Centennial of Confederation

Centennial of Confederation
Name	Centennial of Confederation
Caption	Official emblem used during the 1967 festivities
Date	1967
Country	Canada
Significance	100th anniversary of the British North America Act, 1867 / Constitution Act, 1867

Contents

Centennial of Confederation was the nationwide observance marking the 100th anniversary of the British North America Act, 1867—later the Constitution Act, 1867—in 1967. The observance combined federal initiatives from the Secretary of State of Canada with provincial proclamations from governments led by premiers such as John Robarts, Daniel Johnson Sr., and Joey Smallwood. Major events included the federal Expo 67 in Montréal, provincial exhibitions in Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax, and a proliferation of memorial projects endorsed by institutions like the National Film Board of Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Background and lead-up to the Centennial

Planning for the centennial involved the Department of Trade and Commerce, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, cultural agencies such as the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museums Association, as well as commissions chaired by figures like J. W. Pickersgill and Maurice Lamontagne. Early proposals drew on precedents including the Victorian Jubilee and the World's Columbian Exposition, and were shaped by debates in the House of Commons of Canada and the Senate of Canada over bilingualism promoted by Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism and the later Official Languages Act (1969). Corporate sponsors such as Imperial Oil, Canadian Pacific Railway, and Macdonald Tobacco participated alongside civic bodies like the Toronto Harbour Commission and the Montreal Harbour Commission. Indigenous responses engaged leaders from the Assembly of First Nations and scholars affiliated with McGill University and the University of Toronto, while social movements including activists tied to Front de libération du Québec and labor unions such as the Canadian Labour Congress framed critiques.

The federal calendar showcased signature events: Expo 67 on Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame; a cross-country Trans-Canada Highway convoy; a naval review involving the Royal Canadian Navy and allied ships; and ceremonies at the Parliament Hill Centre Block and the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. The Governor General of Canada presided over national observances joined by prime ministers including Lester B. Pearson and John Diefenbaker advocates of different centennial narratives. The Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill and the unveiling ceremonies attended by dignitaries from the United Kingdom, United States, and the Commonwealth of Nations illustrated diplomatic dimensions. Cultural programming included commissions for the National Film Board of Canada and performances by ensembles such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the National Ballet of Canada.

Provinces staged projects: Ontario launched park and museum initiatives in Toronto and Kingston; Québec spotlighted cultural institutions in Québec City; British Columbia invested in infrastructure in Vancouver and the Okanagan; Nova Scotia promoted restorations in Halifax and Lunenburg; and Newfoundland and Labrador emphasized confederation narratives in St. John's. Municipal governments in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Regina, St. John's, and Hamilton sponsored parades and centennial plazas; civic organizations like the Federation of Canadian Municipalities coordinated grants with agencies such as the Canada Council for the Arts and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Local commemorations ranged from centennial schools named after figures like Sir John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier to community concerts by choirs from institutions like the University of British Columbia and the Université de Montréal.

Artists, writers, filmmakers, and broadcasters produced centennial-themed works: filmmakers at the National Film Board of Canada released documentaries alongside features in festivals such as the Montreal International Film Festival; writers publishing through houses like McClelland & Stewart and journals such as Canadian Forum explored confederation in essays; painters exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario; and composers premiered works with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Television programming on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and private networks like CFTO-TV and CTV Television Network included historical dramatisations involving actors who worked with the Stratford Festival and directors associated with Guy Maddin’s predecessors. Popular music acts touring during 1967—including performers from the folk revival, venues such as the Massey Hall, and festivals like the Mariposa Folk Festival—engaged youth culture, while newspapers like the Globe and Mail and the Montreal Gazette ran special centennial series.

The centennial produced enduring institutions—Centennial College (Toronto), the Centennial Concert Hall (Winnipeg), and parks and museums across provinces—yet sparked controversies over narratives privileging leaders such as Sir John A. Macdonald and marginalizing Indigenous treaties discussed by scholars at University of British Columbia and activists linked to the Native Council of Canada. Debates about bilingualism and biculturalism intersected with policy outcomes like the Official Languages Act and later constitutional negotiations culminating in the Patriation of the Constitution and the Canadian Constitution of 1982 with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Economic legacies involved infrastructure financed by institutions including the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada, while critics cited uneven regional development in resource regions like the Laurentians and the Athabasca. Historians at the Canadian Historical Association and cultural critics at Queen's University continue reassessing centennial memory, public history projects, and contested monuments in debates involving organizations like the Canadian Museums Association.

Physical legacies include the Centennial Flame (Ottawa), numerous statues of confederation figures such as Alexander Galt and Antoine-Aimé Dorion, centennial plaques administered by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, and reconstructed heritage sites like Fort York and Fort Louisbourg. Memorabilia encompassed stamps issued by the Canada Post Corporation, coins minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, posters commissioned from designers connected to the Royal Ontario Museum and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and souvenir programs sold through outlets like Holt Renfrew and Hudson's Bay Company. Collectors and archives hold centennial broadcasts from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, film reels from the National Film Board of Canada, and ephemera curated by the Canadian Museum of History and provincial archives in Victoria, Halifax, and St. John's.

Category:1967 in Canada