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List of joint premiers of the Province of Canada

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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

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Sydenham's Ministry

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Conservative leader Reform leader Term of office
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

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Premier from Canada West Premier from Canada East Term of office
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
6 Deputy premier
Denis-Benjamin Papineau
(1789–1854)
17 June
1846
27 May
1847
5
Premier
Henry Sherwood
(1807–1855)
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

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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)
11 September
1854
27 January
1855
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)
24 May
1856
26 November
1857
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
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
16
Premier
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau
(1808–1894)

Liberal-Conservative Party

30 July
1865
30 June
1867

Notes

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  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.
  2. ^ 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.
  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