What did British Columbia demand to join Confederation?

• A. Access to Atlantic markets
• B. Payment of BC's debts and construction of a road to connect to the prairies
• C. Military protection
• D. Exclusive rights to fish

Answer: (B)

British Columbia’s terms for joining Confederation centered on the federal government taking on the province’s debt and funding a transportation link to the rest of Canada. The demand for debt relief and a railway connecting BC to eastern Canada reflected BC’s need to integrate economically and practically with the country. The railway would unify coast to coast, enable settlement and trade, and provide a security link with the prairies and beyond. Other options miss the core motivation: BC already located on the Pacific, so access to Atlantic markets wasn’t the driving issue; exclusive fishing rights and purely military protection were important concerns but not the decisive condition for Confederation entry.