London Conference - Definition

The London Conference was held in the United Kingdom in December 1866 and was the final in a series of conferences that led to Canadian confederation in 1867. Delegates from the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick met with officials of the British government to draft the British North America Act. A major issue of contention was education with Roman Catholic bishops lobbying for guarantees protecting the separate school system. This was opposed by delegates from the Maritimes, and the compromise reached was Section 93 of the BNA Act, which guaranteed separate school systems in Quebec and Ontario but not in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick.