Inkwell used to sign Newfoundland into Confederation on display at Colonial Building

Joseph Smallwood, who emerged during the National Convention as a pro-Confederation leader, signs the Terms of Union between Canada and Newfoundland on Dec. 11, 1948. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent is at left. (Provincial Archives/The Rooms)

A piece of history that was used to sign Newfoundland’s place in Canada is now on display — but don’t expect anything big, says one historical sites officer.

The inkwell used to sign the Terms of Union between Canada and Newfoundland on Dec. 11, 1948, laying the groundwork for the dominion to join Canada on March 31, 1949, is only about the size of a shoebox.

The inkwell, made of glass and wood, dates back to the mid-19th century is made of glass and wood. It’s currently sitting in the Colonial Building in St. John’s under an enclosed box.

“It’s a simple, unassuming little object. It’s not overly fancy. You’d almost ignore it or walk right by it if you saw it in an exhibit,” Kerri Button of the provincial government’s historic sites division told CBC News.

“It has such a story with our province, we just felt it was important to bring it here for the 75th (anniversary of Confederation).”

The inkwell used to sign the Terms of Union between Newfoundland and Canada is now on display at the Colonial Building in downtown St. John’s. (Darryl Murphy/CBC)

NL’s Confederation connection

Button said what is now Newfoundland and Labrador’s connection to Confederation extends far before 1949, and the inkwell represents that historic connection.

“This particular inkstand has a long history with the province and with the dominion beforehand and the colony before that.”

There was a Newfoundland delegation at the 1864 Quebec Conference, part of the lead-up to the creation of the Dominion of Canada, but the two members were not empowered to act or negotiate. They did, however, become converts to the cause and signed their names to the articles, Button said.

“So our history with Confederation and our Confederation story actually goes way back, to 1864. It came full circle on Dec. 11, 1948, when the Articles of the Terms of Union were signed in Ottawa using the same inkstand.”

The inkwell was also used in a secret meeting that took place in Quebec in 1943 between Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Kerri Button, a provincial historic sites officer, says the inkwell represents Newfoundland and Labrador’s long-standing connection with the history of Confederation. (Darryl Murphy/CBC)

In 2023, the provincial government announced it had big plans to mark 75 years since Newfoundland became a Canadian province, including community celebrations, special license plates and cultural projects.

Button said they thought the inkwell would be a great addition to the province’s plans to celebrate 75 years of Confederation, “as it is such a special piece.”

$12K journey from Ottawa

The inkwell had a long journey to get from its home at the Library of Parliament in Ottawa to the Colonial Building, Button said.

In May, the Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Department awarded a contract valued at $11,894.67 to Total Transportation Solutions of Scarborough, Ont., to deliver the inkwell from its home in Ottawa’s Library of Parliament to The Rooms in St. John’s in early June .

Button encourages people to visit the Colonial Building to see the inkwell, as the debate around Confederation is still alive decades later. (Elizabeth Whitten/CBC)

It took several weeks before the inkwell could be put on display for the public, Button explained.

“It did go through a conservation process. It was assessed and then allowed to acclimatize before we could have it on display in this building and get used to our conditions here in this building.”

It’s on display now in the Colonial Building and people can see it seven days a week until the site closes in November, she said.

Button encouraged people to drop by the Colonial Building to see the historical artifact, as the debate around Newfoundland joining Canada is still ongoing among friends and families, more than seven decades later.

“I think people should come and just take a look,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on that history and that it goes back as far as it does. It didn’t start with the National Convention, which happened in this room. It started in 1864.”

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