Before being part of British North America, the constituents of Canada consisted of the former colonies of Canada and Acadia from within New France which had been ceded to Great Britain in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris.[5]French Canadian nationality was maintained as one of the "two founding nations" and legally through the Quebec Act which ensured the maintenance of the Canadian French language, Catholic religion, and French civil law within Canada, a fact which remains true today.[6]
Canada inherited territorial disputes with the United States over Machias Seal Island and North Rock, which remain disputed up to the present.[14]
Disputes:
July 15, 1870
The United Kingdom transferred most of its remaining land in North America to Canada, with the North-Western Territory and Rupert's Land becoming the North-West Territories.[e] The British government made the transfer after Canada and the Hudson's Bay Company agreed to the terms, including a payment of £300,000 from Canada to the Company.[18]
Due to a vague description and lack of quality surveying, part of the western border with the United States was unclear and disputed.[16] Canada disagreed with the United Kingdom over the extent of Labrador that remained with Newfoundland Colony, citing the historical use of the term "Coasts of Labrador."
A rectangular area of the newly acquired region around the city of Winnipeg was made the province of Manitoba.[f][19]
The borders of Ontario were provisionally expanded north and west. When the Province of Canada was formed, its borders were not entirely clear, and Ontario claimed to eventually reach all the way to the Rocky Mountains and Arctic Ocean. With Canada's acquisition of Rupert's Land, Ontario was interested in clearly defining its borders, especially since some of the new areas it was interested in were rapidly growing. After the federal government asked Ontario to pay for construction in the new disputed area, the province asked for an elaboration on its limits, and its boundary was moved north to 51° north, and west to a line running north from Hunter's Island.[24]
October 7, 1876
The District of Keewatin was created from a central strip of the North-West Territories to provide government for the growing area north of Manitoba and west of Ontario; while the North-West Territories consisted of several districts, Keewatin had an elevated status and many sources note it distinct from the rest of the North-West Territories.[h][25]
September 1, 1880
The United Kingdom transferred its Arctic Islands to Canada, where they were made part of the North-West Territories.[26] The archipelago was still being explored and new islands discovered, but the United Kingdom and Canada had claimed the whole archipelago, so new discoveries are not noted unless disputed.
December 23, 1881
Manitoba was expanded, gaining land from the District of Keewatin and North-West Territories to the west, north, and east.[i] Since the province's new eastern border was defined as the "western boundary of Ontario", the exact definition of which was still unclear, Ontario disputed a portion of the new region.[28][27]
A boundary treaty redefined the maritime border with the United States.[44] Among other changes, this "de-enclaved" Horseshoe Reef in Lake Erie by making the water around it contiguous with the water on the American side of the border.[45][46]
no change to map
August 20, 1910
A boundary treaty with the United States addressed a slight uncertainty in the maritime border in Passamaquoddy Bay between New Brunswick and the United States.[47][48] The border was adjusted to run east of Pope's Folly Island, which previously lay on the border line, and had been the subject of some debate for many years.[49][50]
May 15, 1912
Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec (act) were all expanded northward into land from the Northwest Territories.[42] Quebec was expanded north to fill the mainland, Manitoba extended north to the 60th parallel north, and the new border between Manitoba and Ontario ran northeast from the previous northeastern corner of Manitoba.[51][52]
The border with the United States was adjusted in several places.[53][54] The only change to a land border redefined how the border between the Lake of the Woods and the Rocky Mountains should be considered; previously, the border followed the curve of the parallel between each border monument, while the treaty changed this to straight lines between each monument. Through this, the United States netted a gain of between 30 and 35 acres (0.12–0.14 km2) of land. There was also a change to the border in the Lake of the Woods; due to inaccurate surveying, the previous border intersected itself several times in the lake, creating enclaves of United States water surrounded by Canadian water. The treaty changed the border to use the southernmost intersection as the northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods. Finally, the maritime border in the Bay of Fundy was adjusted, netting Canada roughly 9 acres (0.036 km2) of water.
The maritime border with Denmark was defined, notably "skipping" Hans Island which lies directly between Ellesmere Island and Greenland, and which was technically on neither side of the border.[58]
Yukon Territory was renamed Yukon, though it remained a territory.[63]
December 19, 2023
The border with Denmark was defined so that it passes through Hans Island rather than skipping over it.[64] The agreement was announced on June 14, 2022, and the Danish parliament passed it on December 19, 2023.[65]
^The exact border between of Ontario and Quebec was: from where the St. Lawrence River leaves the border with the United States; down the river to a marker on the north bank of Lake Saint Francis at the border of the township of Lancaster (now part of South Glengarry) and the seigneurie of New Longueuil; north 34° west along the boundary to the western angle of New Longueuil; north 25° east along the boundary to the Ottawa River; up that to its source; then north to the height of the land.[10]
^The border between New Brunswick and Quebec was, from the outlet of Beau Lake: a line to a point one mile south of the southern point of Long Lake; a line to the southern point of the fiefs of Madawaska and Temiscouata; along that southeast boundary to its southeast angle; north to an east-west line tangent to the height of the land dividing the Rimouski River and the St. John River; east to a north-south line tangent to the height of the land dividing the Rimouski River from the Restigouche River; north to 48° north; east to the Patapédia River; down that to the Restigouche River; and down that to Chaleur Bay.[11][12]
^The border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was, from the Bay of Fundy; up the Missaguash River to a post near Black Island; then a complex of lines through and past Black Island, eventually reaching Tidnish Bridge; then down the Tidnish River to Baie Verte.[13]
^The new borders of Canada were, from the existing Canada-United States border at the Pigeon River: up the Boundary Waters to the Rainy River and the northwest angle of the Lake of the Woods; south to 49° north; west to the ridge of the Rocky Mountains; north along that to 120° west; north to 60° north; west to the disputed border with the United States described as the "summit of the mountains parallel to the coast"; north along that to 141° west; then north to the Arctic Ocean. The border then followed the coastline, leaving it to include the half of Baffin Bay within the Hudson Bay watershed, then back to the mainland; it then ran down the "Coasts of Labrador", the extent of which were disputed, until it reached the existing Canada–Newfoundland border at Blanc-Sablon.[15][16][17]
^The District of Keewatin was defined as the mainland area west of Ontario and Hudson Bay; east of Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipegosis, and Cedar Lake, and a line north from Cedar Lake; and north of the United States.
^Manitoba's new western and northern borders were defined only by township ranges and survey borders, with the southern border being the United States and the eastern border being Ontario.[27]
^The borders of Yukon Territory were, from the Arctic Ocean: south along the international boundary to 60° north; east to the Liard River; north along the river to the height of the land; along that, approximately parallel to the Peel River, to 136° west; then north.[33]
^The new northern border of Quebec was, starting from James Bay: up the Eastmain River to its source; east to the Hamilton River; then down that to the border with Newfoundland, which was still heavily disputed.[34]
^
Widdis, Randy (2006). "49th Parallel". The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
^Lewry, Marilyn (2006). "Boundary surveys". The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
^
Webb, Jeff A. (March 2008). "The Commission of Government, 1934-1949". Heritage: Newfoundland & Labrador. Memorial University of Newfoundland and the C.R.B. Foundation. Retrieved October 17, 2015.