Empire Parliamentary Association. Imperial Conference : In the late 1870's and the early 1880's forces within Britain and the colonies pushed the British Empire towards a formal process of consultation. Support for a more strategically minded defence to replace local defence was one such force. The idea of a colonial council was given additional impetus by the Imperial Federation League. Initiated by and composed mainly of British colonialists, the League called for a unified Empire defence and foreign policy with London at the centre. The result of these converging forces was the calling of the first Colonial Conference in 1887.
Thereafter, conferences were called at various intervals to address various needs, some specific and some general. Defence and foreign policy was at or near the centre of all Colonial and Imperial Conferences, however other concerns, such as trade, finance, and communications were widely discussed. At the informal meeting held in 1894 and at the conference in 1897 and 1902 imperial defence was the primary concern. The Colonial Conference of 1907 was something of a turning point, as it marked the first time the self-governing colonies were referred to as "Dominions", and the decision was also made to refer to future conferences as "Imperial Conferences". Defence was again at the centre of attention at this conference and at the Imperial Conferences in 1909 and 1911. Ostensibly, a consensus was reached with the formation of the Committee on Imperial Defence, which met from 1912 to 1918.
After the First World War, Imperial Conferences returned again to the familiar subject of a coordinated imperial defence and foreign policy. This was resisted by most of the Dominions at the general conferences held during the 1920's and 1930's. While defence was a primary concern at these conferences, it was decided to devote certain conferences entirely to economic matters. An Imperial Economic Conferences was held in 1923, and another was held in 1932. The last Imperial Conference was held in 1937, although there was an informal meeting in 1938. Canada attended all of the Colonial and Imperial Conferences. RG25 General Inventory