From Arm's Length to Hands-On

Confederation was a relief to legislators who had to ensure the uneasy union between Upper and Lower Canada; the dualism had demanded double-barrelled ministries and the rotation of the capital, after 1849, between Toronto and Quebec City every four years. The year 1867 was therefore a watershed. The creation of the province of Ontario demanded that a civil service be put in place to support the new offices of the lieutenant-governor, Executive Council, and Legislative Assembly. However, the ele