History

Immigration and exploration have shaped Canada’s history, with archaeological evidence of people in the northwest some 26,000 years ago. Vikings settled briefly in Newfoundland 1,000 years ago, and Europeans established temporary settlements as they fished the rich Gulf of Saint Lawrence some 500 years ago. Reports of abundant natural resources from French and English explorers led to colonization and brought European conflicts to the New World, with alliances on either side with various aboriginal peoples. The fur trade pushed exploration westward, and by the late 1800s, completion of a transcontinental railroad enabled the Dominion of Canada to extend to the Pacific Ocean.