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McNab-Morin Coalition
A political coalition is formed with Augustin Morin and Sir Allan MacNab to achieve secularization, and later provides the foundation for the Conservative Party of Canada -
Grand Trunk Railway completed
The Grand trunk railway would prove to be a vital role in developing Canada. It connected Guelph to Stratford. -
Fraser gold rush begins
Prospectors from California arrive in British Columbia, trying to cash out with gold found in Victoria. This unifies BC, and harms the indigenous population greatly. -
Great reform convention
A convention held by George Brown was conducted in Toronto to discuss the future of Canada. The results end up with closer collaboration between the English and the French on deciding a legislature for Canada. -
Charlottetown conference held
The Charlottetown conference is the first of many held to discuss the sovereignty of Canada and a Canadian confederation. Delegates from all over the colonies meet and discuss the question. This ultimately leads to Confederation being formed on July 1, 1867. -
British North America act
The British North America act is passed. It grants sovereignty and joins the colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a confederation. The act goes into effect on July 1, 1867. -
Canada founded
The British North America act goes into effect, and Canada is formed. 4 of the colonies join together to become Canada. These 4 are Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. -
Red river resistance
120 men occupy Fort Garry to block St Rupert's land from being transferred to Canada from the government of Canada. Metis and First nations people defend the colony from the government trying to take their land. In the end, the leader of the resistance, Louis Reil, was executed for treason, and 2 first nation chiefs were imprisoned. -
Manitoba joins Confederation
The government of Canada buys land from the Hudson Bay Company, and forms Manitoba, becoming the fifth province. -
Treaty of Washington
The treaty of Washington is signed between the United States and Canada, which allows both countries to fish in each others waters. -
British Columbia joins Confederation
British Columbia and Vancouver Island combine into one province, and join Canada under the name of British Columbia. It is the sixth province. -
Treaty 1 signed
In the first treaty with the First Nations since Confederation, it was signed between the Crown and the Ojibwe and Swampy Cree first nations people. It gave them food, farming equipment, and schools in exchange for more land. First nations people had been asking for a treaty since the 1850s. After the sale of St Rupert's land to the government, negotiations began after a period of unrest between the indigenous and settler populations. This is the first of the "numbered" treaties. -
Treaty 1 signed (cont.)
After some negotiations, the final treaty would give the first nations 160 acres for a family of 5, and a gratuity and annuity of $3 per person. In return, the first nations would concede and surrender to the Queen, and lose a large part of land, in what is now Manitoba. -
Treaty 2 signed
A second treaty, with the Chippewa People, got the government land from the Winnipeg river. While the first treaty was being negotiated, the second was as well. It was very similar to the first in that the first nations were now subjects of the Queen and had to give up some land, in return for economic and land aid. -
Prince Edward Island joins Confederation
Prince Edward Island joins Canada as the seventh Canadian province -
Treaty 3 signed
Signed with the Saulteaux people, they gave up about 55000 sq miles in return for 1 square mile per family and $5 annuity per person per year (about $134 today), along with an initial $12 per person ($321)
Negotiations took place over 4 years. The government wanted to build a road that went through first nation territory. In an attempt to maintain good relations, a treaty was proposed. Over 4 years, terms were negotiated. Both sides had deals the other didn't want. -
Treaty 3 signed (cont.)
It ended with a written deal of the government getting land, with the first nations getting to hunt, live and fish on that land until it was needed, and the first nations would get supplies and the aforementioned economic aid. However, the first nation people maintain that they never agreed to give up the land, only give the government the right to use it, and they would always keep the land. -
Treaty 3 signed (cont. 2)
There were also some verbal agreements which were not written, such as an exemption from the draft and the rights to minerals found in the land. Some of these supposed agreements (for lack of a better work) are still in dispute. -
Treaty 4 signed
This treaty is signed with the Cree, Saulteaux, and other first nations in Saskatchewan. They exchanged land for food, provisions, and reserve land. After declining hunting populations threatened the first nations, they asked the government for a treaty for help. The government did not want one at first, however gave in on the belief that it would bring more stability to the region and reduce tensions. -
Treaty 5 signed
This treaty, signed again with the Ojibwe and Swampy Cree people, covered much of Manitoba. After hearing about what the other nations got from the government with their treaties, the Ojibwe and Swampy Cree people demanded that they also get similar economic aid and help defending their land. The government was at first reluctant to sign another treaty, but ultimately decided to do so. -
Treaty 5 signed (cont.)
This treaty treated the first nations much worse, both in land and monetary gain, compared to the previous treaties that had been signed. The first nations did not have much of an ability to negotiate terms. The first nations people would give up their land and instead live on reserves, -
Indian act introduced
The Indian act was the biggest of many acts meant to restrict the indigenous population. Its main goal was to attempt to assimilate the first nations people into European culture. Its results and legacy have caused trauma and its effect is still seen today. The act tried to wipe out their culture. It was illegal to perform dances and ceremonies. The chief system was changed so you had to be elected, unlike the previous system of inherited power. -
Indian act introduced (cont.)
Someone qualified under these laws and the other discriminatory laws from the Indian act if they are a male of "Indian blood" who was in a band. You lost the title if you graduated from university, married a non-indigenous male as a woman, or became a minister, doctor, or lawyer. Later reforms to the act made the lives of the first nations people much worse, with amendments bringing out atrocities such as the residential schools. -
Treaty 6 signed
Like previous treaties, the first nations people wanted the government to assist them, but the government was reluctant. In order to force the government to do action, they blocked anyone from trespassing or going across their land. The government relented, and negotiations started. The final terms was that the first nations would give up land in exchange for gratuities and annuities. The government would also build schools, supply ammunition, and give funds in case of an emergency. -
Treaty 7 signed
Treaty 7 is the last of the "numbered treaties". After the first nations yet again expressed desire for a treaty, and several groups formed an alliance, negotiations started for another treaty. The first nations gave 35000 sq miles to the government in return for more gratuities and annuities, ammunition, equipment, and livestock, cattle proportionate the the family size. However, it is now seen that the first nations did not know what they were signing when they sold their land. -
Canada gains Arctic sovereignty
The Northwest Territories, which had previously been under British rule, gets transferred to be under Canada -
Canada Pacific Railroad Finished
The last spike of the CPR is driven in by the projects leader. This marks the end of a government promise to connect the entire country with a railway. Construction started in 1881. One group of workers that was treat very badly during the construction process were immigrant workers from China, who worked longer and harder for les pay, and were always given the most dangerous jobs. The railway connected BC to the rest of Canada, and was a critical engineering innovation. -
Manitoba School act
The Manitoba School act removed government funding for Catholic Schools. The Catholic and French population were not happy and said that it violated the terms of Manitoba joined confederation in the first place. -
First Stanley Cup championship
The oldest cup in the world, the first Stanley Cup was donated by Lord Stanley. In the end, the Montreal team beat the Ottawa 3-1 and took the first championship in the cups 127 year history. -
Klondike Gold rush begins
After gold was discovered in the Yukon, it sparked a massive craze for riches. Tens of thousands of prospectors headed into the Yukon looking to strike it rich. Life was hard for the majority of the prospectors, but the few who found gold lived a life of luxury. The boom in population caused a massive development in infrastructure in Yukon. As estimated $29M ($933M today) worth of gold was found during the gold rush. It ended in 1899. -
Northwest Passage completed
Roald Amundsen completes the Northwest Passage, which explorers had tried to find for centuries past. It allows ships to pass from the Atlantic to Pacific ocean. -
Alberta and Saskatchewan become provinces
Alberta and Saskatchewan join Canada as the 8th and 9th provinces. -
Hydro Electric Created
The first government-owned electricity company in the world, Hydro-Electric was created in Ontario with Adam Beck as its chairman. Today, the company serves more than 1.4 million people in Ontario. -
Silver Dart performs maiden flight
The Silver Dart does its maiden flight in Nova Scotia, by its maker John McCurdy. It is the first heavier-than-air powered flight in Canada, and by extension, the British empire. It flies for about 1 km before landing -
Royal Canadian Navy founded
The Royal Canadian Navy, the oldest body of the Canadian Armed Forces, is founded. It is meant to defend the coastline and to help the British empire should they be called upon. -
Canada joins World War 1
After Britain declares war on Germany, they pull Canada into the war as well because of their ties and history. WW1 would help cement Canadas reputation in the international community. The war would cost over 60,000 Canadians.
