The Great Coalition refers to the grand coalition of political parties that formed in the Province of Canada in 1864. The previous collapse after only a few months of a coalition government formed by Étienne-Paschal Taché and Conservative John A. Macdonald was the sixth government in six years, and demonstrated that continued governance of Canada East and Canada West under the 1840 Act of Union had become untenable. In order to reform the political system, a coalition was formed between the Clear Grits under George Brown, the Parti bleu under George-Etienne Cartier and the Conservatives under Macdonald. The formation of this coalition on 22 June 1864 under Étienne-Paschal Taché and John A. Macdonald as joint premiers lead directly to Canadian Confederation in 1867, and the coalition persisted as the government of the Province of Canada until the moment of Confederation. The Great coalition was formed to stop the political deadlock between upper and lower Canada. The government at that time was unable to pass anything because they had to have a "double majority". With the "double Majority" in order for a bill to pass in the Legislative Assembily, there had to be a vote in both Canada East and Canada West sections of the assembily, rather than just a simple majority. The main problem with this was that the French Voted against the English on just about everything which meant that nothing was assomplished. {edit source: Horizons:Canada moves West} A grand coalition is a coalition government in a parliamentary system where political parties representing a vast majority of the parliament unite in a coalition. ... Note: for information about Canadas present-day provinces, see Provinces of Canada. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Étienne-Paschal Taché Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (5 September 1795 – 30 July 1865) was a Canadian doctor and politician. ... The name which emphasised a revitalised National Policy and links to Britain. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, QC (January 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first Prime Minister of Canada from July 1, 1867 – November 5, 1873 and October 17, 1878 – June 6, 1891. ... Canada East (French, Canada-Est) was the eastern portion of the Province of Canada. ... Canada West was the western portion of the Province of Canada. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Act of Union passed in July 1840 and proclaimed February 10, 1841, abolished the legislatures of Lower Canada and Upper Canada and established a new political entity the Province of Canada to replace them. ... Clear Grits were Upper Canadian reformers with support concentrated among southwestern Ontario farmers, who were frustrated and disillusioned by the 1849 Reform government of Robert Baldwin and Louis_Hippolyte Lafontaines lack of radicalism. ... George Brown George Brown (November 29, 1818-May 9, 1880) was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist and politician. ... The parti bleu was a moderate political group in Quebec, Canada that emerged in 1854. ... Sir George-Étienne Cartier (September 6, 1814 - May 20, 1873) was a French-Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Étienne-Paschal Taché Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (5 September 1795 – 30 July 1865) was a Canadian doctor and politician. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, QC (January 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first Prime Minister of Canada from July 1, 1867 – November 5, 1873 and October 17, 1878 – June 6, 1891. ... Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada were the leaders of the Province of Canada, from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada and Lower Canada until Confederation in 1867. ... Canadian Confederation, or the Confederation of Canada, was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form the Dominion of Canada, a Dominion of the British Empire, which today is a federal nation state simply known as Canada. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...