History

The earliest inhabitants of this vast land were prehistoric tribes from Asia who traveled across the Bering Strait and settled here. Barring the odd Viking visit, which did not last very long, the aboriginal people lived freely and developed their customs, languages and traditions until the 15th century. In 1534, Jacques Cartier made the first claim for France and Samuel de Champlain founded Québec City in the early 1600s. By the mid 16th century, Canada was declared a French province.

The British entered the picture in 1670 and the hostilities between the two colonizers eventually led to the Treaty of Paris in 1763 when France handed Canada over to Britain. The two cultures within Canada continued to fight until the growing strength of the US necessitated a more united front. In 1867 the British North American Act (BNA Act) gave birth to modern, self-governing Canada.

Resentments between the two provinces continued, however, and there were voices urging a separate French state for Quebec right up to even 20 years ago. It is only recently that the movement for Québec independence has lost some steam.