Canada Brief History

It was the French who settled in Canada first, and settled in New France, and what is now known as the Province of Quebec, where French is spoken as the first language. The English mounted a challenge in 1670, and set up the Hudson Bay Company which had a trade monopoly over an area which is now 40% of Canada. This hemmed the French in the Great Lakes area, until they moved south towards Mississippi. In the 1750’s there was much conflict between the English and French, and in 1763 France handed Canada over to England.

The French Canadians did not like the English laws, but they were not moving. There was revolutions to try and oust the British but the only success, was an Act which let them keep French civil law and to have some political office. Following the American Revolution, many settlers moved north into Canada, and increased the English speaking population. Provinces were set up, with their own governors. But after much political upheaval, in 1867 the North America Act was passed in the British Parliament, and the current self-governing state of Canada was set up. Some provinces did not join Canada until later, with the last province joining in 1940’s.
In 1857 Queen Victoria decreed that Ottawa was to be capital (a compromise between Montreal (French speaking) and Toronto (English speaking). It is on the Ontario and Quebec border. All government workers must speak both French and English, and in more recent years the government offices/departments are also in the city of Gatineau (Hull) which is across the river from Ottawa.

In 1931, the British Parliament passed an Act to give Canada independence, although we retained the right to pass amendments to their constitution. In 1982, this was removed and the Queen signed over the Law agreeing to Canada being a constitutional monarchy with Parliament consisting of Senate and Commons. Canada has a Governor General who is the monarch’s representative, and since 1982 has been a Canadian, rather than a British person.