Which Canadian province was the first to join Canadian Confederation?

Answer 1

Manitoba was known as the postage stamp province when it first joined Confederation in 1870, becoming the 5th province to join Canada, or the first since the first four provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick) in 1867. It was known as the postage stamp province because it was quite small then, only covering roughly 1/18 of it's current size. It was also rather square in shape, and because of it's small, square shape, it was nicknamed the postage stamp province.

Answer 2

Canada came into being as a country on July 1, 1867. It was created by an act of the British Parliament, called the British North America Act (BNA Act). Three colonies were united by the BNA Act into a federation consisting of four provinces. The colonies of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick entered Confeferation as the Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The colony of Canada had been created in 1841 by uniting the former colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. The BNA Act created the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, with the same dividing line as had previously existed between Upper and Lower Canada. The four original provinces did not 'join' Confederation, they were enacted into being the four original provinces through the BNA Act. None can claim to be the first province over any of the other three. The next province to enter confederation was Manitoba, in 1870. But it did not 'join' Confederation either. It was created by an act of the Parliament of Canada out of the former 'Rupert's Land' (or North West Territories), which had been tranferred from Britain to Canada. The authority for Canada to create provinces out of the Territories was contained in the BNA Act. The BNA Act also provided for other colonies to join Confederation. British Columbia did so in 1871, becoming Canada's sixth province, and Prince Edward Island joined in 1873 as the seventh. Alberta and Saskatchewan were created by the Parliament of Canada in 1905, becoming Canada's eighth and ninth provinces, respectively. (Even though they both became provinces on September 1, 1905, for some reason Alberta is considered the eighth province and Saskatchewan the ninth.) Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, as the tenth province. So in answer to your question, technically British Columbia was actually the first to 'join' Canada, even though there were already five Canadian provinces when it did so.

Answer 3

The provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec and Ontario entered Confederation at the same moment in time on July 1, 1867. None has priority in time over any of the others.