Manitoba Time Line (1610-1920)

1610

Henry Hudson discovers Hudson Bay

1612

Thomas Button discovers Nelson River

1619

Jens Munck enters Churchill Harbour

1631

Luke Fox explores west coast of Hudson Bay
Thomas James voyage - rediscovers James Bay

1668

Radisson and Groseilliers sail for Hudson Bay

1670

Hudson's Bay Company is incorporated and Charter granted by Charles II

1684

Founding of York Factory

1685

La Verendrye born at Three Rivers

1690

Henry Kelsey sets out for the prairies

1691

Henry Kelsey first sees the buffalo

1697

Hudson's Bay Company loses all posts except Fort Albany to French

1713

Hudson's Bay Company posts returned by Treaty of Utrecht

1731

La Verendrye sets out for his first journey west

1734

La Jemeraye advances to the Red River for La Verendrye

1736

La Verendrye's men killed at Massacre Island

1738

La Verendrye reaches the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers

1742

Founding of Fort Dauphin

1754

Anthony Henday sets out to explore the interior

1763

The Northwest passes to Britain through the Treaty of Paris

1765-66

The first British traders from Montreal appear in the west

1772

Samuel Hearne sets out from Prince of Wales Fort for Coppermine River

1774

Samuel Hearne builds Cumberland House on Saskatchewan River

1784

North West Company organized at Montreal

1790

Hudson's Bay Company establish Swan Lake House in Swan River district

1793

Cuthbert Grant Senior founds a trading post for the North West Company on the Assiniboine River three miles above the Souris River mouth
Hudson's Bay Company penetrates as far south as the Red and Assiniboine Rivers - Brandon House is founded on the Assiniboine three miles above the North West Company's post

1795

Ash House established by North West Company in the vicinity of Section 12, Township 6, Range 24W1

1797

David Thompson reaches the Souris River

1797-98

First post established at Pembina by Chaboillez for the North West Company

1801

Alexander Henry the younger reaches the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers

1810

Fort Gibraltar established for the North West Company at the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers

1811

Hudson's Bay Company grants Assiniboia to Lord Selkirk

1812

First settlers reach the Forks

1815

Selkirk settlement destroyed

1816

Battle of Seven Oaks

1817

Lord Selkirk's men recapture Fort Douglas

1818

First Roman Catholic missionaries reach Selkirk settlement and their church established in St. Boniface

1820

First Anglican missionary, John West, arrives at Selkirk settlement

1821

Amalgamation of the fur companies - North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company

1822

Fort Gibraltar renamed Fort Garry honoring Nicholas Garry who came from London to superise the reorganization of the new company

1823

The colony's Fort Douglas removed to a new position alongside Fort Garry

1824

St. John's, the first Anglican church, built
Cuthbert Grant founds Grantown (now St. Francois Xavier) on the White Horse Plain

1826

Great flood almost destroys the Selkirk settlement
George Simpson appointed acting Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land
First St. Andrew's church erected

1834

Hudson's Bay Company purchases and takes over the colony in Assiniboia, Selkirk settlement, from the heirs of Lord Selkirk

1835

Reverend Cockran chooses site for Indian village at St. Peters'
First meeting of reorganized Council of Assiniboia

1836

Thomas Simpson sets out to explore the Arctic coast

1839

George Simpson appointed Governor of Rupert's Land

1840

Reverend James Evans, first Methodist missionary to the West, arrives at Norway House

1844

Trade with St. Paul opens
Louis Riel born at St. Boniface

1845

Archibishop Tache arrives at St. Boniface

1846

Arrival of British troops who were to be stationed in the colony

1849

The Sayer trial - the question of the inhabitants' right to free trade in furs was the issue
Bishop David Anderson arrives in the Selkirk settlement

1850

The Battle of Grand Cateau between the Sioux and Buffalo hunters from Red River took place on the Souris plains not far from Turtle Mountain

1851

The Reverend John Black, the settlement's first Presbyterian minister, arrives in the West
Archdeacon Cockran establishes a settlement at Portage la Prairie

1852

Severe flood injures the settlement
Kildonan Presbyterian church is built

1854

First newspaper in the West is published

1856

Alexander Ross publishes his history "The Red River Settlement"

1859

First steamboat arrives at Fort Garry

1860

John Schultz arrives from the East to win the West for Canada

1863

Arrival of a large number of Sioux Indians after the Minnesota massacre

1868

The Red River Famine

1869-70

Red River disturbances - Louis Riel and his followers seize Fort Garry and set up a provisional government

1870

The Act creating the Province of Manitoba in the Dominion of Canada is passed
The first Lieutenant-Governor, A. G. Archibald, arrives
Election for the first Legislature of Manitoba

1871

First session of the first Manitoba Legislature opens
Lieutenant-Governor Archibald signs a treaty with the Indians
Attempted Fenian raid at Fort Daer
First public school opens in Winnipeg
First telegram sent from Manitoba
First number of the Manitoba Free Press appears

1873

First street light in Winnipeg
Act establishing the Royal North West Mounted Police, predecessor of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is passed
City of Winnipeg is incorporated

1874

First party of Mennonites arrives from Russia

1875

First Icelandic party of settlers arrives

1876

Legislative Council of Manitoba is abolished
First wheat is shipped out of Manitoba

1877

University of Manitoba receives its Charter
First railway locomotive arrives in St. Boniface
First shipment of wheat direct to Europe
First telephone installed in Winnipeg

1878-79

First train to St. Paul

1879

First mail to travel by train leaves Winnipeg
Historical and Scientific Society of Manitoba is founded

1881

Boundaries of Manitoba extended
Contract for building the Canadian Pacific Railway is signed
First train crossed the Louise Bridge

1882

First delivery of letters in Winnipeg
First electric light appears on Main Street in Winnipeg

1884

Red River Expedition leaves for service in Egypt
First block of pavement laid in Winnipeg

1885

Engagements at Fish Creek
Engagement at Cut Knife Creek
Battle of Batoche
Capture of Big Bear
Louis Riel is executed at Regina

1889

First curling bonspiel is held in Winnipeg

1890

Dual system of schools is abolished

1892

First two Ukrainians reach Winnipeg
First electric street cars in Winnipeg

1897

The Laurier-Greenway settlement

1901

Brandon College, predecessor of Brandon University, receives its Charter
First motor car, owned by Professor Kenrick, appears on the streets of Winnipeg

1906

Street cars begin to run on Sunday
Department store of Timothy Eaton Company opens in Winnipeg

1907

The telephone system is purchased by the Manitoba government

1910

First boat passes through the St. Andrew's Lock
Erection begins of two Technical High Schools (Kelvin, St. John's)

1912

New boundaries of Manitoba are announced

1913

Work begins on a pipeline to bring drinking water to Winnipeg from Shoal Lake

1914

Entire Hudson's Bay Company railway is under contract

1916

Women's Suffrage Bill is given third reading in the Manitoba Legislature
Compulsory Education Act comes into force

1918

Ban on public meetings owing the a flu epidemic
Armistice Day concludes World War I

1919

Opening of first Manitoba Musical Festival
Winnipeg General Strike

1920

Manitoba's new scandal-plagued Legislature Building opens

 
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