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Wilfrid Laurier's penchant for compromise allowed him to remain in power for 15 years, earning him the nickname of the "Great Conciliator". But in 1911, this talent proved inadequate to the task of winning elections.

Throughout his career, compromise would remain the main political strategy Laurier used to settle conflicts. A staunch defender of national unity, he was called on to solve a series of major controversies which set Canadians against one another.

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site of Canada is located in Saint-Lin-Laurentides, a town 50 km north of Montreal. The site commemorates one of the most important figures in Canadian political history, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the man often referred to as the father of modern Canada.

War in the Pacific Northwest centred around the canoe, which could be up to 20 metres long. Flotillas of canoes would attack enemy villages, hoping to capture prisoners to keep as slaves. Coastal forts of cedar logs were to be found, used to help control and tax maritime trade.

One of the principal features of his vision was a strong sense of national unity. As a young man, he asserted that "The unity of the people is the secret of the future", ["L'union entre les peuples, le secret de l'avenir"] ...

At no time were King's leadership skills more apparent than when he faced the challenge of leading the country through the Second World War.

The war changed Canada. It became a rich industrial nation producing aircraft, ships, weapons, vehicles, and food not only for the national war effort but also for the country's allies. In the "Hamilton Spectator," as well as in other newspapers, the war was seen as a struggle to save Great Britain, the mother country of so many Canadians, from being wiped off the map.

With more troops available, new tactics could be used to defend Canada. Strong garrisons for the towns and new forts to block Iroquois attacks along the Richelieu River were created.

In Lower Canada, the opposing political factions formed semi-secret paramilitary groups during the 1830s. The reformist Patriotes created Les Fils de la Liberté, while the conservatives had their Doric Club. Trapped in the middle, the British garrison prepared for trouble.

The First World War sees Canada make enormous contributions, with more than 600,000 Canadians serving in that conflict. A conscription crisis divides French and English Canadians, and Canada emerges as a stronger and more autonomous nation, with its own seat at the League of Nations. From the television series "Canada: A People's History." Includes links to educational resources, bibliography, games, puzzles, and video clips.