Manitoba School Question By Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Sir Wilfred Laurier was appointed leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1887, he achieved his first mandate in 1896. In the fifteen years he served, he achieved a series of policy initiatives that were designed to strengthen and preserved the federation. These include; the management of French and English relations, the expansion of the federation, a third continental railway, and economic reforms. Conflict between French and English has at different times in Canadian history placed undue stress on the federation. The ‘Manitoba School Question’ was one such event (Verrette 2006). This was the culmination of the policy initiative of the Manitoban government, who had decided that the ‘denominational’ education system, the system in place

Economic policy at the time was one of ‘tariff protection,’ Laurier sought, and succeeded in several areas, to reform this system (441). One of the most important economic reforms were aimed at the largest economic power in the world, the British Empire (441). Laurier advocated what was deemed ‘Imperial preference’ (440) at the “Colonial-Conference in 1902” (Boggs 1911, 346), which emphasizes trade within the Empire (441), unfortunately the conference was more concerned with defense spending rather than economic concessions (Boggs 1911, 346). Laurier laid the groundwork for this system during his first mandate when the government provided a financial break for trade within the Empire, with other countries soon following suit (441). However, this system would not be fully realized until the 1930s (443). Laurier also attempted to gain access to the American markets through ‘trade reciprocity,’ which had been negotiated and re-negotiated since before confederation (Beaulieu and Emery 1083). However, these deals were subject to the ire of Canadians and Americans alike. Laurier’s Trade reciprocity involved the comprehensive and simultaneous decrease in tariffs on certain goods between Canada and the United States (Beaulieu and Emery 1083). While the agreement was approved in America, there was some consternation over the deal in Canada with the Conservatives fighting the deal in the House (Beaulieu and Emery 1083). Laurier made the decision to forego passing the legislation in the house to allow the electorate to decide (Beaulieu and Emery 1083). Unfortunately, the 1911 election saw his government defeated and trade reciprocity dead (Beaulieu and Emery