Confederation in 1867 and How Canada Grew

Confederation is the moment Canada became a country, and the dates around it are some of the most reliable questions on the citizenship test. This follows Discover Canada's chapter on Canada's history, checked on 23 September 2026.

The Fathers of Confederation

From 1864 to 1867, representatives of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada worked to establish a new country. They are known as the Fathers of Confederation.

They created two levels of government, federal and provincial. The old Province of Canada was split into two new provinces, Ontario and Quebec, which joined Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Each province would elect its own legislature and control areas such as education and health.

July 1, 1867

The British North America Act was passed in 1867, and the Dominion of Canada was officially born on July 1, 1867. Until 1982, July 1 was celebrated as Dominion Day. Today it is officially Canada Day.

The name came from Sir Leonard Tilley, a Father of Confederation from New Brunswick, who suggested "Dominion of Canada" in 1864, inspired by Psalm 72: "dominion from sea to sea". The national motto, A Mari Usque Ad Mare, means "from sea to sea".

Two key figures

• Sir John A. Macdonald became Canada's first Prime Minister in 1867. He was born in Scotland on January 11, 1815, and his portrait is on the $10 bill. January 11 is Sir John A. Macdonald Day.
• Sir George-Étienne Cartier was the key architect of Confederation from Quebec, leading Quebec into Confederation and helping negotiate the entry of the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and British Columbia.

How Canada grew

Year	Joined
1867	Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
1870	Manitoba, Northwest Territories
1871	British Columbia
1873	Prince Edward Island
1880	transfer of the Arctic Islands
1898	Yukon Territory
1905	Alberta, Saskatchewan
1949	Newfoundland and Labrador
1999	Nunavut

Two details the guide adds: British Columbia joined in 1871 after Ottawa promised to build a railway to the West Coast, and Manitoba was created in 1870 after the Métis resistance led by Louis Riel, whom many see as the father of Manitoba.

A trap worth knowing

Prince Edward Island is called the birthplace of Confederation, yet it was not one of the four founding provinces. It joined in 1873. Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join, in 1949.

For the test

Anchor on July 1, 1867, the four founding provinces, Macdonald as first Prime Minister, and 1949 for the last province. Our study notes on Canada's history and the practice questions cover the rest of the chapter.