Canada year 1949 duck stamps ☀ sg.0171 MNH block
“British Canada” typically refers to the historical period when Canada was under British rule. This period lasted from the early 17th century to the late 19th century.
Canada was initially explored and settled by the French, but following the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), the British gained control of most of France’s North American possessions, including what is now Canada. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 officially transferred New France to Britain.
During British rule, Canada was divided into several colonies, including Upper Canada (present-day Ontario), Lower Canada (present-day Quebec), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Over time, these colonies expanded and eventually united into the Dominion of Canada in 1867 through the British North America Act (now called the Constitution Act, 1867). This act established Canada as a self-governing dominion within the British Empire.
Even after Confederation in 1867, Canada remained a part of the British Empire until the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which granted Canada legislative independence from Britain. However, Canada continued to share the British monarch as its head of state, a tradition that persists to this day, with Queen Elizabeth II as the current monarch.
