In
1867 the four existing provinces of Canada - Quebec, Ontario, Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick - were united into one dominion of the British
Empire. Later Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward
Island (1873), Alberta and Saskatchewan (1905) joined the other provinces.
By 1911 Canada had a population of 7.2 million. A quarter of Canadians
were French-speaking and most of these lived in Quebec Province.
The French-Canadian, Wilfrid
Laurier,
the leader of the Liberal Party, became prime minister in 1896 and
he held office for fifteen years. Robert
Borden, the leader of the Conservative Party, replaced Laurier
in October, 1911.
In 1914 Canada had just over 3,000 regular soldiers. Based at harbour
fortifications, the Canadian Army was
backed up by a militia of local volunteers. Expecting a war in Europe,
during the summer of 1914 the Canadian government asked for volunteers
to join a Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF).
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