List of joint premiers of the Province of Canada

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This is a list of the joint premiers of the Province of Canada, who were the heads of government of the Province of Canada from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada and Lower Canada until Confederation in 1867.

Contents

Each administration was led by two men; after Sydenham's Ministry, one from Canada West (now Ontario) and one from Canada East (now Quebec). Officially, one of them at any given time had the title of Premier, while the other had the title of Deputy.

Colour key

Sydenham's Ministry

Conservative leaderReform leaderTerm of office
1
(1 of 2)
William Henry Draper (1801-1877).jpg
Deputy premier
William Draper
(1801–1877)
1
Samuel Harrison small.jpg
Premier
Samuel Harrison [1]
(1802-1867)
5 February
1841
12 January
1842

Premiers: before responsible government

Premier from Canada WestPremier from Canada EastTerm of office
1
(1 of 2)
William Henry Draper (1801-1877).jpg
Premier
William Draper
(1801–1877)
2
Charles Richard Ogden.jpg
Deputy premier
Charles Richard Ogden
(1791–1866)
12 January
1842
14 September
1842
2
(1 of 2)
RobertBaldwin23.jpg
Deputy premier
Robert Baldwin
(1804–1858)
3
(1 of 2)
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine.jpg
Premier
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
(1807–1864)
26 September
1842
27 November
1843
3
DominickDaly.jpg
Acting premier [2]
Sir Dominick Daly
(1789–1868)
4
DominickDaly.jpg
Acting premier [2]
Sir Dominick Daly
(1789–1868)
27 November
1843
12 December
1843
4
(2 of 2)
William Henry Draper (1801-1877).jpg
Premier
William Draper
(1801–1877)
5
DBviger.jpg
Deputy premier
Denis-Benjamin Viger
(1774–1861)
12 December
1843
17 June
1846
6Deputy premier
Denis-Benjamin Papineau
(1789–1854)
17 June
1846
27 May
1847
5
Henry Sherwood.png
Premier
Henry Sherwood
(1807–1855)
28 May
1847
7 December
1847
5
continued
Henry Sherwood.png
Premier
Henry Sherwood
(1807–1855)
vacant [3] 7 December
1847
10 March
1848

Premiers: after responsible government

Premier from Canada WestPremier from Canada EastTerm of office
6
(2 of 2)
RobertBaldwin23.jpg
Deputy premier
Robert Baldwin
(1804–1858)
7
(2 of 2)
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine.jpg
Premier
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
(1807–1864)
11 March
1848
28 October
1851
7
Francis Hincks.jpg
Premier
Sir Francis Hincks
(1807–1885)
8
Augustin-Norbert Morin.jpg
Deputy premier
Augustin-Norbert Morin
(1803–1865)
28 October
1851
11 September
1854
8
ANMacNab.jpg
Premier
Sir Allan Napier MacNab
(1798–1862)
11 September
1854
27 January
1855
9
(1 of 2)
Etienne-Paschal Tache.jpg
Deputy premier (until 1856) / Premier
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché
(1795–1865)
27 January
1855
24 May
1856
9
(1 of 3)
Brady-Handy John A Macdonald - cropped.jpg
Deputy premier (until 1857) / Premier
Sir John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)
24 May
1856
26 November
1857
10
(1 of 2)
George-Etienne Cartier.jpg
Deputy premier
Sir George-Étienne Cartier
(1814–1873)
26 November
1857
2 August
1858
10
George Brown.jpg
Premier
George Brown
(1818–1880)

Clear Grit Party

11
(1 of 2)
AntoineAimeDorion23.jpg
Deputy premier
Antoine-Aimé Dorion
(1818–1891)

Rouge Party

2 August
1858
6 August
1858
11
(2 of 3)
Brady-Handy John A Macdonald - cropped.jpg
Deputy premier
Sir John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)
12
(2 of 2)
George-Etienne Cartier.jpg
Premier
Sir George-Étienne Cartier
(1814–1873)
6 August
1858
24 May
1862
12
John Sandfield Macdonald.jpg
Premier
John Sandfield MacDonald
(1812–1872)

Liberal Party

13
Louis-Victor Sicotte.jpg
Deputy premier
Louis-Victor Sicotte
(1812–1889)

Liberal Party

24 May
1862
15 May
1863
14
(2 of 2)
AntoineAimeDorion23.jpg
Deputy premier
Antoine-Aimé Dorion
(1818–1891)

Liberal Party

15 May
1863
30 May
1864
13
(3 of 3)
Brady-Handy John A Macdonald - cropped.jpg
Deputy premier
Sir John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)

Liberal-Conservative Party

15
(2 of 2)
Etienne-Paschal Tache.jpg
Premier
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché
(1795–1865)

Liberal-Conservative Party

30 May
1864
30 July
1865
16
Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau.jpg
Premier
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau
(1808–1894)

Liberal-Conservative Party

30 July
1865
30 June
1867

Notes

  1. This was a coalition of the moderate wings of the conservative and reform factions, rather than a regionally-based one; French-Canadians were deliberately excluded. Also, given Lord Sydenham's preponderant role in assembling this ministry, it might be more accurate to describe Harrison and Draper as co-leaders rather than co-premiers.
  2. 1 2 All members of the governing Lafontaine-Baldwin coalition, except Daly, resigned in a protest over unapproved patronage appointments by the British-appointed governor: "the Metcalfe crisis". Daly would continue on as a member of the successor cabinet, headed by Draper.
  3. While Sherwood had some Franco support in Canada East, none rise to the level of co-Premier after Papineau's departure 7 December 1847

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