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.