It was in the Assembly Hall that elected members debated and helped shape the colony’s political future. After the Union, the government finally put a principle of governance into practice: responsible government.

At the head of the government stood the governor. It was his responsibility to appoint the Executive Council from among the members of Parliament. To govern, these “ministers” had to enjoy the confidence of the governor and a majority of elected representatives; otherwise, the government had to resign. Championed by the reformers Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, this achievement represented a major turning point for democracy.

Robert Baldwin (1804–1858) is often described as a politician with little taste for politics, yet deeply driven by a sense of duty. Respected even by his opponents, he played a key role in fostering cooperation between francophones and anglophones.

Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine (1807–1864), a lawyer and later an elected representative, was described as intelligent, pragmatic and a skilled strategist. Initially close to the Parti patriote, he broke with the movement in 1837, refusing to take up arms. Twice, he co-led a reform government with Robert Baldwin.