List of joint premiers of the Province of Canada

This is a list of the joint premiers of the Province of Canada, who were the heads of government of the Province of Canada from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada and Lower Canada until Confederation in 1867.

Each administration was led by two men; after Sydenham's Ministry, one from Canada West (now Ontario) and one from Canada East (now Quebec). Officially, one of them at any given time had the title of Premier, while the other had the title of Deputy.

Colour key[edit]

Green – reformers (Reform Party, Rouges Party, etc.)
Yellow – conservatives (see Family Compact, Château Clique)
Red – Liberal Party, Clear Grits
Blue – Liberal-Conservative Party, Parti bleu

Sydenham's Ministry[edit]

Conservative leader			Reform leader			Term of office
1 (1 of 2)		Deputy premier William Draper (1801–1877)
1 (1 of 2)		Deputy premier William Draper (1801–1877)	1		Premier Samuel Harrison^[1] (1802-1867)	5 February 1841	12 January 1842

Premiers: before responsible government[edit]

Premier from Canada West		Premier from Canada East		Term of office
1 (1 of 2)	Premier William Draper (1801–1877)
1 (1 of 2)	Premier William Draper (1801–1877)	2	Deputy premier Charles Richard Ogden (1791–1866)	12 January 1842	14 September 1842
2 (1 of 2)	Deputy premier Robert Baldwin (1804–1858)	3 (1 of 2)	Premier Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807–1864)	26 September 1842	27 November 1843
3	Acting premier^[2] Sir Dominick Daly (1789–1868)	4	Acting premier^[2] Sir Dominick Daly (1789–1868)	27 November 1843	12 December 1843
4 (2 of 2)	Premier William Draper (1801–1877)	5	Deputy premier Denis-Benjamin Viger (1774–1861)	12 December 1843	17 June 1846
4 (2 of 2)	Premier William Draper (1801–1877)	6	Deputy premier Denis-Benjamin Papineau (1789–1854)	17 June 1846	27 May 1847
5	Premier Henry Sherwood (1807–1855)	6	Deputy premier Denis-Benjamin Papineau (1789–1854)	28 May 1847	7 December 1847
5 continued	Premier Henry Sherwood (1807–1855)		vacant^[3]	7 December 1847	10 March 1848

Premiers: after responsible government[edit]

Premier from Canada West		Premier from Canada East		Term of office
6 (2 of 2)	Deputy premier Robert Baldwin (1804–1858)	7 (2 of 2)	Premier Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807–1864)	11 March 1848	28 October 1851
7	Premier Sir Francis Hincks (1807–1885)	8	Deputy premier Augustin-Norbert Morin (1803–1865)	28 October 1851	11 September 1854
8	Premier Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798–1862)	8	Deputy premier Augustin-Norbert Morin (1803–1865)	11 September 1854	27 January 1855
8	Premier Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798–1862)	9 (1 of 2)	Deputy premier (until 1856) / Premier Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (1795–1865)	27 January 1855	24 May 1856
9 (1 of 3)	Deputy premier (until 1857) / Premier Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891)	9 (1 of 2)		24 May 1856	26 November 1857
9 (1 of 3)		10 (1 of 2)	Deputy premier Sir George-Étienne Cartier (1814–1873)	26 November 1857	2 August 1858
10	Premier George Brown (1818–1880) Clear Grit Party	11 (1 of 2)	Deputy premier Antoine-Aimé Dorion (1818–1891) Rouge Party	2 August 1858	6 August 1858
11 (2 of 3)	Deputy premier Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891)	12 (2 of 2)	Premier Sir George-Étienne Cartier (1814–1873)	6 August 1858	24 May 1862
12	Premier John Sandfield MacDonald (1812–1872) Liberal Party	13	Deputy premier Louis-Victor Sicotte (1812–1889) Liberal Party	24 May 1862	15 May 1863
12		14 (2 of 2)	Deputy premier Antoine-Aimé Dorion (1818–1891) Liberal Party	15 May 1863	30 May 1864
13 (3 of 3)	Deputy premier Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891) Liberal-Conservative Party	15 (2 of 2)	Premier Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (1795–1865) Liberal-Conservative Party	30 May 1864	30 July 1865
13 (3 of 3)		16	Premier Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau (1808–1894) Liberal-Conservative Party	30 July 1865	30 June 1867

Notes[edit]

^ This was a coalition of the moderate wings of the conservative and reform factions, rather than a regionally-based one; French-Canadians were deliberately excluded. Also, given Lord Sydenham's preponderant role in assembling this ministry, it might be more accurate to describe Harrison and Draper as co-leaders rather than co-premiers.
^ ^a ^b All members of the governing Lafontaine-Baldwin coalition, except Daly, resigned in a protest over unapproved patronage appointments by the British-appointed governor: "the Metcalfe crisis". Daly would continue on as a member of the successor cabinet, headed by Draper.
^ While Sherwood had some Franco support in Canada East, none rise to the level of co-Premier after Papineau's departure 7 December 1847

[1] This was a coalition of the moderate wings of the conservative and reform factions, rather than a regionally-based one; French-Canadians were deliberately excluded. Also, given Lord Sydenham's preponderant role in assembling this ministry, it might be more accurate to describe Harrison and Draper as co-leaders rather than co-premiers.

[Daly-2] All members of the governing Lafontaine-Baldwin coalition, except Daly, resigned in a protest over unapproved patronage appointments by the British-appointed governor: "the Metcalfe crisis". Daly would continue on as a member of the successor cabinet, headed by Draper.

[vacant-3] While Sherwood had some Franco support in Canada East, none rise to the level of co-Premier after Papineau's departure 7 December 1847

[1]

[2]

[3]

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