Natural Resources Canada

Between 1609 and 1628, European explorers charted more unknown waters along the Atlantic Coast, and also penetrated down the St. Lawrence River into the eastern Great Lakes. The routes of four explorers are shown on this map: Hudson (1609), Champlain (1609, 1613 and 1615 to 1616), Brûlé (1615 to...

In the period from 1634 to 1650, exploration in what is now Canada was largely carried out by Jesuit missionaries. Their findings consolidated European knowledge of the eastern Great Lakes. The map shows the routes of seven expeditions: Nicollet (1634), Bogaert (1634 to 1635), Brébeuf and...

This map shows the first phase of exploration of what is now Canada, which was largely confined to the east coast of the island of Newfoundland and to southeastern Labrador. Shown here are the routes of three explorers: Cabot (1497), Corte-Real (1500 to 1501) and Fernandes (1500). The map also...

In the early seventeenth century, there were two voyages that explored the Labrador coastline and southern Baffin Island. These voyages were by Waymouth (1602) and Knight (1606). The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans in the period 1497 to 1650; and the navigation of all...

In the period from 1610 to 1632, English navigators explored Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay. This map shows the routes of seven explorers: Hudson (1610 to 1611), Button (1612 to 1613), Bylot (1615 to 1616), Baffin (1615 to 1616), Munk (1619 to 1620), Fox (1631), and James (1631 to 1632). The map...

Champlain's resource surveys of the Atlantic Coast and Saint Lawrence River between 1603 and1607 were the first exploration in this area since Cartier and Bellenger. This map shows five of Champlain's exploration routes. The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans in the period...

The third phase of exploration in what is now Canada consisted of the initial penetration of the St. Lawrence valley. This was initiated by Jacques Cartier in two voyages - 1534 and 1535 to 1536. Bellenger (1583) made a later voyage of exploration extending Cartier's knowledge. The map also shows...

The fourth phase of exploration in what is now Canada consisted of Frobisher's three voyages (1576, 1577 and 1578) and the two voyages of Davis (1586 and 1587) made in search of a northwest passage to Asia. These voyages represented the initial penetration of the Arctic. The map also shows the...

The second phase of exploration of what is now Canada lasted from 1519 to 1533. During that period, explorers charted the Atlantic Coast in search of a western passage to Asia. This map shows the routes of four explorers: Fagundes (1519 to 1526), Verrazzano (1524), Gomes (1525) and Rut (1527)....

In 1741, along the Pacific coast, the first Russian probes reached the Aleutian Islands and the Alaskan mainland. These were the expeditions of Bering (1741) and Chirikov (1741). The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans and the navigation of all exploration routes in the...

To the south of what is now Canada, French military expeditions explored and mapped the Ohio River valley in the period 1739 to 1749. These expeditions were led by Le Moyne and Céleron (1739) and Céleron and Bonnécamps (1749). The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans and the...

Exploration in the period 1671 to 1686 was dominated by the return of the intendant, Jean Talon, to New France. In order to keep out the English and promote the fur trade to Montréal, he encouraged a series of expeditions, including exploration of the rivers flowing into James Bay. This map shows...

Exploration in the period 1673 to 1688 was dominated by the return of the intendant, Jean Talon, to New France. In order to keep out the English and promote the fur trade to Montréal, he encouraged a series of expeditions. The routes of nine expeditions are shown on this map: Louis Jolliet and...

The period 1691 to 1729 was a time of relative inactivity for exploration in areas of concern to New France and England. The main journeys were out of Louisiana to explore the Mississippi and its tributaries, and, much further north, there were some forays into Hudson Bay conducted or ordered by...

Exploration in the period 1668 to 1689 was initiated by the re-emergence of the English in James Bay. This map shows the routes of seven expeditions into inadequately known areas of Hudson Bay and James Bay: Gillam and Des Groseilliers (1668 to 1669), Bayly and Radisson (1670 and 1671), Bayly...

Between 1651 and 1664, except for a few trader's agents, missionaries were the principal explorers in the lower reaches of some of the major rivers flowing from the north into the St. Lawrence. This map shows the routes of four expeditions: Buteux and Godefroy (1651); Dablon and Druillettes...

In the period 1742 to 1749, the British renewed their search for a northwest passage. Part of this involved exploring the « East Main » – the eastern shore of Hudson and James Bays. Four exploration routes are shown: Middleton (1742), Mitchell and Longland (1744), Moor and Smith (1747) and Coats...

In the period between 1654 and 1670, missionaries were the principal explorers in the Great Lakes area. This map shows expeditions covering all parts of the Great Lakes except for southern Lake Michigan. The six expeditions shown are: Des Groseilliers (1654 to 1656), Des Groseilliers and Radisson...

Between 1654 and 1656, except for a few trader's agents, missionaries were the principal explorers in the Iroquois country (an area covering much of present-day southern Ontario). The map shows three explorer routes: Le Moyne (1654), Chaumonot and Ménard (1656) and Chaumonot (1656). The map also...

Exploration in the period 1731 to 1757 was dominated by the rapid thrust of French exploration into the western interior of Canada, particularly by Pierre Gaultier de la Vérendrye and his five sons who made nine expeditions between 1731 to 1743. As well, the map shows the exploration routes of...