Reporter: Wilfrid Laurier became the Prime Minister of Canada in 1896 when the country had only seven provinces.
The future of the country was uncertain; did this reality have an impact on his political actions?
André Pratte: Absolutely, and it is the key to understanding his approach.
You stated that he came to power in 1896.
Even before looking at what Laurier did, one must realize that Canada was only 30 years old. Confederation had taken place in 0867.
Indeed, Canada did not really exist in the minds of many. It was like an agreement, a contract of sorts.
But among Francophones and Anglophones, there was no true awareness of what Canada was or could be.
Then, in stepped Laurier, the first French Canadian Francophone Prime Minister ― almost a miracle in itself, because no one had ever imagined that Canada would ever be anything else than an English country.
At the time of Confederation, even French Canadians simply wanted Confederation to guarantee that there would be a province, Quebec, where Francophones would be the majority and would manage things of importance to them.
The rest of the country would be English.
When Laurier became the party leader and then the Prime Minister, the surprise was general ― among Francophones and Anglophones alike. All of a sudden, Canada had become a country where Francophones might perhaps play a role, limited not only to their province, but encompassing the entire country.