J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932)

MacDonald was born in Durham, England, but his father was Canadian. When MacDonald was 14, his family moved to Hamilton, Canada. Around 1910, he and a young colleague, Lawren Harris, concentrated on painting Canadian landscapes, part of general trend away from the then popular European subjects. However, Harris and MacDonald had still to develop a distinctive painting style of their own. In 1913, the two met up with a number of younger artists to form what was later to be called the Group of Seven. The Group became famous for not only painting Canadian landscapes, but also developing a unique painting style. Brighter colours and more strongly defined shapes were used than what was then popular. Every member of the Group had a unique style, but what they shared was a common outlook about the Canadian landscape--that the land itself, its shapes and colours, should determine how you painted it. While many members of the Group of Seven painted wilderness scenes, MacDonald=s subjects also included urban landscapes, such as the small city garden shown in The Tangled Garden, completed in 1916.

John Alexander Macdonald (1815-1891)

His family emigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1820. Educated as a lawyer, he became leader of the Conservative Party and joint Premier in 1856, Prime Minister in 1857-1858 and 1864. He was instrumental in bringing about Confederation and in 1867 formed the first government of the Dominion of Canada.

Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892)

He was a Clear Grit before Confederation and the Leader of the Liberal Party afterwards. After the railway scandal of 1873, he became Prime Minister with a good majority. He was responsible for the slow building of the Canadian Pacific Railway which almost lost British Columbia to the United States. He lost the election of 1878 and was succeeded as leader by Edward Blake in 1880.

William Lyon Mackenzie (1795-1861)

He established The Colonial Advocate in 1824, one of the first Canadian newspapers. In 1837, he published the "Declaration of the Toronto Reformers" modelled after the Declaration of Independence (U.S.). He later fled to the U.S. where he was imprisoned before returning to Canada in 1849. Continuing his journalistic career, he also was a Member of Parliament from 1851 to 1858.

Manitoba Schools Act (1890)

This Act established a non-sectarian education system contrary to the act under which Manitoba had been admitted to Confederation with denominational schools specified. The Catholics, especially in Quebec challenged the Act, but it was established anyway. The negotiations under Laurier produced an act that while separate schools were not re-established, denominational religious instruction was accepted as well as, bilingual teaching where there were more than 10 pupils with a native language other than English.

Charles Vincent Massey (1887-1967)

He was the first native-born Governor General (1952) after having served as Canada’s first minister to the U.S. in 1926. He was chairman of the 1949 Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and the Sciences, investigating such federal agencies as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, National Film Board, National Gallery and the National Research Council. His report established the Canadian Council in these areas to support Canada’s cultural institutions.

William McDougall (1822-1905)

He was the first Governor of the North West Territories in 1869. He became Minister of Public Works in the McDonald cabinet of 1867. McDougall was one of the negotiators for the purchase of 64,000 square mile belt of land beyond the Red River along North Saskatchewan to the mountains for the Hudson’s Bay Company. The metis were never informed of these negotiations or his appointment as Governor and decided to block his entry and the rebellion began.

John McCrae (1872-1918) see In Flanders Fields

Meech Lake Accord (1987)

This amendment to the Constitution recognized French-speaking Quebec as a "distinct society". Although the agreement was finished in 1987, it did not receive enough support from the English-speaking provinces and therefore could not be ratified. The failure of this Accord intensified a push towards Quebec separatism and resentment among the Inuit and Native Canadians at their own lack of representation.

Arthur Meighen (1874-1960)

In 1913, he became Solicitor-General in Robert Borden’s Union government playing an important role during World War I introducing railway nationalization, conscription and the Wartimes Election Act. He made changes to the criminal code so that strikers could face deportation or imprisonment. In 1920 he became Prime Minister after Borden, but was defeated in 1921. Once again he rose to power in 1925.

Honoré Mercier (1840-1894)

He was the leader of the Quebec Liberals reviving the Parti National in response to the execution of Louis Riel in 1885. In 1887, he became Premier of Quebec where he called an Interprovincial Conference of 1887 after realizing that Quebec and the English-speaking provinces sought a greater measure of autonomy. He was removed from office in 1891 after charges of corruption were laid.

William Merritt (1793-1862)

He built the Welland Canal providing a major route for exports-imports into the American-Canadian interior. Initially completed in 1829, necessary improvements were not finished until 1848.

Baron Charles Theophilus Metcalfe (1785-1846)

After holding posts in several other countries, he became Governor-General of Canada in 1843. He tried to reverse Sir Charles Bagot’s attempt at responsible government and reassert his independence of ministers causing the ministry to resign. He maintained support for a couple of years, but with the end of the mercantile system, the need to maintain the colonies in political dependence was diminished and in 1845, Metcalfe resigned giving way to responsible government.

Metis

These Native Canadians of French and Scottish descent thought themselves as separate people with a culture that blended their French heritage with Aboriginal skills. Dependent on buffalo-hunting for survival, the new settlements became a major threat. With the failures of the rebellions in Red River from 1869 to 1871 and Saskatchewan in 1885, the metis either sank further into poverty or were absorbed into the city.

Military Service Act (1917)

Unable to provide four full divisions on the Western Front, Sir Robert Borden’s administration implemented this Act to meet its commitment. French Canadians felt it was unfair to force them to fight for the empire when they were being denied equal rights at home. Again during World War II, voluntary enlistment was inadequate and then Prime Minister Mackenzie King was forced to re-introduce conscription.

Born near Nîmes, Montcalm became a career soldier in the royal French army. He was sent to France's North American colonial empire in 1756 as major general in command of French troops fighting against Great Britain during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Borrowing the guerrilla tactics from France=s native allies, Montcalm gained the upper hand in the first two years of the war, avoiding open battles against his British opponents who greatly outnumbered his own forces. In 1759, the British under General Wolfe made a direct assault on the fortress city of Québec, the French colonial capital. Once again, French spoiling tactics stalled the British, but then Wolfe and the bulk of his army suddenly deployed for battle having secretly scaled the cliffs to the front of the city. It was September 13, and the British were running out of time before the storms of fall and winter would force them to abandon the siege. Rather than try to wait out the siege, Montcalm uncharacteristically accepted an open battle. The French marched out in line but were shattered by British musketry in what has come to be called the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Although Wolfe himself was killed on the battlefield, the British had won a decisive victory. Montcalm himself had suffered a serious wound. He was brought back into the city but died the next day.

Mounties, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Founded in 1873 as the Royal North-West Mounted Police by Lt. Col. George Arthur French, the Mounties established tight control over the new territories. Policing was only one of the many roles in the North West until 1953 when the Department of Northern Affairs took over most of their civic duties. In 1920, the Mounties amalgamated with the federal Dominion Police and became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.. In 1928, Saskatchewan became the first province to contract the RCMP to provide a police force followed by Alberta and some others.