Bill 96 2003

An Act to amend the
Public Transportation and
Highway Improvement Act
to officially recognize
Highway 401 as the
Macdonald-Cartier Freeway

Preamble

Highway 401 was named the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway in 1965 by Premier John Robarts to honour two Fathers of Confederation: Sir John A. MacDonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier. The name Macdonald-Cartier Freeway has never been formally designated in legislation.

Sir George-Étienne Cartier was a member of the radical group Fils de la Liberté (Sons of Liberty), composed the patriotic "Ô Canada, mon pays, mes amours", the model for our national anthem, and became Prime Minister of the province of Canada.

Sir George-Étienne Cartier moved to Montréal East in 1861 after the coalition with the Upper Canadian Conservatives, and as Bleu chief served as co-premier with Sir John A. Macdonald in the Union parliaments of 1857-58 and 1856-62, where he set in motion the movement toward Confederation.

Sir John A. Macdonald is credited with being the driving force behind the production of the British North America Act and the union of the provinces which became the country of Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald arrived in Canada at the age of 5 years old and lived in Kingston, Ontario, where he was elected for the first time in 1844, at the age of 29.

Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister of Canada on July 1, 1867.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1. The Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act is amended by adding the following section:

Highway 401

36.1 The part of the King's Highway designated as Highway 401 shall be known in English as the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway and in French as the Autoroute Macdonald-Cartier.

Commencement

2. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3. The short title of this Act is the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway Act, 2003.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act to name Highway 401 the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway.