p. 110 | The Dominion of Canada

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 30, 1867

The Dominion of Canada.

On July 1st, the Dominion of Canada became an established nationality. It is formed of four provinces: Ontario, formerly known as Upper Canada, with an area of 121,260 square miles; Quebec, heretofore Lower Canada, embracing within its limits 210,020 square miles; New Brunswick, with an area of 27,105 square miles, and Nova Scotia, whose area, including Cape Breton, is 18,660 square miles.

From these estimates, we find that the aggregate area of the four provinces constituting the Dominion of Canada is 377,045 square miles, and it is probable that at no distant day the remaining portions of British America will become incorporated with the Dominion, which will give it, Prince Edward's Island, 2,100 square miles; Newfoundland, 40,200 square miles; British Columbia, 200,000 square miles; Hudson's Bay and Northwest Territories, 2,750,000—making the entire area 3,389,945 square miles.

The population of the Dominion, by the census of 1861, was 3,090,561, of which Ontario contained 1,396,091, Quebec 1,111,566, New Brunswick 252,047, and Nova Scotia 330,857. Of these, 1,372,913 were connected with the Church of Rome, 471,946 were Presbyterians, 465,572 Episcopalians, 431,924 Methodists, 189,080 Baptists, 29,651 Lutherans, 17,757 Congregationalists, and all others 111,718.

In the several provinces we find the denominational relations of the population varying greatly. The Church of Rome had 85 per cent. of the entire population in Quebec, 34 per cent. in New Brunswick, 26 per cent. in Nova Scotia, and 18 per cent. in Ontario.

The Presbyterians formed about 27 per cent. of the population in Nova Scotia, 22 per cent. in Ontario, 14 per cent. in New Brunswick, and 4 per cent. in Quebec.

The Episcopalians were about 22 per cent. in Ontario, 17 per cent. in New Brunswick, 14 per cent. in Nova Scotia, and 6 per cent. in Quebec.

The various branches of Methodists constituted about 25 per cent. of the whole population in Ontario, 10 per cent. in Nova Scotia, 10 per cent. in New Brunswick, and 3 per cent. in Quebec. It is probable that these proportions have somewhat changed since 1861.

The adult male population was estimated at 745,630, who were classified, according to occupation, as follows: farmers, 320,952; laborers, including lumbermen, 209,909; mechanics, 115,272; trade and commerce, 32,619; marines and fishermen, 26,009; professional men, 10,119; miners, 1207; miscellaneous, 30,543.

The nationality of the population of the Dominion of Canada is estimated as follows: About one third of French, one third of Irish, one sixth of Scottish, and one sixth of English descent.

The Government is composed of a Governor-General, a Lieutenant-Governor, and a Parliament composed of Upper and Lower houses. The members of the Upper house, 72 in number, with the Governor-General and the Lieutenant-Governor, are appointed by the British Crown. The members of the Lower House alone, 181 in number, are elected by the people. Lord Monck is appointed Governor-General at a salary of $50,000. Each Province is to have its own Legislature. It will thus be seen that the government of Canada really approximates somewhat that of the United States.