DEVELOPING A VAST WILDERNESS
History and Government of Canada
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Province – Political Units
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Dominion of Canada – Loose confederation of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick that was created by
the British North American Act of 1867
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Confederation – Political Union
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Parliamentary Government – system in which legislative and executive functions are combined in legislation
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Parliament – Central federal government
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Prime Minister – Head of Government
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1. In what ways is the expansion and development of Canada similar to that of the US?
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Both expanded westward, had immigration from a variety of countries and had transcontinental railroads to
encourage development
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2. What 2 main factors defined the differences among Canadians by the end of the 18 th century?
Religion and ancestry
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3. What Canadian province or territory was once called Upper Canada?
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4. What Canadian province or territory was once called Lower Canada?
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Quebec
5. Why were the French and the British interested in colonizing the area of NA that became the US and Canada
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Ontario
Both were interested in the coastal fisheries and inland fur trade
6. Explain how the French and Indian War changed the history of Canada? Which European power won control of
Canada?
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British took over New France and the country began to have 2 distinct cultures
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What factor was essential in the development of Western Canada?
• Transportation routes – roads and railroads
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Between what 2 cities did the first transcontinental railroad in Canada extend?
• Montreal and Vancouver
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Where did nearly all growth in Canada’s industry and urban areas take place. Why?
• Within 10 miles of US border, warmer climate and fertile soil. Close proximity to
transportation routes
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How is Canada’s federal government different from the federal government of the US?
• Canada does not have a president
• Senate is appointed rather than elected
• Canada’s political units are called PROVINCES and TERRITORIES
• Each of Canada’s 10 provinces has its OWN Prime Minister and own legislature
• The federal government administers the 3 territories
SETTLEMENT OF CANADA
• First settlers were migrating hunters from Asia (like in the US)
• Native Americans settled in diverse groups across the interior.
• Inuit (or Eskimos) made homes along coastal waters – they
were hunters and gatherers.
THE VIKINGS
• Around 1000 Viking “adventurers” were
the first Europeans to reach North America
– while there is evidence of settlements –
they left no permanent settlements.
• Vikings are from the area around Norway,
Sweden, and Denmark.
• They were pagans worshipping warlike
gods.
• Lief Ericsson, son of Erik the Red,
probably sailed to the NewFoundland
area.
• They were raiders known by several
names including:
• North men
• Norsemen
• Danes
SETTLEMENT IN CANADA
• 1497 – exploring for the English, John
Cabot landed in Newfoundland and claimed
the region for England
• European exploration and colonization
followed.
NEW FRANCE – 16TH AND 17TH
CENTURY
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1535 Jacques Cartier established French
claim along the St. Lawrence River
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1608 Samuel de Champlain set up
settlements in Quebec.
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The French had 3 goals in setting up these
settlements:
• 1. Search for a northwest passage to
India and China (they never found)
• 2. Develop the fur trade
• 3. Convert Native Americans to Roman
Catholicism
• In 1663 New France became a royal
colony
COLONIZATION BY FRANCE AND BRITAIN
• By the mid 1700s Great Britain and France were struggling for
power in Europe and control of colonial lands in many parts of
the world.
• French and Indian War – 1754 – 1763 – The North American
dispute was whether the upper Ohio River valley was a part of
the British empire or part of the French Empire; the bigger
question was which national culture would dominate the heart of
North America. British settlers were the majority in the coveted
area, but French exploration, trade, and Indian alliances
predominated.
• They fought several wars – the struggle ended in 1763 with the
signing of the Treaty of Paris – France lost Canada to Britain.
THE QUEBEC ACT OF 1774
• Passed by the British Parliament
• Gave French Canadians complete religious freedom (Roman Catholic)
• Ultimately the right to keep their language and religion
• Reason why today, French is dominant language in Quebec
• Quebec is the only province with a predominately French speaking
people and the official language is French
• 1840 – Act of Union – passed by British parliament abolished the
legislatures of Lower Canada and Upper Canada and established a
new political entity called the Province of Canada to replace them.
• Province of Canada – British colony in North America from 1841 to
1867
STEPS TOWARD UNITY
• 1763 – British defeat the French in the French and Indian War
• 1791 – British create Upper and Lower Canada
• 1837 – Revolts break out in Upper and Lower Canda
• 1840 – Act of Union – passed by British parliament abolished the
legislatures of Lower Canada and Upper Canada and established a
new political entity called the Province of Canada to replace them.
• Province of Canada – British colony in North America from 1841 to
1867
• Union of former provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada
• Ceased to exist after July 1, 1867, when it was re-divided into the
Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
• 1867 – Canadian provinces unit as the Dominion of Canada
DOMINION OF CANADA
• Canadians had control over local affairs while foreign and military decisions
were made by the British.
• The Dominion was to be a loose confederation, or political union, of Ontario
(Upper Canada), Quebec (Lower Canada), and two British colonies on the
Atlantic Coast – Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
• Dominion had self-government but remained part of the British Empire.
• Ottawa, in Ontario became the capital.
• Dominion grew rapidly – gained control of Rupert’s Land in 1869 (which had
been owned by a British fur-trading company
• By 1871 Canada stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific, as Manitoba,
British Columbia and Prince Edward Island were added.
CANADA IN 1867 – WHEN DOMINION OF CANADA
WAS PASSED.
CANADA IN 1871 – NOW STRETCHES FROM ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC.
MANITOBA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND ARE
ADDED.
NEWFOUNDLAND REMAINED OUTSIDE THE UNION UNTIL THE MID-20TH
CENTURY
CANADA TODAY
STEPS TOWARD UNITY
• 1931 Canada became completely
independent.
• Still today Canada’s symbolic ruler is
the British monarch
• Canada is an active member in the
British Commonwealth of Nations – a
group of countries, mostly former
colonies of Great Britain, that now
have equality and protection of the
British crown – they work together to
promote better trade, health and
education in their countries.
WHAT FACTOR WAS ESSENTIAL IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN CANADA?
URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH
• Canadians lived in rural areas and engaged in farming
• As population grew and natural resources were developed,
Canada became more urban and industrialized
• Eventually, growth takes place within 100 miles of US border.
Here, these areas became manufacturing and service industry
centers
• The climate was warmer, land was more productive, and
transportation linking east and west was more widely available.
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
POLITICAL PATTERNS
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1. Parliamentary Democracy – consisting of two branches (House of
Commons and a Senate)
• 2. Federal System
10 provinces like states however the provinces have more power than
the states in the United States. Each has its own legislature and Prime
Minister
3 territories administered directly by the federal government
Capital City: Ottawa
CANADA’ S PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
• Farming, logging, mining, and fishing are important Canadian
industries – account for more than 10% of the country’s gross
domestic product (GDP)
• Canada’s biggest export trade is in forest products. (No other
country exports more wood pulp and paper products than
Canada).
• Three ocean coastlines (Atlantic, Pacific, and Artic) give
Canadians access to fish supplies
• 15% of Canadians earn their living from manufacturing
(automobiles, steel, household appliances, electronics
SERVICE INDUSTRIES DRIVE THE ECONOMY
• 60% of the GDP comes from service industries
• Those industries employ more Canadians than all other
industries combined. They include (finance, utilities, trade,
transportation, tourism, communications, insurance, and real
estate)
• Tourism industry is fastest growing service industry!
• Historically, Canada’s economy has always relied on trade. US
is Canada’s chief trading partner. This is because:
• US AND CANADA SHAPE THE LONGEST OPEN BORDER IN
THE WORLD AND THE SAME LANGUAGE.
NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
(NAFTA)
• 1994, US, Canada, and Mexico
• Pact made trade easy
• 85% of Canada’s export went to the US
• 75% of Canada’s imports came from the US
Inuit & First
Nations Peoples
French Explorers
French language
Trading
Religion
English Settlers
English language
Government
Religon
Metis Culture
Blends influence of French
and native peoples
Dual Official Language
French & English
CANADA’S POPULATION
• Officially bilingual
• English-speaking majority – French-speaking minority (Quebec
– French is majority)
• English – Protestants
• French – Roman Catholics
• Settlement patterns influenced by harsh environment and
access to transportation routes.
• Canada’s port cities – Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver make
up the country’s most densely settled areas.
• 80% of Canadians live on just 10% of the land – region along
100 mile wide strip of land just north of the US border!!!
LIFE IN CANADA TODAY
• Canada’s service industry employs 75% of the work force
• Oldest university is Laval – established in Quebec during the
period of French settlement
• 1st English speaking universities were founded in New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the 1780s
• 97% literacy rate!
• Skating, hockey, fishing, skiing, golf and hunting are popular
• Canadian love of sport goes back to its native peoples, they
developed Lacrosse!
SUBREGIONS OF CANADA
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
• Canada is divided into 10 provinces and 3 territories
• Eastern Canada is the location of the 4 Atlantic Provinces
(Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and
Newfoundland)
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
• 8% of Canada’s population
• Small population due to provinces’ rugged terrain and severe weather
• 85% of land in Nova Scotia cannot be farmed because of rocky hills
and poor soil
• In New Brunswick, forest cover 90% of the land
• Newfoundland – fierce storms that roar up the Atlantic seaboard
• Economic Activities
• New Brunswick – logging
• Gulf of St. Lawrence – seafood
• Nova Scotia – logging and fishing (one of the largest fish-processing
plants in NA
• Halifax – shipbuilding
CORE PROVINCES – QUEBEC AND ONTARIO
CORE PROVINCES – QUEBEC AND ONTARIO
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Canada’s heartland
3 out of 5 Canadians live here
Ontario is largest province in terms of population
Quebec is largest province in terms of land area
Settlement found along Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River
Large # of Canada’s English-speaking majority live in Ontario
Large # of Canada’s French-speaking majority live in Quebec
Ottawa, Ontario – capital of the federal government
Toronto, most populous city and banking & financial hub
Power Canada’s economy
• Account for more than 35% of agricultural production
• 45% mineral output
• 70% manufacturing
THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES
• Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta
THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES
• Part of North American Great Plains
• 50% of Canada’s agricultural production
• 60% of mineral output
PACIFIC PROVINCE AND TERRITORIES
• British Columbia and 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest, and
Nunavut)
• Nearly all of British Columbia lies within the Rocky Mountains
• ¾ of British Columbia is 3,000 feet or more above sea level.
• Densely forested
• 1/3 is frozen tundra, snowfields, and glaciers
• Vancouver is Canada’s largest port and has a prosperous
shipping trade
CANADA’S TERRITORIES
• Make up 41% of country’s land mass
• Yukon Territory – pop. 30,000
• Northwest Territory – pop. 41,000
• Nunavut (carved out of the eastern half of the Northwest
Territories in 1999) Home to many of Canada’s Inuit
• Nunavut is a large, cold, undeveloped and sparsely settled.
• Nunavut means “Our land” in the Inuit language
• 30,000 people live in a square area of 820,000 square miles