Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal

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Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal
Joseph Légaré, The Burning of the Parliament Building in Montreal, about 1849
Location	St. Anne's Market, Old Montreal
Coordinates	45°30′02″N 73°33′22″W / 45.5005°N 73.5560°W / 45.5005; -73.5560
Date	April 25, 1849 (1849-04-25)
Target	Parliament of the Province of Canada
Attack type	Fire

The burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal occurred on the night of April 25, 1849, in Montreal, the then-capital of the Province of Canada. The way the matter was handled by then co-prime ministers of the united Province of Canada, Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin, helped develop the Canadian democratic tradition. It also caused the capital to be moved elsewhere, eventually being installed in Ottawa.

Tories protesting against the Rebellion Losses Bill burned down the St. Anne's Market building lodging the Legislative Council and Assembly of Canada while the members of the Legislative Assembly were sitting in session within. Similar protests, such as the Stony Monday riot, occurred in many places across British North America against the bill. The episode exemplified the divisions in pre-Confederation Canadian society concerning whether Canada was the North American appendage of the British Empire or a nascent sovereign nation where citizens could expect fair treatment.

In 1837 and 1838 Canada went into an economic depression caused partly by unusually bad weather and the banking crisis in the United States and Europe. Many citizens in Upper and Lower Canada (now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec respectively) demanded political changes and for the government to address the economic downturn. They rebelled, first in Lower Canada, then in Upper Canada. Lord Durham investigated and issued a sympathetic report, the government enacted political reforms that addressed some of the causes of the rebellions.

Many leaders of the Rebellions later played focal roles in the development of the political and philosophical foundations for an independent Canada, something achieved on July 1, 1867. The Rebellion Losses Bill was intended as amnesty to former rebels (permitting them to return to Canada) and indemnity to people financially hurt by the rebellions. Lord Durham had granted an amnesty to those involved in the first rebellion only. Despite an amendment stating that only those that had not pleaded guilty or been found guilty of high treason would receive compensation, the bill was decried by its opponents as amounting to "paying the rebels".^[1] The bill was eventually passed by the majority of those sitting in the Legislative Assembly, but it remained unpopular with much^{[citation needed]} of the population of Canada East and West. Those in Montreal used violence to demonstrate their opposition. It is the only time in the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth that citizens burned down their Parliamentary Buildings in protest.^{[citation needed]} The fire destroyed Parliament buildings and an important collection of historical records kept in the parliamentary library.^[2]

Despite the tense situation and the actions committed by the mob, Lafontaine proceeded cautiously, fought off armed rioters who had shot through his window, and maintained restraint and resolve in his actions. Jailed members of the mob were released on bail soon after their arrest. A force of special constables was established to keep the peace. Though there was public concern this might be a crushing blow to the reform movement, Lafontaine persevered despite the opposition, and continued to develop the tenets of Canadian federalism – "peace, order, and good government". Within a decade, public opinion had shifted overwhelmingly toward the development of a sovereign Canada.