All events for 1890 – 1899
1890
An important turning point in the history of Manitoba: English is declared the province’s only official language
During the same period, a bill to abolish religious duality is passed.
1890
The Université Sainte-Anne is built in Nova Scotia
This educational institution is the only French-language university in the province and the first in the Maritimes.
1891
In the Northwest Territories, the territorial legislature is empowered to regulate its proceedings
It promptly discards the official use of French.
1891
The Supreme Court of Canada renders its first decision about the equal authority of the English and French versions of legislation
Faced with a question on the interpretation of sections of the Civil Code of Quebec, the Supreme Court of Canada stated that both the English and French versions of the text are of equal authority.
1892
English becomes the sole official language of the Northwest Territories
An ordinance and a resolution make English the only language permitted in schools and in the legislative assembly.
November 16, 1896
In Manitoba, bilingual schooling is authorized where numbers warrant
Called the Laurier-Greenway Compromise, this agreement seeks to resolve the controversial issue of religious schools in the province. Laurier and Greenway are the names of the Liberal Prime Minister of Canada at the time, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and the Liberal Premier of Manitoba, Thomas Greenway.
February 3, 1898
Alberta’s first weekly French-language newspaper is published
The four-page L’Ouest canadien features local and provincial news on pages 2 and 3.