1837
Queen Victoria Ascends the Throne
Queen Victoria becomes Queen of Great Britain and Ireland upon the death of her uncle King William IV, beginning a 64-year reign that will see major events in Canadian history unfold.
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Queen Victoria becomes Queen of Great Britain and Ireland upon the death of her uncle King William IV, beginning a 64-year reign that will see major events in Canadian history unfold.
The mainland colony of British Columbia, separate from Vancouver Island, is formally organized under Governor James Douglas, creating the administrative structure that will eventually lead to provincial status in 1871.
British Columbia formally joins Confederation as Canada's sixth province, after being promised a transcontinental railway connection within ten years.
Parliament passes the Official Languages Act, declaring English and French the two official languages of Canada and requiring all federal services to be available in both languages.
Joe Clark of the Progressive Conservative Party is sworn in as Canada's 16th Prime Minister, forming a minority government after defeating Pierre Trudeau's Liberals in the May election.
Manitoba MLA Elijah Harper, a Cree leader, uses procedural delays to block a vote on the Meech Lake Accord in the Manitoba Legislature, ensuring the constitutional amendments will fail.