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New France
Samuel de Champlain created the first French settlement in Canada around the area which is now known as Quebec. It was at first a slow moving colony in terms of population, however this establishment was crucial for the beginning of French immigration to Canada in history because it was the first event that allowed French people in France to become French people in Canada, thanks to de Champlain`s ties to the King of France. -
The Hudson`s Bay
Henry Hudson and his crew members became stranded in the frigid winter around what is now the Hudson`s Bay area. In November of 1611, the first trade between a First Nations person and a European person in the Hudson`s Bay was made for furs in exchange of marbles and beads along with other objects which were foreign to Native people at that time. This first exchange birthed the company which would drive the economy and draw in traders as well as explorers from all around the world, to Canada. -
Religious New France
In 1627, Cardinal Richilieu of France declared North America as too much of a religiously underdeveloped region. Because of his close work with the King of France, his authority was persuasive enough to allow this notion to stem the beginning of the flood of French Roman Catholic immigrants in Canada from the Roman Catholic groups in France. -
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Les Filles du Roi
In order to continue and increase the population growth of New France, the King of France sent over 1000 young French women within a span of about 7-10 years. This bold idea worked very successfully because of the insentive that was giving by the King to families who had several children upon their marriage which happened quickly after the girls` arrivals. If a couple had 10 children, they would receive 300 dollars anually, and for 12 children, 400 dollars. -
Broken Scottish Clan System
In 1745 the clan system in Scotland fell apart. This cultural catastrophe resulted in a group of Scottish immigrants coming to Canada. They settled in, what was at the time considered as, `New Scotland`, or today, the land between the Bay of Fundy and the St. Lawrence river, otherwise and more commonly known as New Brunswick. -
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The Loyalists
Upon the outbreak of rebels leading up to the American revolution, many people wanted to remain loyal to Britain. These `loyalists` fled America during the revolution and many were exiled. About 20% of America was loyal people who wanted to continue to be dependent of Britain. Canada was also under British rule and because of their disinterest in independence from them, naturally, an obvious choice for the British loyalists in America was to immigrate to Canada and that`s what thousands did. -
Slavery Abolishment in Canada
The entire British Empire abolished all acts of slavery early in the 19th century. Canada, being a part of that empire, was then considered a safe zone, so to speak, for American slaves working in an area where it was still legal to be enslaved, (for 31 years after it was illegal in Canada) . This event allowed for many slaves to escape to Canada thanks to the underground railroad. -
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The Underground Railroad
After the abolishement of slavery in Canada, slaves in America then had the hope of escaping from their `owners` to a place where slavery was no longer acceptable. This became all the more a reality when Harriette Tubman opened the undergroud railway, which allowed for slaves to cross the Canadian boarder secretly and be freed. For 2 decades this method was bringing people who hoped for a better life into Canada. -
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The Ireland Famine
For 7 years, potato crops in Ireland ceased to produce a staple item which feed the majority of the country. Living conditions dwendeled and sickness along with death struck hard. This allowed for Canada to see a large increase in Irish immigrants when over 300 000 desperate Irish men, woman and children settled in this country. -
The Idea of a Railway
Members of the Confederation decided in 1871 that Canada should be expanded and also then acsecible from across the nation. Plans to make a railroad, stretching from the East to West coast, were then established. This railroad would change the lives of thousands of Chinease workers who came to build it and then were, in many cases, unable to leave due to how little they were being paid for such time consuming labour work. As well, it increased Canada`s appeal to many European immigrants. -
The Dominion Lands Act
Canada introduced an act in 1872 stating that any man of 21 years or older is granted a piece of free land, (about 160 acres) as long as a payement of 10 dollars is made as a registration fee. Other conditions included, building a permanent place to live for three years, and cultivating 30 acres of that land. This was a very intriguing offer for many immigrants looking to get their lives started in a new land. -
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Great Britain, Continental Europe and East Asia Wave
After the Confederation, Canada was in great shape, with rising wheat prices, large amounts of available farm land and a railroad on the way. This promising, rising country was invinting for immigrants who wanted to farm and for anyone who wanted to work on the railway while it was being constructed for five years of this period, Canada saw great development of economy and culture with these hundreds of thounds of new immigrants contributing to the culturally diverse nation which we are today. -
Chinease Head Tax
After the construction of the Canadian Pacific railway, the Canadian govournment implementated a taxation on all Chinease people who wanted to immigrate to Canada because they did not like how many were already in Canada from the recent construction.The majority of Chinease people could not afford to pay the required amount of money, this prevented more from being able to get into the country. -
The Continuous Journey Regulation
The Canadian governement established an addition to the Immigration Act in 1908; The Continuous Journey Regulation. It stated that only immigrants coming straight from where they were born or citizens of, could enter into Canada with a ticket purchased from their native country. This, purposefully, made it nearly impossible for any people in places such as India and Japan to immigrate to Canada because of their geological position, -
The Komagata Maru
Early in the 20th century, many influencial figures in Canada were still very discriminitve , specifically towards people of Asian/East Indian descent. A vessel carrying 376 Indian immigrants from Hong Kong to Vancouver was denyed entry into Canada. All but 20 people, were sent back to Hong Kong and eventually to India, where many were then killed because of poor living conditions.This prevented hundreds of potential immigrants from establishing themselves and their families in Canada.
