Canada’s First European Settlement: A Story Older Than Most People Think
Canada’s history stretches back thousands of years through the lives, cultures, and nations of its First Peoples. But when we talk specifically about the first European settlement in what is now Canada , the story begins earlier than many imagine — not with Champlain in Québec, but with the Vikings at L’Anse aux Meadows . L’Anse aux Meadows: The First Known European Settlement (c. 1000 CE) Long before France or England laid claim to the land, Norse explorers from Iceland and Greenland reached the northern tip of Newfoundland. Archaeological remains at L’Anse aux Meadows confirm a small Viking settlement dating to around the year 1000. This site is now a UNESCO World Heritage location and represents the earliest known European presence in North America. The Norse did not stay long — perhaps only a few years — but their arrival marks the first documented European attempt at settlement on Canadian soil. Early French Settlements: Port-Royal and Québec After the Vikings, European set...