Territorial Evolution, 1898

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Abstract

The District of Yukon is separated from the Northwest Territories to become Yukon Territory with the boundaries as assigned to the district in 1895. The boundaries of Quebec are extended northward to the Eastmain River.

Canada’s long and diversified settlement history is reflected in the two distinct patterns of boundaries that differentiate between eastern and western Canada. The eastern boundaries closely conform to natural features such as drainage basins, while the boundaries of western and northern Canada. reflect the administrative organisation of these lands by, first, the Hudson’s Bay Company and later the Government of Canada.

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Canada

In 1898, the Yukon District was separated from the Northwest Territories and established as a separate territory. The northern boundaries of the province of Quebec also changed in 1898.

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Photograph of the Town of MacLeod, Alberta

Yukon

Although the government of Canada had created the Yukon District because of the need for law and order in the area, it was soon found that further provision was needed because over 90 percent of the people in the district were foreigners who had no wish to settle in the area.

In 1898, by an Act of Parliament, the Yukon was established as a separate territory, in order to ensure the proper administration of the area. The boundaries of the new territory were the ones established in 1895.

Quebec

The northern boundary of Quebec had been determined based on the boundary of the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company. This boundary had been set as the Rupert's River, but in 1701, the Company had accepted to consider the Eastmain River as the boundary; this fact gave the province of Quebec some claim to more territory. After the northern boundary of Ontario was extended in 1889, Quebec asked to have its northern boundaries extended. Before this could be done, it became necessary to survey the area to determine which branch of the Eastmain would be followed. It was only in 1895, that the Dominion Surveyor General reported that he had enough information from the surveys to determine a new northern boundary for Quebec. In 1898, new boundaries for Quebec were delimited in the north, and in the east. The eastern boundary was not very precise, because it was an international boundary with a British colony, which had never been officially defined. The western boundary followed the boundary that had been defined between the District of Ungava and the Province of Ontario.

The animation Territorial Evolution 1867 to 1999 shows sequentially the history of the political boundary changes in Canada from Confederation to the creation of Nunavut.