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May 2, 1493
Sir John Cabot
On the Matthew, John sailed from England northwest to find a cheaper and easier trading route to Asia. He sailed with his crew of 18 untill June 24th of 1493, when he hit land. Some say they landed in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and present day Cape Breton. -
Apr 1, 1534
Jacques Cartier
Jacques sailed northwest to find a passage to China. Within 20 days he saw Newfoundland and Labrador. He sailed up the St. Belle Straight and all through the Gulf of St Lawrence. On his voyage he saw P.E.I., New Brunswick, and the present day Maritime provinces. -
Jan 1, 1574
Martin Frobisher
As many explorers did, Frobisher sailed to find a Northwest Passage for it was believed to be to be a sea route to Asia. In 1776 he set off with three ships and claimed Baffin Bay, Baffin Island, Resoltion Island, and Frobisher Bay for England. -
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson looked for the Northwest Passage and on the way he found Hudson Bay and the Hudson River. -
Samuel Hearne
In 1769 hearne set to find ore copper samples the HBC had heard about from the natives. He was the first Euopean to cross the barren lands of Nothern Canada. In 1771 he discovered Great Slave Lake. -
Captain James Cook
On his fourth voyage, Captain Cook sailed up the northwest coast of North America, being the first European to see the islands off of Vancouver and the west coast. -
Alexander Mackenzie
In 1789, Mackenzie went on an expedition to chart the 1,100-mile Mackenzie River, travelling from the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories to the mouth of the Mackenzie in the Arctic Ocean. -
George Vancouver
Capt. Vancouver sailed the coast of Vancouver Island, and then charted the Pacific coast of B.C. In 1792 for 2 years, he kept a journal for his voyages, but it was not seen before he died. -
Sir John Franklin
In 1845 Sir sailed to Canada to find the Northwest Passage. The ship was frozen in ice, so they had to wait for summer. Because they were trapped they resorted to cannibalism. Without Franklin, the ship sailed through Simpson Straight, the final part of the passage. -
Leif Erikson
Trying to sail from Scandinavia to Greenland it is beleived that a cruel storm blow him off course and he found th new world. He was planning to go to the new world later for he was inspired from many stories that he heard of plentiful fish, forests, and other wonderful supplys that would help his own settlement.
