From “Nouvelle-France” to “Canada”

1719 New France Map, digital image of a map by Nicolas de Fer, Wikipedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org). — **1719 New France Map**, digital image of a map by Nicolas de Fer, *Wikipedia Commons* (https://commons.wikimedia.org).

Even if your French-Canadian ancestors lived in the same town for generations, chances are the jurisdiction changed over time depending on who was in charge and where borders were drawn. The following is a timeline of jurisdiction changes in Canada and the naming conventions it entailed.

Present-Day Provinces of Québec & Ontario

Canada, New France (French Colony)

From 1534 to 10 Feb 1763 (Treaty of Paris)

Canada was divided into the districts of Québec, Trois-Rivières and Montréal

Province of Québec (British Colony)

From 11 Feb 1763 to 25 Dec 1791 (Constitutional Act of 1791)

Provinces of Lower Canada & Upper Canada (British Colonies)

From 26 Dec 1791 to 9 Feb 1841 (Act of Union 1840)

The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the Province of Quebec into the Provinces of Lower and Upper Canada.

Canada East & Canada West, Province of Canada (British Colony)

From 10 Feb 1841 to 30 Jun 1867 (Confederation)

The Act of Union 1840 merged the Colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada by abolishing their separate parliaments and replacing them with a single one. The province of Canada was divided into two parts: Canada East and Canada West. Canada East was what became of the former colony of Lower Canada, while Canada West was what became of Upper Canada.