Manitoba History

Some of the significant events in the history of Manitoba include:

1670  The Hudson’s Bay Company was given the territory which is now Manitoba.

1682  Fur trade began with the founding of York Factory at the mouths of the Nelson and Hayes Rivers.

1738  La Vérendrye established Fort Rouge.

1809  Fort Gibraltar was built by the North West Company on today’s site of Winnipeg.

1812  Scottish settlers sponsored by Lord Selkirk settled along the banks of the Red River near Fort Gibraltar.

1813  Fort Douglas was built on the Red River.

1816  Seven Oaks massacre of settlers occurred.

1820  The settlement of Manitoba practically ceased for the next fifty years.

1821  The North West and Hudson’s Bay companies were united.

1821  The building of Fort Garry was begun.

1869  Rupert’s Land was bought from the Hudson’s Bay Company and organized into the Northwest Territories. The problems over the terms of this transfer caused the Red River Rebellion under Louis Riel.

1870  The Province of Manitoba was formed, comprising only the vicinity of Winnipeg.

1873  Winnipeg was incorporated as a city.

1877  The University of Manitoba was founded.

1881  The original province was enlarged, comprising the southern portion of today’s Manitoba.

1885  Northwest Rebellion occurred.

1886  Canadian Pacific Railway’s main line reached Manitoba.

1912  The Province of Manitoba was enlarged to its present boundaries.

In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, Manitoba’s population grew due to the flood of settlers from Ontario, the British Isles, the Ukraine, Germany, Iceland, and other countries.