription.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref name="Wilfrid Laurier">{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|title=Wilfrid Laurier|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-wilfrid-laurier|access-date=January 2, 2022}}</ref>

The Conscription Crisis once again revealed the divisions between French Canadians and English Canadians. Most English Canadians favoured conscription as they believed this would strengthen ties with Britain, whereas most French Canadians opposed conscription as they wanted nothing to do with the war. Laurier was now seen as a "traitor" to English Canadians and English Canadian Liberals, whereas he was seen as a "hero" for French Canadians. Laurier's protégé and successor as party leader, [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]], unified the English and French factions of the Liberal Party, leading it to victory over the Conservatives in the [[1921 Canadian federal election|1921 federal election]].<ref name="WLbio" />

After the election, Laurier still stayed on as Liberal and Opposition leader. When World War I came to an end on November 11, 1918, he focused on his efforts to rebuild and reunify the Liberal Party.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref name="Wilfrid Laurier"/>

==Death==
[[File:State Funeral Of The Late Right Honourable Sir Wilfred Laurier, Feb. 22nd 1919.webm|thumb|Laurier's state funeral.]]
Laurier died of a stroke on February 17, 1919, while still in office as leader of the Opposition. Though he had lost a bitter election two years earlier, he was loved nationwide for his "warm smile, his sense of style, and his "sunny ways"."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/12886/|title=CBC Archives}}</ref> 50,000 to 100,000 people jammed the streets of Ottawa as his funeral procession marched to his final resting place at [[Notre-Dame Cemetery (Ottawa)|Notre-Dame Cemetery]].<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Oosterom |first1=Nelle |title=Laurier's Sunny Ways |url=https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/prime-ministers/laurier-s-sunny-ways |website=Canada's History |access-date=January 2, 2022 |date=November 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Thousands Mourn Laurier. Eulogies in French and English at Funeral of Ex-Premier |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0DE0D81139E13ABC4B51DFB4668382609EDE&legacy=true |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 23, 1919 }}</ref> His remains were eventually placed in a stone sarcophagus, adorned by sculptures of nine mourning female figures, representing each of the provinces in the union. His wife, [[Zoé Laurier]], died on November 1, 1921, and was placed in the same tomb.

Laurier [[1919 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|was permanently succeeded as Liberal leader]] by his former [[Minister of Labour (Canada)|minister of labour]], [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]]. King narrowly defeated Laurier's former [[Minister of Finance (Canada)|minister of finance]], [[William Stevens Fielding]]. According to Zoé, Fielding was Laurier's choice for next leader; Laurier believed Fielding had the best chance to restore unity in the party.<ref name="Fielding" />

==Personal life==
[[File:Lady Laurier photo by William James Topley (cropped).jpg|150px|thumb|left|Zoé, Lady Laurier]]
Wilfrid Laurier married [[Zoé Lafontaine]] in Montreal on May 13, 1868. She was the daughter of G.N.R. Lafontaine and his first wife, Zoé Tessier known as Zoé Lavigne. Laurier's wife Zoé was born in Montreal and educated there at the School of the Bon Pasteur, and at the Convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, St. Vincent de Paul. The couple lived at Arthabaskaville until they moved to Ottawa in 1896. She was one of the vice presidents on the formation of the National Council of Women and was honorary vice president of the [[Victorian Order of Nurses]].<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Morgan |editor-first=Henry James |editor-link=Henry James Morgan |title=Types of Canadian Women and of Women who are or have been Connected with Canada |location=Toronto |publisher=Williams Briggs |date=1903 |url=https://archive.org/details/typesofcanadianw01morguoft |page=[https://archive.org/details/typesofcanadianw01morguoft/page/195 195]}}</ref> The couple had no children.

Beginning in 1878 and for some twenty years while married to Zoé, Laurier had an "ambiguous relationship" with a married woman, [[Émilie Lavergne|Émilie Barthe]].<ref>[http://www.macdonald-laurier.ca/en/answers/ Réal Bélanger, Macdonald and Laurier Days] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425235908/http://www.macdonald-laurier.ca/en/answers/ |date=April 25, 2012 }}</ref> Zoé was not an intellectual; Émilie was, and relished literature and politics like Wilfrid, whose heart she won. Rumour had it he fathered a son, [[Armand Lavergne]], with her, yet Zoé remained with him until his death.<ref name="WLbio" />[[File:Laurier monument Feb 2005.jpg|175px|thumb|right|Laurier's elaborate tomb near the front gates of Ottawa's [[Notre-Dame Cemetery (Ottawa)]].]]

==Legacy==

Overall, Laurier's efforts to remain neutral between English Canadians and French Canadians, and his efforts to seek a middle ground between the two ethnic groups have paved the way for him to be [[historical rankings of prime ministers of Canada|ranked]] among the top three of Canadian prime ministers. Despite being a French Canadian, he did not fully accept the French Canadian demands of repealing Manitoba's ban on public funding for Catholic schools nor did he fully accept their demands of refusing to send any Canadian troop to fight in the Boer War. Nonetheless, in all seven elections he fought, the majority of Quebec's ridings were handed over to his Liberal Party. Despite one notable exception in [[1958 Canadian federal election|1958]], the Liberal Party continued to dominate federal politics in Quebec until [[1984 Canadian federal election|1984]].

Historian [[Jacques Monet]] wrote, "To his faithful followers, especially in Quebec, where his surname is used as a first name by many other Canadians, Laurier is a charismatic hero whose term of office was a happy time in Canadian history. He worked all his life for cooperation between French- and English-speaking Canadians while he strove to keep Canada as independent as possible from Britain. His personal charm and dignity, his great skill as an orator, and his great gifts of intellect won the admiration of all Canadians and non-Canadians alike."<ref name="WLBritannica" />

According to historians [[Norman Hillmer]] and Stephen Azzi, a 2011 poll of 117 historians and experts voted Laurier as the "best" Canadian prime minister, ahead of [[John A. Macdonald]] and [[William Lyon Mackenzie King|Mackenzie King]]. Laurier was ranked Number 3 of the Prime Ministers of Canada (out of the 20 through [[Jean Chrétien]]) in the survey by Canadian historians included in ''Prime Ministers: Ranking Canada's Leaders'' by [[J.L. Granatstein]] and Norman Hillmer.<ref name="ReferenceA">Norman Hillmerand Stephen Azzi, "Canada's Best Prime Ministers" ''Maclean's,'' June 20, 2011 Vol. 124, Issue 23.</ref> "Passionate, charismatic, and an intellectual force in both languages," the [[Canadian War Museum]]'s [[Tim Cook (historian)|Tim Cook]] stated, "Sir Wilfrid was the full package."<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hillmer |first1=Norman |last2=Azzi |first2=Stephen |title=Canada's best prime ministers |url=https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canadas-best-prime-ministers/ |website=Maclean's |access-date=January 2, 2022 |date=June 10, 2011}}</ref>

More recently, Laurier has been criticised for his policies towards [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous Canadians]], Chinese, and Indian immigrants.<ref name=":0" /> Laurier's government had promoted immigration for economic growth, but also took measures to prevent Chinese and Indian immigrants from arriving. Additionally, Laurier also encouraged settlements, which affected local populations.

==Recognition==

===National historic sites===
[[File:MaisonLaurier.jpg|thumb|upright|Laurier Museum, Victoriaville, QC]]
Laurier is commemorated by three [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Sites]].

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site is in his birthplace, [[Saint-Lin, Quebec|Saint-Lin-Laurentides]], a town {{convert|60|km|0|abbr=on}} north of [[Montreal]], Quebec. Its establishment reflected an early desire to not only mark his birthplace (a plaque in 1925 and a monument in 1927), but to create a shrine to Laurier in the 1930s. Despite early doubts and later confirmation that the house designated as the birthplace was neither Laurier's nor on its original site, its development, and the building of a museum, satisfied the goal of honoring the man and reflecting his early life.<ref>Negotiating the Past: The Making of Canada's National Historic Parks and Sites: (Montreal & Kingston, 1990), C.J. Taylor, pp. 119–21.</ref>

Laurier's brick residence in [[Ottawa]] is known as [[Laurier House]] National Historic Site, at the corner of what is now Laurier Avenue and Chapel Street. In their will, the Lauriers left the house to Prime Minister [[William Lyon Mackenzie King|Mackenzie King]], who in turn donated it to Canada upon his death. Both sites are administered by [[Parks Canada]] as part of the national park system.

The 1876 Italianate residence of the Lauriers during his years as a lawyer and Member of Parliament, in Victoriaville, Quebec, is designated Wilfrid Laurier House National Historic Site, owned privately and operated as the Laurier Museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museelaurier.com/|title=Musée Laurier}}</ref><ref>{{CRHP|9554|Wilfrid Laurier House National Historic Site of Canada}}
</ref><ref>{{DFHD|5699|Wilfrid Laurier House}}</ref>

In November 2011, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, unveiled a statue depicting a young Wilfrid Laurier sitting on a bench, thinking.<ref>The Cord Newspaper</ref>

===Other honours===

Laurier had titular honours including:
* the prenominal "[[The Honourable]]" and the postnominal "PC" for life by virtue of being made a member of the [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada]] on October 8, 1877.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=council-conseil&doc=members-membres/hist/1867-1910-eng.htm | title=Historical Chronological List Since 1867 of Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada | publisher=Privy Council Office (Canada) | access-date=May 16, 2010 | archive-date=August 24, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824043603/http://pco-bcp.gc.ca/index.asp?lang=eng&page=information&sub=council-conseil&doc=members-membres/hist/1867-1910-eng.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* His prenominal was upgraded to "[[The Right Honourable]]" when he was made a member of the Imperial [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]] in the [[1897 Diamond Jubilee Honours]]
* the prenominal "Sir" and postnominal "GCMG" as a knight grand cross of the [[Order of Saint Michael and Saint George]], bestowed in the 1897 Diamond Jubilee Honours
* The honorary degree [[LL.D.]] from the [[University of Edinburgh]] and the [[Freedom of the City]] of [[Edinburgh]] on July 26, 1902, when he visited the city while in the country for the coronation of King [[Edward VII]].<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Colonial Premiers in Edinburgh |date=July 28, 1902 |page=4 |issue=36831}}</ref>
* '''Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day''' is observed each year on November 20, his birth date<ref>[http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/S-10.4/page-1.html Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day Act], 2002</ref>
* Laurier is depicted on several banknotes issued by the [[Bank of Canada]]:
::The $1,000 note in the [[1935 Series (banknotes)|1935 Series]] and [[1937 Series (banknotes)|1937 Series]]
::The $5 note in the [[Scenes of Canada (banknotes)|Scenes of Canada]] series, 1972 and 1979, [[Banknotes of the Canadian dollar|Birds of Canada]] series, 1986, [[Journey Series (banknotes)|Journey series]], 2002 and [[Banknotes of the Canadian dollar|Frontier]] series, 2013
* Laurier has appeared on at least three postage stamps, issued in 1927 (two) and 1973

{{multiple image
|image1=Wilfrid Laurier Montreal.JPG
|caption1=Joseph-Émile Brunet's Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1953) in [[Square Dorchester]], Montreal
|image2=Laurier statue, Ottawa.jpg
|caption2=[[Joseph-Émile Brunet]]'s statue of Wilfrid Laurier behind the [[East Block]] on [[Parliament Hill]]
}}
Many sites and landmarks were named to honor Laurier. They include:
* [[Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier]], the highest peak in [[British Columbia]]'s [[Premier Range]], near [[Mount Robson]]
* Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary, in [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] 
* Laurier Avenue, in [[Milton, Ontario]]
* Avenue Laurier, in [[Shawinigan]], Quebec
* [[Mont-Laurier]], [[Quebec]]
* Laurier Boulevard, and Laurier Hill, in [[Brockville]], Ontario
* Avenue Laurier, in [[Montreal]], Quebec
* Boulevard Laurier, in [[Quebec City]], Quebec
* [[Laurier Avenue]], in [[Ottawa]], Ontario
* Laurier Avenue, in [[Deep River, Ontario]]
* Laurier Street, in [[North Bay, Ontario]]
* Rue Laurier, in [[Casselman, Ontario]]
* Rue Laurier Street, in Rockland, Ontario
* The [[Laurier Heights, Edmonton|Laurier Heights neighbourhood]], including Laurier Drive and [[Laurier Heights School]], in [[Edmonton]], Alberta
* Laurier Drive, in [[Saskatoon]]'s [[Confederation Park, Saskatoon|Confederation Park]] neighbourhood, where the majority of the streets are named after former Canadian prime ministers
* The provincial electoral district of [[Laurier-Dorion]] (an honour shared with Canadian politician [[Antoine-Aimé Dorion]])
* The federal electoral district of [[Laurier—Sainte-Marie]]
* [[Wilfrid Laurier University]] (previously known as Waterloo Lutheran University), a publicly funded university in [[Waterloo, Ontario]], with campuses in [[Brantford, Ontario|Brantford]] and [[Milton, Ontario|Milton]]
* A [[Montreal Metro]] station, [[Laurier (Montreal Metro)]]
* [[CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier|CCGS ''Sir Wilfrid Laurier'']]
* [[Château Laurier]], a downtown Ottawa hotel of high reputation and a national historic site
* Sir Wilfrid Laurier Public School in [[Markham, Ontario]]
* [[Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board]], an English school board in [[Quebec]]; the school board serves the [[Laval, Quebec|Laval]], [[Laurentides]], and [[Lanaudière]] regions in Quebec
* [[Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School (London, Ontario)|Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School]] in [[London, Ontario]]
* [[Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School (Ottawa)|Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School]] in Ottawa, Ontario
* [[Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute]] in [[Scarborough, Toronto|Scarborough]], Ontario

==Supreme Court appointments==
Wilfrid Laurier advised the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] to appoint the following individuals to the [[Supreme Court of Canada]]:
* Sir [[Louis Henry Davies]] (September 25, 1901 – May 1, 1924)
* [[David Mills (Canadian politician)|David Mills]] (February 8, 1902 – May 8, 1903)
* Sir [[Henri Elzéar Taschereau]] (as Chief Justice November 21, 1902 – May 2, 1906; appointed a [[Puisne Justice]] under Prime Minister [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Mackenzie]], October 7, 1878)
* [[John Douglas Armour]] (November 21, 1902 – July 11, 1903)
* [[Wallace Nesbitt]] (May 16, 1903 – October 4, 1905)
* [[Albert Clements Killam]] (August 8, 1903 – February 6, 1905)
* [[John Idington]] (February 10, 1905 – March 31, 1927)
* [[James Maclennan]] (October 5, 1905 – February 13, 1909)
* Sir [[Charles Fitzpatrick]] (as Chief Justice, June 4, 1906 – November 21, 1918)
* Sir [[Lyman Poore Duff]] (September 27, 1906 – January 2, 1944)
* [[Francis Alexander Anglin]] (February 23, 1909 – February 28, 1933)
* [[Louis-Philippe Brodeur]] (August 11, 1911 – October 10, 1923)

==In popular culture==
* Wilfrid Laurier appears as the leader of the Canadian civilization in the [[4X]] video game ''[[Sid Meier's Civilization VI]]''.<ref>[https://www.pcgamesn.com/civilization-vi/civ-6-canada/ Canada is Civ 6’s latest arrival, and they’re too nice to declare surprise wars.] PCGamesN. Retrieved December 17, 2020.</ref>

==Electoral record==
{{Main|Electoral history of Wilfrid Laurier}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Politics}}
* [[List of prime ministers of Canada]]
* [[8th Canadian Ministry]]
* [[1896 Canadian federal election]]
* [[1900 Canadian federal election]]
* [[1904 Canadian federal election]]
* [[1908 Canadian federal election]]
* [[1911 Canadian federal election]]
* [[List of Canadian federal general elections]]


==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{main|List of books about Prime Ministers of Canada}}
{{refbegin}}
* Armstrong, Elizabeth H. ''The Crisis of Quebec, 1914–1918'' (1937)
* Avery, Donald, and Peter Neary. "Laurier, Borden and a White British Columbia." ''Journal of Canadian Studies/Revue d'etudes canadiennes'' 12.4 (1977): 24.
* Bélanger, Réal. "Laurier, Sir Wilfrid," ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' vol. 14, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Retrieved November 6, 2015, [http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/laurier_wilfrid_14E.html online]
* Brown, Craig, and Ramsay Cook, ''Canada: 1896–1921 A Nation Transformed'' (1983), standard history
* Cook, Ramsay. "Dafoe, Laurier, and the Formation of Union Government." ''Canadian Historical Review'' 42#3 (1961) pp: 185–208.
* Dafoe, J. W. ''Laurier: A Study in Canadian Politics'' (1922) 
* Dutil, Patrice, and David MacKenzie, ''Canada, 1911: The Decisive Election that Shaped the Country'' (2011) {{ISBN|1554889472}}
* [[J.L. Granatstein|Granatstein, J.L.]] and [[Norman Hillmer]], ''Prime Ministers: Ranking Canada's Leaders''. pp.&nbsp;46–60. (1999). {{ISBN|0-00-200027-X}}.
* [[Laurier LaPierre|LaPierre, Laurier]]. ''Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Romance of Canada'' – (1996). {{ISBN|0-7737-2979-8}}
* [[Neatby, H. Blair]]. ''Laurier and a Liberal Quebec: A Study in Political Management'' (1973) 
* Neatby, H. Blair. "Laurier and imperialism." ''Report of the Annual Meeting. Vol. 34. No. 1. The Canadian Historical Association/La Société historique du Canada,'' 1955. [http://www.erudit.org/revue/RAM/1955/v34/n1/300372ar.pdf online]
* Robertson, Barbara. ''Wilfrid Laurier: The Great Conciliator'' (1971)
* Schull, Joseph. ''Laurier. The First Canadian'' (1965); biography
* [[Oscar D. Skelton|Skelton, Oscar Douglas]]. ''Life and Letters of Sir Wilfrid Laurier'' 2v (1921); the standard biography; [https://archive.org/details/lifelettersofsir01skeluoft/lifelettersofsir01skeluoft/page/n8/mode/1up vol 1 online]  ass also [https://archive.org/details/lifelettersofsir02skel/page/n6/mode/1up vol 2 online]

* [[Oscar D. Skelton|Skelton, Oscar Douglas]]. ''The Day of Sir Wilfrid Laurier A Chronicle of our own Times'' (1916), short popular survey; [https://archive.org/details/dayofsirwilfridl30skeluoft/page/n6/mode/1up  online]

* Stewart, Gordon T. "Political Patronage under Macdonald and Laurier 1878–1911." ''American Review of Canadian Studies'' 10#1 (1980): 3–26.
* Stewart, Heather Grace. ''Sir Wilfrid Laurier: the weakling who stood his ground'' (2006) {{ISBN|0-9736406-3-4}}; for children
* [[Peter Busby Waite|Waite, Peter Busby]], ''Canada, 1874–1896: Arduous Destiny'' (1971), standard history
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Wilfrid Laurier |sopt=t}}
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=5780}}
* [http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=98120&lang=eng Wilfrid Laurier fonds] at [[Library and Archives Canada]]. 
* [[iarchive:wilfridlaurieron00lauruoft|''Wilfrid Laurier on the platform; collection of the principal speeches made in Parliament or before the people, since his entry into active politics in 1871;'' by Wilfrid Laurier at archive.org]]
* [https://archive.org/details/lifelettersofsir01skeluoft ''Life and letters of Sir Wilfrid Laurier'' vol 1. at archive.org]
* [https://archive.org/details/lifelettwilflaur02skeluoft ''Life and letters of Sir Wilfrid Laurier'' vol 2. at archive.org]
* [http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/large.php?accessnumber=MP-0000.25.932&Lang=1&imageID=151725 Photograph: Wilfrid Laurier, 1890] – McCord Museum
* [http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/large.php?accessnumber=M2003.145.6&Lang=1&imageID=268624 Photograph: Sir Wilfrid Laurier, c. 1900] – McCord Museum
* [http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/large.php?accessnumber=MP-0000.373&Lang=1&imageID=152020 Photograph: Wilfrid Laurier, 1906] – McCord Museum
* {{PM20|FID=pe/011032}}
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/FederalGovernment/MinisterProvincial.aspx?Language=E&Province=&Ministry=57843c8f-fa7c-4882-99d1-23a6507e9cef&Region= The 8th Canadian Ministry] - the Parliamentary website.

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