When Was Canada Founded?

Canada’s founding date is July 1, 1867. On that day the British North America Act (BNA Act)—now called the Constitution Act, 1867—came into force, uniting four British colonies into the Dominion of Canada:

Original colony (pre‑Confederation)	Modern province(s)
Province of Canada (split into)	Ontario & Quebec
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia
New Brunswick	New Brunswick
(later) Manitoba, British Columbia, etc.	–

Key Points from the Sources

Source	What it confirms
[Wikipedia – History of Canada]	“Canada was created on July 1 1867 by the British North America Act, which united the colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec).”
[History.com – Canadian Independence Day]	Highlights July 1 1867 as the day the Dominion of Canada was established.
[Government of Canada – Discover Canada]	Describes Confederation on July 1 1867 as the birth of Canada as a self‑governing nation.
[U.S. State Department – Canada]	Notes the same date for Canada’s formation as a country.
[FamilySearch Blog]	Reiterates July 1 1867 as the founding date and explains the BNA Act’s role.

Consensus Across AI Responses

All three AI responses (deepseek, gpt_oss, mercury) agree on:

1. Date: July 1, 1867.
2. Event: Enactment of the British North America Act.
3. Result: Creation of the Dominion of Canada from the colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario.

There is no disagreement among the responses; each cites the same core facts.

Additional Context (Beyond the Core Answer)

• Pre‑Confederation history: Long before 1867, the territories that now form Canada were inhabited by Indigenous peoples and later colonized by France (New France) and Britain. The term “Canada” was used informally for the French colony of Canada (roughly modern Quebec) as early as the 16th century. However, the modern nation‑state was formally established in 1867.
• Subsequent expansion: After Confederation, other provinces and territories joined (e.g., Manitoba in 1870, British Columbia in 1871, Prince Edward Island in 1873, and later the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland & Labrador). These later additions did not change the original founding date.
• Legal name: The BNA Act was renamed the Constitution Act, 1867 in 1982 when Canada patriated its constitution.

Quick Reference

Event	Date	Significance
Confederation (Dominion of Canada created)	July 1, 1867	Birth of Canada as a self‑governing federation under the British Crown.
Constitution Act (patriation)	April 17, 1982	Canada gains full sovereignty over its constitution.

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