CANADA HISTORY - DOCUMENTS REGIONAL

1889 Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 52-53 Victoria, c. 28 (U.K.) An Act to declare the Boundaries of the Province of Ontario in the Dominion of Canada [12th August 1889.]

Analysis of the Document - (The Document follows below the Analysis)

The Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act of 1889 was a defining piece of legislation that played a crucial role in the development and governance of Canada, particularly in the way it established the boundaries of Ontario. Passed by the British Parliament on August 12, 1889, the Act confirmed Ontario's western and northern boundaries, settling long-standing disputes about the extent of its territory. The significance of the Act cannot be overstated; it cemented Ontario’s vast land claims, shaped its political landscape, and influenced the relationship between the federal government, provinces, and Indigenous peoples in the region.

The Act was the culmination of years of conflict over Ontario's territorial limits, particularly in relation to its western and northern boundaries. Throughout the mid-19th century, Ontario’s expansionist ambitions clashed with the federal government’s jurisdiction over the North-West Territories and Manitoba. Ontario argued for a larger share of land in the western regions, which were rich in natural resources. These resources were of vital interest to both Ontario’s economy and Canada’s overall development strategy, particularly in the areas of logging, mining, and settlement.

At the heart of the territorial dispute was the rich land extending to the western shores of Lake Superior and beyond, which held economic promise for the development of infrastructure, trade, and natural resources. The Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act legally resolved these tensions by affirming Ontario’s control over areas that extended north to the Albany River and west to the Lake of the Woods. It expanded the province to its present-day size, adding vast tracts of land that would become central to Ontario’s industrial growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Act’s implications were far-reaching. For Ontario, the boundary settlement was a political and economic victory, as it not only consolidated control over valuable territory but also reaffirmed its standing as a dominant political force within the Confederation. The territory included large forests, waterways, and mineral-rich lands, which helped transform Ontario into Canada’s economic engine. This transformation was accelerated by the construction of railways, including the Canadian Pacific Railway, which facilitated the movement of goods and people across the newly defined province.

The Act also had a lasting impact on Indigenous peoples. The expanded boundaries of Ontario encroached on lands traditionally occupied by Indigenous nations, sparking further conflicts over land rights and resource use. These tensions would eventually lead to treaty negotiations and legal battles over land ownership, resource exploitation, and self-governance. The Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act thus became a catalyst for broader discussions about Indigenous land rights in Canada, many of which continue to this day.

From a national perspective, the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act also represented a significant moment in the federal-provincial relationship. By settling Ontario’s territorial disputes, the federal government demonstrated its ability to navigate complex political and regional tensions within Confederation. This legal affirmation of provincial boundaries helped set precedents for the governance of other Canadian provinces and territories, as it underscored the need for clear jurisdictional delineation in a growing and increasingly diverse nation.

The Act also reinforced the notion of Canadian sovereignty. By firmly establishing Ontario’s borders, Canada affirmed its territorial claims in the face of external challenges, particularly those posed by American interests in the region. Ontario’s expanded boundaries stretched to areas near the U.S.-Canadian border, an important geopolitical consideration for a young country seeking to assert its independence and control over its natural resources.

In conclusion, the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act of 1889 was far more than a simple piece of boundary legislation. It was a turning point in the development of Ontario as an economic and political powerhouse within Canada. The Act’s implications rippled across the country, influencing federal-provincial relations, Indigenous land rights, and national sovereignty. Its passage helped shape the landscape of modern Canada, marking a critical moment in the nation’s expansion and the ongoing balance between regional interests and national unity.

WHEREAS the Senate and Commons of Canada in Parliament assembled have presented to Her Majesty the Queen the address set forth in the schedule to this Act respecting the boundaries of the province of Ontario: And whereas the Government of the province of Ontario have assented to the boundaries mentioned in that Address: And whereas such boundaries so far as the province of Ontario adjoins the province of Quebec are identical with those fixed by the proclamation of the Governor-General issued in November, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, which have ever since existed: And whereas such boundaries, so far as the province of Ontario adjoins the province of Manitoba, are identical with those found to be the correct boundaries by a report of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which Her Majesty the Queen in Council, on the eleventh day of August one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four, ordered to be carried into execution: And whereas it is expedient that the boundaries of the province of Ontario should be declared by authority of Parliament in accordance with the said address: Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 1. This Act may be cited as the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889. 2. It is hereby declared that the westerly, northerly, and easterly boundaries of the province of Ontario are those described in the address set forth in the schedule to this Act. SCHEDULE.

ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN FROM THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA. WE, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Senate and Commons of Canada. in Parliament assembled, humbly approach Your Majesty with the request that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased to cause a measure to be submitted to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, declaring and providing the following to be the westerly, northerly, and easterly boundaries of the province of Ontario, that is to say:-- Commencing at the point where the international boundary between the United States of America and Canada strikes the western shores of Lake Superior, thence westerly along the said boundary to the north-west angle of the Lake of the Woods, thence along a line drawn due north until it strikes the middle line of the course of the river discharging the waters of the lake called Lake Seul or the Lonely Lake, whether above or below its confluence with the stream flowing from the Lake of the Woods towards Lake Winnipeg, and thence proceeding eastward from the point at which the beforementioned line strikes the middle line of the course of the river last aforesaid, along the middle line of the course of the same river (whether called by the name of the English River or, as to the part below the confluence, by the name of the River Winnipeg) up to Lake Seul or the Lonely Lake, and thence along the middle line of Lake Seul or Lonely Lake to the head of that lake, and thence by a straight line to the near west point of the middle line of the waters of Lake St. Joseph, and thence along that middle line until it reaches the foot or outlet of that lake, and thence along the middle line of the river by which the waters of Lake St. Joseph discharge themselves to the shore of the part of Hudson's Bay commonly known as James' Bay and thence south-easterly following upon the said shore to a point where a line drawn due north from the head of Lake Temiscamingue would strike it, and thence due south along the said line to the head of the said lake. and thence through the middle channel of the said lake into the Ottawa River, and thence descending along the middle of the main channel of the said river to the intersection by the prolongation of the western limits of the Seigneurie of Rigaud, such mid-channel being as indicated on a map of the Ottawa Ship Canal Survey made by Walter Shanly, C.E., and approved by Order of the Governor-General in Council, dated the twenty-first July one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six; and thence southerly, following the said westerly boundary of the Seigneurie of Rigaud to the south-west angle of the said Seigneurie, and then southerly along the western boundary of the augmentation of the township of Newton to the northwest angle of the Seigneurie of Longueuil, and thence south-easterly along the south-western boundary of said Seigneurie of New Longueuil to a stone boundary on the north bank of the Lake St. Francis, at the cove west of