Compare and contrast: Ontario and Quebec

Consider what you know about the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Can you think of any similarities or differences between the provinces?

Consider the following questions:

• Where are the provinces located in relation to each other?
• What bodies of water are shared between both provinces?
• Where are the capital cities located?
• How do they compare to each other in size, climate, and landscapes?
• What do the symbols on the flags represent?

Press the tabs to explore the maps and pictures to help guide your brainstorming. Record your ideas in a method of your choice.

Life in Lower Canada

In this learning activity, you will be exploring daily life in Upper and Lower Canada, as well as Indigenous perspectives at this time. As you are learning, consider the similarities and differences you notice.

City life in Lower Canada

Lower Canada was a British colony from 1791 to 1840 that was made up primarily of French-speaking people. The major cities in Lower Canada were Montreal and Quebec. In both cities, there were many different industries, such as ship building, mills, factories, manufacturing, and construction. There were public markets where grocers, butchers, fishers, and bakers made a living.

Cities were crowded and dirty. Poverty and disease became growing issues in the cities of Lower Canada because families were big, and households used much of their income to provide for their families and pay their taxes to landowners. Garbage was a huge issue in the cities, and people did not yet see the connection between garbage and illness. Also, a lot of waste was dumped into the waterways. Government officials tried to impose sanitation rules, but they were ignored by the people.

Country life in Lower Canada

Land continued to be farmed in Lower Canada as the rural areas had good wheat crops and plentiful harvests. Their main trading partner was Britain. However, after the War of 1812, Britain fell into an economic crisis, which hurt the farmers in Lower Canada. Another issue was farming techniques. Techniques like fertilizer and crop rotation had not been established yet, which sometimes resulted in smaller harvests or crops that were prone to disease and insects. In addition to farming, rural areas of Lower Canada had timber and potash industries.

In both the city and country of Lower Canada, the government did not help people who had fallen on hard times. Instead, they relied on their friends and family during times of poverty or illness. The Roman Catholic Church was an important institution to both the city and countryside settlers in Lower Canada.

Government in Lower Canada

The Constitution Act of 1791 created the government structure of Lower Canada. The elected officials were French, but the appointed officials that held the power were British. This created a major divide in the government. The governor of Canada was appointed by Britain and held the highest position in government. The Executive and Legislative Council were appointed by the governor and worked solely with the governor. Responding to these councils was the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly was appointed by voters and was responsible for making the laws. These laws were then approved by the Executive and Legislative Council. At the bottom of this hierarchy were the voters, who were male property owners of European decent.

The most powerful group in Lower Canada was a small group of British men and wealthy French-Canadian men. Their interests aligned with Britain. They formed the Château Clique and believed the government should reside with only a few powerful people. They supported the Roman Catholic Church to help maintain their power.

Immigration in Lower Canada

After the War of 1812, the British had lost a lot of their wealth and were experiencing an economic crisis. The government of Britain began to encourage citizens to emigrate to Lower Canada. In 1815, Lower Canada’s population exploded as British immigrants arrived.

Some immigrants used government assistance, while others used savings or incentives from landowners to emigrate to Lower Canada. Cargo ship companies used empty ships to transport immigrants. These cargo ships were cheaper than passenger ships but were not meant for human travel. They were rat infested and overcrowded, which led to the spread of infectious diseases such as typhus, cholera, and dysentery. In some cases, immigrants were dropped off at random ports in Canada, even if it wasn’t close to their planned destination. These immigrants had to find their own way to the land they had been granted.

This massive influx of English-speaking immigrants angered the French-speaking population in Lower Canada. It created too much competition for jobs and placed a strain on cities to provide for those who were unemployed.

Life in Upper Canada

City life in Upper Canada

Upper Canada was colonized by the people of Britain and was made up primarily of English-speaking Protestants (Christians). The focus for Upper Canada was commerce.

Life in the city was different than the country. In the cities, there was no properly established sanitation system for garbage and waste disposal, so people threw their garbage and waste on the roads and into large bodies of water. It took until the 1840s for a proper sanitation system to be developed for cities to dispose of their waste. Mail was delivered by horse and buggy due to the distance between homes. Roads were of poor quality and often flooded by rainwater. In Upper Canada, people used the waterways to get from place to place, using boats, ships, and canoes in the summer. In the winter, they used horse-drawn sleds to navigate the roads.

Kingston was an important area in Upper Canada because it was designed as a military and naval base to protect Lake Ontario and Upper Canada. York (modern-day Toronto) was built as a military fort and made the capital of Upper Canada.

Country life in Upper Canada

Country life for early settlers in Upper Canada was not easy. They had to create everything they needed themselves. When they arrived in Upper Canada, settlers cleared their land, which included cutting down trees, draining swamps, and relocating wildlife. They had to grow and produce all their own food. Once they fed their families, they would sell the rest at the market.

People who lived in the country were very frustrated with the lack of available farmland. A lot of land that was suitable for farming was kept as clergy and crown reserve land or was owned by wealthy landowners who didn’t work the land.

Black settlements in Upper Canada

In the early 1800s, many Black individuals escaped enslavement in the United States and traveled to Upper Canada, seeking safety and freedom. After the British parliament passed The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, ending the practice of enslavement throughout the British Empire, even more formerly enslaved people and free Black families made their way north. They built new lives in communities like Buxton, Dawn, and Amherstburg, where they started schools, businesses, churches and other organizations that created safe, supportive places for future generations.

Daily life and challenges

Black settlers faced many of the same challenges as other early settlers in Upper Canada, such as clearing land, building homes, growing food, and surviving harsh winters. In addition to these hardships, they also faced racism and inequality that made life even more difficult. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 in the United States increased the danger for freedom seekers by allowing enslavers to recapture escaped individuals, even in free states. As a result, more Black refugees fled north to Canada in search of safety and freedom.

When they arrived, Black settlers found that access to land was still limited. The British government gave out very little land, and many families had to settle in remote areas with poor soil or harsh conditions. Schools and jobs were often closed to Black people or kept separate, so communities had to build their own institutions.

Even with these challenges, Black settlers showed strength and unity. They built churches, schools, and businesses, and shared tools, labour, and knowledge to support one another. Communities like Buxton and Queen’s Bush became symbols of hope and freedom, showing what could be achieved through courage, cooperation, and resilience.

Josiah Henson and the Dawn Settlement

Josiah Henson was an important Black abolitionist and community leader. After escaping enslavement in the United States, he arrived in Upper Canada in 1830. In 1841, he helped establish the Dawn Settlement near present-day Dresden, Ontario. This rural community was designed to help Black settlers support one another in this new land.

The Dawn Settlement included many important places, such as farmland, a sawmill, a gristmill, a brickyard, a rope factory, and a school. In 1842, Josiah Henson helped establish the British American Institute, a vocational school where students learned both academic subjects and hands-on trades. People in the community used local resources to learn skills like carpentry, farming, and brickmaking, which helped them build strong and successful lives.

Government in Upper Canada

Like Lower Canada, the governor of Upper Canada was appointed by Great Britain. He would then appoint people to the Executive and Legislative council, which advised the governor and helped to pass laws created. There were two main political parties – the Tories and the Reformers.

Within the Tories, there was a group of elite and wealthy men called The Family Compact. This elite group supported Britain and advised the governor about colonial matters. The Reformers challenged the Tories and the Family Compact because they were angry about how much power they held, and they wanted voters to have more power.

Immigration in Upper Canada

Immigration to Upper Canada was primarily from Loyalist refugees from the United States. They were motivated to move to Upper Canada by the promise of land. They were able to cope well with the rigours of new settlements.

Let’s compare!

For this activity, you will demonstrate what you’ve learned about Upper and Lower Canada by filling out a chart. Use the terms in the word bank to complete the descriptions of Lower and Upper Canada.

Complete Comparing Upper and Lower Canada in your notebook, using the fillable and printable document or using a method of your choice.

Press Answers to reveal the answers to the Comparing Upper and Lower Canada activity.

Answers

So far, you have learned about how colonizers in Upper and Lower Canada lived during this time. When Europeans colonized Canada, they encountered many Indigenous nations. In this next section, you will explore two Indigenous nations and/or communities that were living within their traditional territories during this time (one from the Upper Canada region and one from the Lower Canada region).

Research Task

For this research task, you will select one Indigenous nation or community from Upper Canada and one from Lower Canada that lived in their traditional territories during this time.

Press the following tabs to learn about the steps required to complete this task.

Indigenous perspectives

How did the establishment of Upper and Lower Canada affect Indigenous Peoples in Canada?

In 1763, Britain tried to establish a peaceful and stable relationship with Indigenous Peoples with the Royal Proclamation. The purpose of this document was to recognize First Nations rights in Canada and lay the foundation for the treaty-making process. At that time, British leaders wanted to keep Indigenous Peoples content to avoid armed conflict and prevent unauthorized land grabs.

By the early 1800s, Indigenous Peoples were becoming less of a threat to the British leaders. With the development of Upper and Lower Canada, and immigration, their populations now outnumbered the Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous rights, such as the Royal Proclamation, now seemed to conflict with the wants of colonial settlers and industry. As a result, attitudes and treatment of Indigenous Peoples began to change. British leaders began to view Indigenous Peoples as challenges rather than military allies.

The push to assimilate Indigenous Peoples increased in Canada. Some governments and churches started to think it was their duty to convert Indigenous Peoples to Christianity and to teach them what they considered to be a more civilized way of living. Indigenous communities had their own rich spiritual practices and beliefs, and the word “religion” did not appear in their languages. Many Indigenous beliefs were based on their relationship with the land, the surrounding environment, and the supernatural world. These beliefs were woven into their daily lives.

Indigenous world views included giving thanks to creation and the Earth and treating the land carefully. This meant using only what one needed to survive. This view was very different from European beliefs. Europeans often believed themselves superior and saw Indigenous ceremonies and celebrations as improper. New immigrants generally thought they could take over the lands and suppress Indigenous beliefs.

Then and now

In this learning activity, you have explored many facets of life in Upper and Lower Canada in the early 1800s. Now let's compare and contrast life in the 1800s to modern-day life with a chart. What is similar? What is different? Use the general topics in the left-hand column to help guide your ideas.

Complete the following Then and Now chart in your notebook, using the fillable and printable document or using a method of your choice.

Task: Early settler diary

Imagine yourself as a settler in Upper or Lower Canada during the early 1800s. Your task is to write three diary entries from the perspective of this character. You will explore their daily life, struggles, and experiences. This activity will help you understand what life was like for early settlers and how their experiences helped shape Canada.

Press the following tabs to learn more about each step of this task.

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.