Territorial_evolution_of_Canada

Territorial evolution of Canada

Territorial evolution of Canada

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The history of post-confederation Canada began on July 1, 1867, when the British North American colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were united to form a single Dominion within the British Empire.[1] Upon Confederation, the United Province of Canada was immediately split into the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.[2] The colonies of Prince Edward Island and British Columbia joined shortly after, and Canada acquired the vast expanse of the continent controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company, which was eventually divided into new territories and provinces.[3] Canada evolved into a fully sovereign state by 1982.[4]

Before being part of British North America, the constituents of Canada consisted of the former colonies of Canada and Acadia from within New France which had been ceded to Great Britain in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris.[5] French Canadian nationality was maintained as one of the "two founding nations" and legally through the Quebec Act which ensured the maintenance of the Canadian French language, Catholic religion, and French civil law within Canada, a fact which remains true today.[6]

Canada today has ten provinces and three territories; it only lost significant territory in the border dispute over Labrador with the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later joined Canada as the 10th province.[7]

Timeline

More information Date, Event ...

See also

Notes

  1. The borders of Canada were, from Passamaquoddy Bay: up the St. Croix River to its source; north to the St. John River; up that to the St. Francis River; up that to its source at Lake Pohenegamook; southwesterly to a point on the north branch of the St. John River 10 miles distant from the main branch; then a line from there to where the St. John River crosses 46°25′ north; up the river to its source; then along the height of the land to the source of Halls Stream; down that to 45° north; west along that to the St. Lawrence River; up that to the Great Lakes, passing through Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior, to the Pigeon River; up the height of the land around to a point north of Blanc-Sablon; then south to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The country included Cape Breton Island and Anticosti Island, but excluded nearby Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.[9]
  2. The exact border between of Ontario and Quebec was: from where the St. Lawrence River leaves the border with the United States; down the river to a marker on the north bank of Lake Saint Francis at the border of the township of Lancaster (now part of South Glengarry) and the seigneurie of New Longueuil; north 34° west along the boundary to the western angle of New Longueuil; north 25° east along the boundary to the Ottawa River; up that to the height of the land.[10]
  3. The border between New Brunswick and Quebec was, from the outlet of Beau Lake: a line to a point one mile south of the southern point of Long Lake; a line to the southern point of the fiefs of Madawaska and Temiscouata; along that southeast boundary to its southeast angle; north to an east-west line tangent to the height of the land dividing the Rimouski River and the St. John River; east to a north-south line tangent to the height of the land dividing the Rimouski River from the Restigouche River; north to 48° north; east to the Patapédia River; down that to the Restigouche River; and down that to Chaleur Bay.[11][12]
  4. The border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was, from the Bay of Fundy; up the Missiguash River to a post near Black Island; then a complex of lines through and past Black Island, eventually reaching Tidnish Bridge; then down the Tidnish River to Baie Verte.[13]
  5. The new borders of Canada were, from the existing Canada-United States border at the Pigeon River: up the Boundary Waters to the Rainy River and the northwest angle of the Lake of the Woods; south to 49° north; west to the ridge of the Rocky Mountains; north along that to 120° west; north to 60° north; west to the disputed border with the United States described as the "summit of the mountains parallel to the coast"; north along that to 141° west; then north to the Arctic Ocean. The border then followed the coastline, leaving it to include the half of Baffin Bay within the Hudson Bay watershed, then back to the mainland; it then ran down the "Coasts of Labrador", the extent of which were disputed, until it reached the existing Canada-United Kingdom border at Blanc-Sablon.[15][16][17]
  6. Manitoba was bounded by 96° west, 99° west, 50°30′ north, and 49° north.[20]
  7. The new borders of Canada were, from the existing Canada-United States border where the ridge of the Rocky Mountains crosses 49° north: west to the Pacific Ocean, through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, around Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii to the Dixon Entrance; back on land where it ran north along the disputed border with the United States; then up that to where it met the existing border.[22]
  8. The District of Keewatin was defined as the mainland area west of Ontario and Hudson Bay; east of Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis, and Cedar Lake, and a line north from Cedar Lake; and north of the United States.
  9. Manitoba's new western and northern borders were defined only by township ranges and survey borders, with the southern border being the United States and the eastern border being Ontario.[28]
  10. The new border transferred land from the District of Keewatin west of the Nelson River and Lake Winnipeg, south of a line extending east from the northern border of the District of Saskatchewan, and north of Manitoba, to the North-West Territories.[30]
  11. The borders of Yukon Territory were, from the Arctic Ocean: south along the international boundary to 60° north; east to the Liard River; north along the river to the height of the land; along that, approximately parallel to the Peel River, to 136° west; then north.[34]
  12. The new northern border of Quebec was, starting from James Bay: up the Eastmain River to its source; east to the Hamilton River; then down that to the border with Newfoundland, which was still heavily disputed.[35]
  13. The new Canada-Newfoundland border was, from Blanc-Sablon on the Gulf of St. Lawrence: north to 52° north; west to the height of the land; then following that around to include the watershed of the eastern coast of the Labrador Peninsula.[56]
  14. The Northwest Territories-Nunavut border was complex and described in Schedule I of the Nunavut Act.[62]

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