Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada


The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the province of Ontario. It was created by The Union Act of 1840. Canada East and Canada West each elected 42 members to the assembly. The upper house of the legislature was called the Legislative Council.
The first session of parliament began in Kingston in Canada West in 1841.
The second parliament and the first sessions of the third parliament were held in Montreal. On April 25, 1849, rioters protesting the Rebellion Losses Bill burned the parliament buildings. The remaining sessions of the third parliament were held in Toronto. Subsequent parliaments were held in Quebec City and Toronto, except for the last session in 1866 of the eight and final parliament, which was held in Ottawa, the capital chosen for the Dominion of Canada.
The British North America Act of 1867 divided the Province of Canada into the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, each province having its own Legislative Assembly, as well as representation in the Parliament of Canada.

Parliament Buildings

Parliament for the United Provinces of Canada drifted around the cities of Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa:
The role of speaker began a tradition of alternating between English and French Canada. This tradition carried onto the role of the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada.
SpeakerTermParliamentAffiliationResidency
Austin Cuvillier1841–18431stParti canadienCanada East
Sir Allan Napier MacNab1844–18472ndReformerCanada West
Augustin-Norbert Morin1848–18513rdParti patrioteCanada East
John Sandfield Macdonald1852–18534thLiberal-ConservativeCanada West
Louis-Victor Sicotte1854–18575thN/ACanada East
Sir Henry Smith1858–18616thToryCanada West
Joseph-Édouard Turcotte1862–18637thReformerCanada East
Lewis Wallbridge1863–18668thN/ACanada West