Introduction

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today visited Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to mark the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference and to pay tribute to the important historical role that the meeting, the city and the province played in the creation of Canada. He was joined by Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

The Prime Minister visited the Confederation Centre of the Arts to speak to Islanders about the legacy of the Charlottetown Conference and what that pivotal moment meant for the building of Canada. He also took the opportunity to highlight additional support that will be provided to PEI 2014 Inc. to mark the 150th anniversaries of the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences. The support will be used for a range of cultural, historical and educational activities.

The Prime Minister also toured the historic Province House and visited the same rooms once occupied by the Fathers of Confederation as they discussed the potential of a united Canada during the Conference.

This 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference is one of a number of nation-building milestones the Government of Canada is commemorating in the lead up to Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. Each of these anniversaries represents an opportunity to celebrate the events that have shaped our history and made Canada what it is today.

Quick Facts

• Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were originally scheduled to meet on September 1, 1864, to discuss the possibility of a Maritime union. When the Province of Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) asked to attend the meeting, the topic of a Maritime union became secondary to the grand matter of nation building.
• The Conference ran from September 1 to 9, 1864.
• John A. Macdonald, the man who would become Canada’s first Prime Minister, was among the delegates in Charlottetown who presented the arguments in favour of a union.
• The 23 delegates from Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island agreed they would meet again in QuébecCity in October.
• Though further deliberation was required at conferences held in Quebec and London, United Kingdom, the concept of Confederation was approved in principle in Charlottetown.
• PEI 2014 Inc. is a not-for-profit organization whose aim is to create an unforgettable 150th anniversary year that will celebrate and commemorate the historic Charlottetown Conference of 1864 and Prince Edward Island’s role in the formation of Canada.

Quote

“One hundred and fifty years ago at the Charlottetown Conference in Prince Edward Island, the Fathers of our Confederation gave birth to the idea of a united Canada. It is my pleasure to be here today in Charlottetown to pay tribute to the vital role played by the city, the province and our forefathers in the creation of this great country.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper