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Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus 'Discovers' North America
Without this finding, none of Europe would ever immigrate to Canada. This opened the floodgates for more and more explorers and later settlers to come to Canada permanently. All later immigration can be traced back to this date. -
Acadia Established
This colony allowed a greater French presence in what is now Canada. Over the years as the colony developed, more and more people started life in the area. It was a significant source of Canada's early population. -
First Permanent Settlement
On this date Samuel de Champlain founded the first permanent settlement in what is now Canada. The town was Quebec City. This allowed Europeans to flock to Canada to fill important town positions. -
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Filles Du Roi sent to New France
During this time period King Louis XIV sent approxiamtely 770 women were sent to New France (Canada) to populate the area. -
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Seven Years War
During this timespan much happened that eventually led to the creation of our nation. The turning point was The Battle of the Plains of Abraham where the British came out on the winning side. This was the beginning of the shaping of Canada. -
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
On this date the British gained control over a large area of New France. This changed the face of Canada and a new English presence was established. This meant that more British were coming over to Canada instead of French. -
American Loyalists
After the American Revolution, anyone who still supported Great Britain was considered an outlaw. If found, they were exiled from the country. Many of the exiled came to Canada to start their new life. -
The Constitutional Act
This act divided Canada into two parts, Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec). Upper Canada became more of an English area with Lower Canada becoming more French. This act fueled the rebellions and eventually played a part in a democratic government. -
Alexander Mackenzie Travels to the West Coast
This exploration informed the people of the world that the area to the west was able to be populated. Without this knowledge no one would have came to the western part of Canada -
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Underground Railroad
In America many Africans were owned. They were slaves to their white owners and were forced to do whatever was ordered. To escape this many fled to slaveless Canada through a series of networks. -
American Invasions of Canada
When the Americans decided to invade Canada and failed, it was a defining moment in history. If taken over, immigration to Canada would greatly suffer. Instead, it might have been immigration to the U.S. -
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Ireland Potato Famine
With the lack of food in Ireland, many citizens had no choice but to come to Canada. Being evicted from their homes forced their hand. This helped inflate Canada's population. -
Confederation
On this date Canada became a country. Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick all joined together to form the first four provinces. With the new provinces, thousands of people technically immigrated to Canada. -
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Red River Resistance
During this time the Metis blocked William McDougall's entrance into present day Manitoba. This showed the Canadian government that they meant business and weren't playing around. It eventually set up a meeting between the Metis and the Prime Minister. This meeting led to Manitoba joining confederation and the Metis people immigrating into Canada. -
Manitoba Joins Confederation
The Metis obtained most of their demands and in return agreed to join the country of Canada. The Metis were basically immigrating into the country and Canada's population grew by thousands.
