Pages
148
Year
2021
Language
English

About

Not the worst prime minister of Canada, but not by much, Tupper held office for only ten weeks during an election before reluctantly conceding he lost. As a member of Parliament, he always kept his doctor's bag under his desk, and Parliament kept two bars open while in session.

There's a famous Canadian painting of the Fathers of Confederation, with John A. Macdonald at the centre of the assembly. But who is the man on the right of the painting, at the focus of their attention? That man in his mutton-chop sideburns is Dr. Charles Tupper.

Queen Victoria granted him a knighthood for his role in bringing together the Confederation of Canada. He kept Confederation together when his home province of Nova Scotia voted to leave and when Red River voted to join as a new province. Sir Charles Tupper became the sixth prime minister of Canada, but only after his party exhausted all alternatives. At 69 days, his term in office is the shortest yet for any Canadian prime minister. Yet his influence was far greater than that brief term, including policies that were disastrous for First Nations peoples in the Western provinces.

Related Subjects

Extended Details

Artists

Similar Artists