OGS Kent - Links - Canada & Provinces

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Canada & the Provinces
genealogical, historical, regional, etc.

Alberta -- Parts of this land was originally territory of the Hudson's Bay Co. and the North-West Co. until their merger in 1820. The Hudson's Bay Co. ceded the area in 1869, Canada formally took possession in 1870 and it became part of the Northwest Territories.
-- In 1905 Alberta was created by dividing off part of the Northwest Territories.
-- Alberta British Columbia -- Vancouver Island was explored by the Spanish and British. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 split the former Oregon Country with the United States and Canada. Vancouver Island became a Crown Colony in 1849 with Victoria being the capital. The rest of the British share of Oregon Country was designated the colony of British Columbia in 1858. For the years between 1849 and 1866 the Island and the mainland were separately administered colonies.
-- The land that is now British Columbia used to belong to the Hudson's Bay Co. and known as Oregon Country. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 drew the United States-Canada border through it along the 49th parallel. In 1858 the British portion of the former Oregon Country, minus Vancouver Island, became the colony of British Columbia. In 1863 Stikine Territory (now northern BC) and the Queen Charlotte Islands were amalgamated with British Columbia.
-- In 1866 the two colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia were politically merged.
-- The colony of British Columbia joined confederation in 1871. All executions from this point on were under Canadian jurisdiction.
-- British Columbia Manitoba -- The Hudson's Bay Co. was founded in 1670 and given a monoply of the Hudson Bay watershed, which includes present-day Manitoba. At least one execution occcured in the Red River Settlement.
-- In 1868 negotiating to turn over the property of Hudson's Bay Co. to Canada began. The Company officially relinquished control on December 01, 1869. However, Canadian government surveyors entered the territory early and began to divide the land into lots. The Metis who inhabited the area were worried they would lose their homes as they had no clear title to the land. This led to the Red River Rebellion. Due to the rebellion the Canadian government postponed the take-over date. The Metis formed a provisional government which was eventually led by Louis Riel. The Hudson's Bay Co. attempted to maintain control but after December 01 the provisional government was the only authority. This government began negotiations with delegates from the Canadian government to enter into Confederation and protect the rights of the Metis. In the middle of the negotiations a group of anglophone settlers attempted to overthrow Riel's government. This group was arrested and held at Upper Fort Garry. All were released except Thomas Scott. Evidently he was a difficult prisoner and Riel felt an example had to be made of him to maintain the support of the armed Metis. Eventually the provisional government and the Canadian government came to terms and the province of Manitoba was admitted to Confederation on July 15, 1870. Due to an anti-Metis sentiment in Ontario, inflamed by the execution of Scott, the provisional government was branded a rebellion and Riel was exiled from Canada until his return during the Northwest Rebellion.
-- Manitoba joined confederation on July 15, 1870. Originally the province encompassed a small, square-shaped area around Winnipeg. Eventually more land was added from the Northwest Territories.
-- Manitoba New Brunswick -- The territory was first settled by the French and became part of Acadia. England claimed the area in 1621 and it then became part of Nova Scotia. In 1784 the land known as Sunbury County became the separate colony of New Brunswick.
-- In 1867 New Brunswick was one of the four original colonies to form Canada. Executions from this date on were under Canadian jurisdiction.
-- New Brunswick Newfoundland -- John Cabot discovered Newfoundland in 1497. England eventually claimed the island but fishing fleets from many nations visited and established seasonal ports. Prior to 1729 the British governor was the captain of the first English fishing boat of the season. In 1729 the post of Commodore-Governor was created. He was responsible for overseeing the administrative and judicial functions of the island.
-- Up until 1825 Newfoundland was regarded by Britain as not much more than a fishing base. In 1825 the system changed to a resident civil governor with an appointed legislative council.
-- The colony achieved self-government. Newfoundland is now (1855) a British colony with a Colonial Governor and elected Prime Minister.
-- Newfoundland joined Canadian confederation as the tenth province in 1949. No executions took place after this date so therefore no Newfoundland executions are included in published Canadian statistics.
-- Newfoundland Northwest Territories -- The Hudson's Bay Co. ceded Rupert's Land in 1869 and it was formally annexed by Canada in 1870. This land was renamed Northwest Territories. Over the next 25 years parts of the territory were split off to form the Yukon, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The last division occurred in 1999 when Nunavut was formed from the eastern half of the territory. Most executions that occurred in the territory took place in communities that are now in the prairie provinces.
-- Northwest Territories Nova Scotia -- France established the first colony at Port Royal. Over time Britain seized the territory, ceded it back to France and captured it again. British control was confirmed with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Nova Scotia included present-day New Brunswick and part of Maine. In 1758 Britain captured present-day Prince Edward Island from France and it became part of Nova Scotia. In 1763 France ceded present-day Cape Breton Island to Britain and it became part of Nova Scotia. In 1769 Prince Edward Island became a separate colony. New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island were separated from Nova Scotia in 1784. Nova Scotia gained its current boundries with the rejoining of Cape Breton in 1820.
-- In 1848 Nova Scotia was the first British colony to achieve responsible government.
-- Nova Scotia was one of the four founding provinces of Canadian Confederation in 1867. All executions from 1867 on were under Canadian jurisdiction.
-- Nova Scotia Ontario -- In 1791, the province of Quebec was divided at the Ottawa River into Upper and Lower Canada.
-- As a result of the Durham Report, the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada were joined into one colony; the Province of Canada was officialy proclaimed February 10, 1841. The area that was the former Upper Canada was known as Canada West.
-- Upon confederation, the province of Canada was divided into the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. All executions from here on were under Canadian jurisdiction.
-- Ontario Prince Edward Island -- Britain captured Ìle Saint-Jean from France after the fall of Fort Louisburg in 1758. The Island of St. John was a part of Nova Scotia until 1769 at which time it became a separate British colony.
-- In 1798 the name of the colony was changed to Prince Edward Island to distinguish it from maritime cities named St John's or Saint John.
-- The colony joined confederation on 01 July 1873. PEI executions from this date were under Canadian jurisdiction. Interestingly, it wasn't until 01 April 1878 that all colony criminal laws were replaced by Canadian laws.
-- Prince Edward Island Quebec -- Jacques Cartier first landed on the Gaspe peninsula and claimed the land for France. The following century involved much exploration of the St Lawrence River and settlements, not all of which were successful. Quebec City was founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608. Ville-Marie, which later became Montreal, was founded in 1649.
-- On February 24, 1663 King Louis XIV makes New France a royal province. Up to this point the colony had been privately owned by the Company of New France. France was involved with Britain in many battles. French colonies in Acadia, Cape Breton, Newfoundland and elsewhere were lost. The British defeated the French garrison of Quebec City at the Battle Of The Plains Of Abraham in 1759. The governor general surrendered New France in 1760 and France formally ceded the colony to Britain February 10, 1763 with the Treaty Of Paris.
-- On February 10, 1763 New France became the British colony of Quebec.
-- A rise in population in the western region led to the division of the colony at the Ottawa River. The west part became Upper Canada and the east part which eventually became Quebec was named Lower Canada.
-- As a result of the Durham Report, the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada were joined into one colony; the Province of Canada was officially proclaimed February 10, 1841. The area that was the former Lower Canada was known as Canada East.
-- In 1867 Quebec was one of the four founding provinces of Canadian confederation. All executions from here on were under Canadian jurisdiction.
-- Quebec Saskatchewan -- Much of the land that is now Saskatchewan was originally the Hudson's Bay Co. territory of Rupert's Land. This land was ceded in 1869 and formally annexed by Canada in 1870, when it became the Northwest Territories.
-- With an increase in population, this area was divided from the Northwest Territories and became the ninth province.
-- Saskatchewan Yukon -- The Hudson's Bay Co. controlled the area, then known as North-Western Territory. Canada took ownership of the area in 1870 and it was amalgamated with Rupert's Land to form the Northwest Territories. In response to the sudden increase in population due to the gold rush, the new territory of Yukon was divided off from the Northwest Territories in 1898.
-- Yukon

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