Settling in Canada

For thousands of years before French, English, Spanish and other European people started sailing to this land, there were people living here. There were no borders, no countries, no provinces or territorieslink opens in new window. Inuit, First Nations and Métislink opens in new window hunted, fished, trapped, farmed and built communities here.

Starting about 400 years ago, people from Europelink opens in new window began building their own homeslink opens in new window, often over top of Indigenous settlementslink opens in new window. (What’s the story of your homelink opens in new window?

The Europeans had to change what they atelink opens in new window and the money they usedlink opens in new window. And as their numbers grew, they continued to take land from Indigenous people.

Some kids were even sent here on their ownlink opens in new window.

All over Canada, there are places where you can see for yourself how both Indigenous people and settlers lived in earlier timeslink opens in new window.