Editing Wilfrid Laurier (section)

====Manitoba Schools Question====

One of Laurier's first acts as prime minister was to implement a solution to the Manitoba Schools Question, which had helped to bring down the Conservative government of Charles Tupper earlier in 1896. The Manitoba legislature had passed a law eliminating public funding for Catholic schooling. Supporters of Catholic schools argued that the new statute was contrary to the provisions of the [[Manitoba Act, 1870]], which had a provision relating to school funding, but the courts rejected that argument and held that the new statute was constitutional.<ref>''City of Winnipeg v Barrett'', [1892] AC 445 (PC).</ref> The Catholic minority in Manitoba then asked the federal government for support, and eventually, the Conservatives proposed remedial legislation to override Manitoba's legislation. Laurier opposed the remedial legislation on the basis of provincial rights and succeeded in blocking its passage by Parliament. Once elected, Laurier reached a compromise with the provincial premier, [[Thomas Greenway]]. Known as the Laurier-Greenway Compromise, the agreement did not allow separate Catholic schools to be re-established. However, religious instruction (Catholic education) would take place for 30 minutes at the end of each day, if requested by the parents of 10 children in rural areas or 25 in urban areas. Catholic teachers were allowed to be hired in the schools as long as there were at least 40 Catholic students in urban areas or 25 Catholic students in rural areas, and teachers could speak in French (or any other minority language) as long as there were enough Francophone students. This was seen by many as the best possible solution in the circumstances, however, some French Canadians criticized this move as it was done on an individual basis, and did not protect Catholic or French rights in all schools. Laurier called his effort to lessen the tinder in this issue "sunny ways" ({{langx|fr|link=no|voies ensoleillées}}).<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ns-prof-trudeau-sunny-ways-1.3280693|title=Justin Trudeau's 'sunny ways' a nod to Sir Wilfrid Laurier|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dawson |first1=Joanna |title=Controversy and Compromise over the Manitoba Schools Question |url=https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/politics-law/controversy-and-compromise-over-the-manitoba-schools-question |website=Canada's History |access-date=January 3, 2022 |date=October 3, 2011}}</ref>