Which Canadian province was the last to join Confederation?

Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join Canadian Confederation.

Newfoundland entered Confederation on March 31, 1949, after residents voted in two referendums and chose union with Canada. It became Canada’s tenth province, more than 80 years after the original Confederation of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick in 1867.

At the time of admission, the province was officially called Newfoundland. The name Newfoundland and Labrador was adopted in 2001 to recognize Labrador, the mainland region connected politically and geographically with the island of Newfoundland. Thus, the stored answer uses the province’s modern name, while historical accounts may simply say “Newfoundland.”

The choice was not automatic. Newfoundland had operated as a separate British dominion and, after a financial crisis, was governed by a appointed Commission of Government from 1934 until responsible government was restored after the Confederation decision. Prince Edward Island joined earlier, in 1873; Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905. This makes Newfoundland and Labrador the final provincial addition, though Nunavut later became a territory in 1999.