On Nov. 16, 1911, Governor General William Patrick Albert (pictured above) opened the first session of Canada’s 12th Parliament under Prime Minister Robert Borden.
Albert’s throne speech highlighted Canada’s vast farmland and the need for the federal and provincial governments to work together.
“My advisers are convinced that the time has come when greater aid and encouragement should be given to those who are engaged in the cultivation of land,” he said. “To this end, a measure will be introduced under which it is hoped that there may be co-operation between the Dominion and the various Provinces, for the purposes of assisting and encouraging our farmers to secure the best results in production, and at the same time preserve the fertility of the soil.”
He also mentioned actions for the government to, through a commission, secure control of grain el