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Oliver Mowat became this province’s first premier in 1872. However, only a century had passed since Ontario was first settled by a group of loyalist refugees. These refugees, fought for the British crown during the American Revolution. After the revolution, British authorities provided help with provisions, tools and granted the loyalists free land in southern Ontario. These were Ontario’s pioneers and this was the beginning of the pioneer stage. From this brief statement about …

…an answer. With this definition, four areas were examined. These were urban centers, transportation infrastructures, politics and industry. All four areas needed to be developed for Ontario to graduate out of the pioneer stage. It is amazing to think how fast Ontario developed from its first Loyalist settlers in 1780 and only eighty seven years later Ontario celebrates Confederation. In 1872 Oliver Mowat became premier, not of a pioneer society but of a flourishing well developed society.